It's Christmas time in Hollis Queens Mom's cooking chicken and collard greens

Hello friends,
Today, on Christmas Eve, I wanted to give you all at nice little present. It's called "Christmas in Hollis" and it's a little treat from Run DMC from Christmas, 1987. Enjoy!



The Rev and his family are going through a rough time, so best wishes go out to them. It's always tough losing a child.

The Jazz June reunite for one night and a special cause next month in Philadelphia. They are playing a show for their old roadie who's been diagnosed with cancer. The Jazz June were a great band that put out some fantastic albums including, 2000's The Medicine, which to this day is still one of my favorite albums.

"Formed in 1996 in Kutztown, PA, the Jazz June have survived the mid-90's "emo" explosion, its inevitable backlash and current media notoriety - and emerged relatively unscathed. The only noticeable scars appear in the form of their music - which has taken leaps and bounds beyond the simplicity of the jangly pop present on their earliest work. They've grown up in the years since - if The Medicine was their Revolver, then Better Off Without Air is the Jazz June's White Album. A varied, mature slab of catchy and impassioned indie rock that finds the band jumping a few steps up their evolutionary ladder."

is an interview with the band's guitarist, Bryan Gassler who talks about Adam's (tour mgr) health, how they never thought their last show would be their last, and the band's future plants. Give it a read.

Came across this tidbit the other day. The Limelight, now known as the Avalon, will close it's doors early next month, and become a Mini-Mall. Yikes! To be honest, it was a horrible club, with horrible sound, staff and booking, but it's fate is even sadder. You won't be missed, but sucks to be you.

The other day, I heard about this photo exhibit “Enrique Metinides photographed his first dead body before he was 12,” Michael Kimmelman writes of the man known as Mexico ’s Weegee. Shooting for pulp magazines and the newspaper La Prensa, Mr. Metinides made “visual sense out of urban mayhem and life’s general unpredictability.” The exhibit on view at the Anton Kern gallery shows gory scenes of death, accidental and otherwise; the photos are so well composed they often look like film stills, with an artistry that’s “rough and plain as day.” Enrique Metinides’s photographs, through Jan. 13 at Anton Kern, 532 West 20th Street, (212) 367-9663. I've seen Weegee's work, and from the looks of Metinde's work, it seems to be pretty awesome. A gritty look at the macabre. Yeah, not what you shouuld be talking about on Xmas Eve, but, worth checking out if you're into cool photography.

Happy Holidays and to all a good night.

More than meets the eye!

If you've been following the Tara Conner story over the last few days, and I know you have, I mean you've seen her, right! You've no doubt heard about the just turned 21, Miss USA and her scandalous behavior. Well, looks like the Donald decided not to utter his famous catch phrase, "You're Fired!". While the lovely Miss USA hasn't done anything that any 20 year old girl that heads off to say, college hasn't done, she will check herself into rehab and will stay true to upholding the image of the pageant and her duties as the winner of the crown. Lets talk about the biggest case of blowing something out of proportion, since Ross and Rachel were on a "break". "She left a small town in Kentucky and she was telling me that she got caught up in the whirlwind of New York," Trump said. Yeah, you think. She's hot! Everyone knows who she is and she wants to party. Ya think it might be tough to get out to some bars. Like people were gonna turn her away! Come on. The whole thing is ridiculous. We didn't see Jenna Bush get carted off to rehab when she got busted for underage partying. (by the way, did anyone see what Matt Damon said about her and sister Babs, the other day?) . I kinda like the idea of a really naughty party girl Miss USA. Think about it. She could start a campaign for, "liquor before beer, you're in the clear" or "no one likes a floater", but seriously, just make her do some drinking and driving PSA's or something. Can't some good come out of a young girl acting crazy. I mean, how were there not cameras on this girl the whole time? They put everyone on TV these days. Jim and Tammy Faye's dumbass punk son has his own show. Hello! If she'd gotten booted, I'm sure she had a place to stay and a new gig.

I've just seen the trailer for the new Transformers movie. It looks pretty killer. I have to say, I was a bit skeptical about them making a live action Transformers movie. I envisioned it looking like that god awful Hulk movie from a couple years ago. I didn't think they could pull it off. But director, Michael Bay, from the looks of the trailer, did not disappoint. Don't know about the cast though. Shia LaBouf, Tyrese and Josh Duhamel, come on. Josh Hartnett and Freddi Prince Jr. weren't available? However, the lovely Megan Fox, better known as the elder, finer, daughter in Hope & Faith, seems to be the lead female. She has the acting ability of a bucket of rocks, but she is lovely. But really, who cares about the actors. Everyone just cares about the Transformers and the special effects. And from the trailer, it looks pretty good. I just hope they get Shockwave up in that piece.

Listening Pile
The one show I'm really bummed I missed out on this year, was the Juno reunion earlier this month in Seattle. I really thought about just getting on a plane and sleeping on some friend's couch to see this. They put out two of my favorite albums on the Desoto label, This is the Way it Goes and Goes and Goes (1999) and A Future Lived in Past Tense (2001), plus a split with the Dismemberment Plan. To this day, every time I get on a flight, I put one at least one of their songs. Dreamy soundscapes, with washy guitars, dense and complex rhythms. They were one of those bands that just reminds me of a time and a place.
I can still remember when and where I was listening to their first album and their second. Anyhows, check out this article in Seattle's, The Stranger. TIt gives a fascinating look back on the band, the time leading up to their reunion and what singer Arlie Carstens is up to with his new project, the Ghost Wars, a long-distance collaboration with producer/musician Eric Fisher (Damien Jurado), featuring contributions from almost 20 members of the extended Seattle music community, including Rosie Thomas, Nate Mendel of Foo Fighters, members of the Blood Brothers, and more. The duo has recorded basic tracks for 25 songs, and is slowly refining 11 of them, with an eye toward releasing an album sometime next year.

I just wanna know, what are you gonna do for me?

Did anyone catch the Lost Room on Sci-Fi Network. Man do I love Peter Krause, better known for playing Nate on Six Feet Under or the criminally underrated, Casey McCall on Sports Night.(when are we gonna see that on Trio's Brilliant But Cancelled?!?!) Julianna Margulies and Kevin Pollack were great in this Mini-Series too. It had this awesome creepy X-Files vibe to it. Krause plays a detective who loses his daughter in the otherwordly lost room and spends the rest of the series unlocking it's mystery and trying to find his daughter. It was good, really good. If anyone happened to see their crazy advertising in NYC, you know it was pretty cool. Random doors put all over the city with lost room written on them. A pretty creative marketing campaign.

I came across this story last week. If you are running around with a Nike+iPod device, you could be getting tracked by someone. A University Of Washington student had a hunch that his small RFID device that fits into the soles of Nike shoes could be used "an easy surveillance device." And apparently, with a little know-how and a computers, you can track someone. A little scary huh! Puts a whole new meaning to stalking. Neither Apple nor Nike had comments on the matter. Go figure! Mr. Jobs, you know who I'm putting the blame on.

Totally forgot about the Nike ID studio here in NYC. Came across it again yesterday walking around Soho. Studio 255, located at 255 Elizabeth St, lets you make an appointment where you can create a unique iD for your kicks. I remember when the iD option first came out. You can put almost anything on the sneakers, cept foul language and slave labor jargon. Ha, crazy huh! I wonder who actually makes these sneakers though.

This was in the Revelation Records email blast the other day. If you look in the lyric booklet to the "Together" 7"
compilation (Revelation Records' second release), you'll see this group photo on the Gorilla Biscuits page. No one knew it at the time, but the photo was not a Gorilla Biscuits photo. Haha, they totally put a picture of some random dudes on there. They don't even have a clue who it is. They are asking for friends to help them figure it out. You gotta love when stuff like this happens. Does anyone remember the Billy Ripken baseball card debacle? Did anyone hear about Jets rookie Leon Washington's mishap where he stuck up his middle fingers and it went unnoticed on his rookie card. I love when this stuff happens.

As I begin thinking about compiling my 2006 best of music list, I took a look back at my 2005 iMix and list, just to see if my tastes had changed. Well, glad to say, not much. Though just looking over 2006, I am noticing, it rocked a bit more, and there weren't quite as many strong records as in years past. Coming up with a top ten for year end lists, was way harder this year, never mind a top 30. I'm gonna have to reach for that. While We're at the year end stuff, has anyone seen the 100 reasons why Pitchfork sucks list , uh... I mean , their top 100 tracks of the year list. Are you guys serious? Is this for real? Apparently, it is.

Listening Pile:
The best thing to come across my desk lately, has been the new Sonic Youth disc. It's called The Destroyed Room and compiles tracks from their Geffen days, that have been previously available on vinyl, limited compilations and b-sides. After the solid, Rather Ripped , from earlier in the year, I wondered what more they could give us. The tracks were hand-picked by the band and even includes some previously unreleased material. Putting together an outtakes comp can be kinda rough, especially for a band like Sonic Youth, that probably has tons of unreleased gems. You gotta have some rockers that are interesting enough to be worth hearing, but not interesting enough that you're left wondering why they didn't make an album. And then I'm sure there are the tracks that simply should not be heard. There is a little of both on this release, but standouts include, "Campfire", a 1999 piece spontaneously composed at a recordings session on a Groovebox sampler. "Beautiful Plateau", "Loop Cat" and "Queen Anne Chair" play up the dreamy guitar wash that inspired many. Overall, a good listen, especially considering that I was expecting 20 minute jams of guitar feedback and tape noise. Nevermind, the 26-minute version of "The Diamond Sea" from Washing Machine. Overall, not a bad collection of songs. I'm sure it's a must for any serious SY fan.

This town was built on miles of hope and I dare you to give one reason to stay.

11/25 - Texas Is The Reason/Ian Love @ Irving Plaza
11/26 - Texas Is The Reason/Ian Love @ Irving Plaza

It's now three days later and I still cannot believe I had the chance to see Texas Is The Reason play in the year 2006. In a way, it's like for two nights I was able to go back in time. It's been 9 years since they played together. Numerous bands have come and gone for these young men, Solea, Jets To Brazil, New End Original, Walking Concert and New Rising Sons. Not a bad legacy to leave behind, huh!

Yet, none of that work equals the timeless 1996 classic, Do You Know Who You Are? . Considered by many as one of the pinnacle releases in the development of the "emo" scene, to us back in 96, it was simply one of the best records, post hardcore, emo, whatever you want to call it. The record and the band stood the test of time.

Coming on to the instrumental interlude and title track, they were accompanied by photos of the band during their hey-day. And then, just as on the album, they kicked into a thunderous version of, "Back and To the Left." The audience, comprised of mostly 25-35 year olds, sang along, and did not let up throughout the entire night. They played every song on both the album and the EP, even playing "Blue Boy" from their split with the Promise Ring. One of the most interesting things, was playing new songs, that they introduced as, "This is a new song, we wrote ten years ago." The slower track of the two is called "Every Little Girl's Dream." The more upbeat track of the two is called "When Rock 'N' Roll Was Just A Baby." We were treated to something that cannot simply be put into words. They were amazing, pure and simple. Tight musicianship, Daly is a machine behind the kit. Scott comes in with the rolling bass lines, and Norm busted out his best chops ever on lead guitar. Garrett's vocals sounded like he never missed a beat. This was without a doubt in my mind, the best show I've seen all year and quite possibly, one of the best ever. We were treated to two wonderful and special nights. For a momment I think a good part of that audience felt like it was 1996 all over again, and we're the better for it.

So, this leaves me with this. What other band out there would you like to see back together, if even for one night. That seemed to come up a bunch over the two nights. Quicksand, was high on the list, if not topping it. But who else would be on the list, Fugazi, Pavement, New Order(there is this nasty rumer), U2, oh wait, they are still together, you'd just think they stopped making music ten years ago. Whatever band it is, lets just hope it doesn't turn into the VH-1 show, Bands Reunited Especially, like their ill-fated attempt at trying to get the Smith's back together.

Listening Pile
I still need to give it up for Texas Is The Reason. Check out four of the band's best songs at their Myspace page. Which includes the song, "Blue Boy" from the split with the Promise Ring, that somehow is out of print. Very strange. Plus get to view some pics and videos from their two nights at Irving Plaza.

Also, go to their site, Texas Is The Reason and check out their thoughts on the two nights, plus credits, info on the new songs and cover they played, where to get merch (got myself a snazy t-shirt) and more...
Roll The Credits
Now that it's over and we're all able to reflect, I think it's safe to say that this weekend's festivities were a complete success. There were a couple of mostly unnoticed mishaps and a few ideas that unfortunately didn't make it to the finish line, but by and large, we accomplished what we set out to do: We played these songs sincerely, among friends, in our hometown, to a sea of smiling faces. To say that these were the most important shows of our career would be an understatement.

And long before I knew you, I've got the scars to prove it.

So, as many of you know. I've taken up running again. It's beeen almost 10 years since I was a good athlete in high school. I ran cross country and track. It was time for a change. Figure I eat pretty healthy, but still have a problem gaining that extra weight up the middle. I've been running off and on for the past 6 months, but have really kicked it up a notch over the last 3 months. I discovered how much more fun running is with an iPod. I've never really been able to run with music in the past, as cd players tended to skip, and making cassette tapes always just seemed improbable. And mini-disc, never quite worked either. I found the unit would skip too much and wasn't quite conducive to the shaking involved. So, then came the iPod. I am not sure why I never tried this before. It seemed ideal really. You could even use the clock feature to time yourself. It changed the way I run. If you're going on a nice casual run, just load up some mid-tempo jams. If you're going on short timed runs, go with something faster paced. It totally revolutionized the way I run.

To top it off, I recently purchased one of those new iPod shuffle units. It's a featherlite item with a capacity of 1GB, or about 250 songs. 1000 if you're loading it up withy Misfits, Mclusky, NOFX or Descendents songs. It's great for those long runs and a good mix loaded up. The two things I really hate are no display feature showing songs or a clock. The other thing is the ability to only synch it up with one computer. Which sorta makes it worthless for taking it to and from work unless you want to keep loading it up at each place and then erasing when getting to the other location. But for $79, you can't really beat it's convenience and portability.

Here's a nice little iMix I made for a short 4 or 5 mile run. I think it works well it getting the heart rate up and keeping it pretty steady in the middle, and kicking it up right at the end, when I find I need it most. A good mix of bands and songs, including Bloc Party, Placebo, Editors, Mew, Muse, and some make sure to check out the first band, 78 Saab band. They kill and I love that song, "Saviour". Seemed like the best song to start off a good run with. I think their bio on myspace describes them most appropriately,
78 Saab are a beautiful rock and roll band like no other. Distinctively husky, yet lustrous vocals accompany psychedelic guitars and cruise effortlessly with the rhythm section across a soundscape of emotive and endearing songs that range from gently textured trippier moments to unrestrained rock.
The band are currently preparing to record their third album. I cannot wait to hear this. Maybe we'll get lucky and they will come to the US and play some shows for us. I have read some live reviews, and they are supposed to be great live.

Listening Pile
I've really been diggingJudah Johnson lately. He first came to my attention about 5 or 6 years ago, through his early demos, when the band was pretty much just known as frontman, Daniel Johnson. I always thought he seemed like a good singer with some interesting music and arrangements. Well, for obvious reasons, he went with the Judah moniker and has now released his 2nd full length, BE WHERE I BE I love the carefully constructed soundscapes, with tightly wound drum machines, deep bass grooves, washy guitar tones, sweeping melodies and gently layered vocals. It's a great treat, and while the band hasn't fully hit it's creative peak, there are some miscues here, this album touches on some serious promise for future releases. Check out some his of tunes at their myspacepage. Or go straight here and listen to "Little Sounds", possibly my favorite song right now. And I'm totally bummed I missed them live during CMJ, but it looks like they are touring a bit on this new release.

Am I Wry? No

OK, I know it's been a while. But... uh... the best is yet to come. Well, not reallly, but I need to come up w/ something to excuse my ass for being lame and inconsistent. So, lets get started. In the last two months, I've switched positions at work, yet am still doing my old job as they've yet to hire my replacement. And no, I'm not getting the pay of both jobs, just the stress of the two. Fun times ladies and gentlemen, fun times. Let's move along. There's nothing to watch here, keep moving.

So, in that time, I've been to this many shows: 24. Here are some of the highlights, with a slight description, if I can remember. A good chunk of it was during CMJ, and well, there were a few late nights, and lots of drinks had.

9/19 - Klaxons/Holy Hail @ Midway
Sadly, I didn't even get to see the Klaxons. The wonderful people throwing this party decided to have Holy Hail play at 12am, half hour after they should have been off stage. So thanks guys! You killed this night. All I know is some chicks w/ angular haircuts and cheesy outfits got on stage, sang some god-awful songs and made me leave. Somehow, there was a long, long line of people wanting to get into this show and they sadly waited and were subjected to this. Sad, very, very sad. It's like a Sunday evening when you're all ready to watch the Simpson's go on at 8:00 pm on Fox, only to still have some lame episode of Futurama on, making up for the lost time that a Jets/Bills game pre-empted everything for. Fun times, guys.

10/02 - Fields @ Mercury Lounge
First off, let me start by saying, this band spammed me on Myspace. Yet, they've been one of the best bands to ever politely say, "hey, thought you might like to check this out". One listen to the band's debut EP, 7 From the Village, is more than enough to justify the hype surrounding them. They are now on everyone's radar. But, to many nay-sayer's dismay, they actually hold their own. Sweet melodies, propulsive choruses and wonderful harmonizing, make this band quite a treat to listen to. Live, they add the extra oomph that makes them great live, yet makes other studio bands who lack that, out of place on a stage.

10/11 - Basment Jaxx @ Webster Hall
I didn't see this coming. But I don't think I've ever seen this many sweaty people dancing at Webster Hall. Then again, I've never been to the male-revue night. Basment Jaxx brought it, and then made everyone in the place shake it. It's like mardi-gras on stage. Big black women, lavish costume changes, surprise guests, surrounded by men in kilts, and dancing. I'm not sure, but I think I even saw beads strewn amongst the crowd. The place went nuts when they kicked into "Where's Your Head At".

10/31 - Amiina @ Joe's Pub 11:45
Better knows as the string section during Sigur Ros's live show these lovely ladies were so incredibly charming live. Dressed in their individualized colors, one red, one blue, one green, and one black with white flowers, they played an array of instruments, bells, electronic blips, wine glasses and traditional strings. It was beautiful and dreamy, but also had it's quirks. One of the finest shows I've seen in forever. And at Joe's Pub to boot, which only holds an intimate 150 people or so. Also, came across this.

American tour is FREE thanks to Iceland Naturally (27.Oct.06)

Amiina announced today on their MySpace page that the American tour will be free!

This is thanks to the kind sponsorship of Iceland Naturally.
Is it no wonder that other countries are more cultured and sophisticated than America. Their governments care about the arts and provide them with grants to let them create it. Meanwhile, those funds are always amongst the first to be cut in the US. And, lets not even get into education budgets. http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182

11/01 - The Knife @ Webster Hall
So, was I really watching the Knife. Or could we have been watching anyone in their costumes? Did they lypsynch? Did they even play their intstruments? I have no clue. The visuals were pretty cool early on, but got kinda whack as the night went on. I thought they were OK, but I really wanted a bit more depth to the live show. I feel like it was all some sort of elaborate hoax.

11/02 - Stephen Brodsky Experience/Panthers @ Sin-e
Remember that guy from Cave-In? The band with soooooo much potential. Did they break up? Well, this was, uh.... weird, to say the least. I thought I'd be in store for some spacey floydesque jams w/ whimisical lyrics about falling in love in space or something. Nope, it's like these guys crawled out of some bar in the South End of Boston and showed up at CMJ and said, "Hey, we're hear to play. Can we get payed in beer?" WTF!?!?!?!

11/03 - Loney Dear @ 205 Bar
Definitely the best band no one has heard of yet. Beautiful, inventive, inspiring melodies, deep textures. Glad I got to see them live. Apparently the Swedish indie popsters have just signed to Sub Pop. Good for them.

11/03 - Mew/Fields @ Bowery Ballroom
Mew are awesome. They combine ethereal vocals with proggy Euro space jams, lavish touches of keyboards, soaring choruses and monstrous riffage. The played a good amount of selections from their most recent album, The Glass Handed Kite, but also played a good amount of songs from their debut full length, Frengers. However, as much as I enjoyed this, I could not help myself from being reminded of Europe. Yeah, the "Final Countdown" Europe. I think it was the posing, long haired European thing they had going on. But when they busted into the chorus of "Apocalypso". I was like holy snikes. "The Final Countdown!" And I am not the only person that thought this. I swear. Whatever though, I still love these guys.

11/07 - Placebo @ Nokia Theater
Who doesn't love these androginistic fools. They killed at the Nokia. Though, lets just for a moment ask, "Brian, what is up with that shaved head look?" Who didn't love his peasant boy locks? I think we can blame that on male pattern baldness. He used to look like a cross dresser, now he just looks like a kiddie toucher or something. Starting off with five straight songs from their recent disc, Meds, they played a rocking set. Going through classics, "Special K" , "Every You, Every Me", "Sleeping With Ghosts", "Taste In Men", and the rarely played, "Without You I'm Nothing", they were relentless. The encore left fans with more to be desired, but they did play the Kate Bush cover, "Running Up That Hill." They were a treat. It's been about 5 or 6 years since I've seen them(I missed them on the Sleeping With Ghost tour). It's been way too long my freaky Euro friends.

CMJ, came and went. It was fun, though I have to say, I was a bit disappointed with the lack of quality bands. Aside from Mew, Fields, The Knife,TapesnTapes, and Amiina, it was pretty slim pickens.

I Want To Spock You Like An Animal.

Whoa, the new iTunes. I'm loving it. Definitely the best version yet. I love that jukebox view feature and man, you can now get video games on there. Nice! While I'm at it, the new iPod shuffle looks fantastic. I need to get one for my morning runs. Looks so compact, I swear, only the headphones will be the most annoying part of that now.

I came across this video the other day. Wow, this is some seriously disturbing stuff. Not that the original video for "Closer" wasn't strange itself, but I don't even understand how someone came up with this idea. Spock, Kirk, NIN and man love. I don't know, strange. How do you end up with that much time on your hands? How?

Oh man, we knew Jessica Simpson was dumb as rocks, but now she's topped herself. She's dating John Meyer! John Meyer! At least Nick Lachay could be considered somewhat of a good looking man and he did have that whole boy band thing going at the time. But John Meyer? Like for real! He must have signed the most incredible deal with the Devil. It's like he can keep making amendments or something.

"Hey Lucifer, I'm OK without the looks, my music can really suck, cancel my TV show... and you can have my soul, yeah, whatever... but this Jessica Simpson broad, she's hot, she's single, I'm single, make it happen."

Listening Pile:
Wow, never thought I would see the day. But Texas Is The Reason is getting back together for a one off show right after Thanksgiving. This is amazing. A highly influential band, (and certainly the best band named after a Misfit song) along w/ Lifetime and Sunny Day Real Estate, can be credited for all those cookie cutter emo bands out there now.Of course, these three bands were a cut above the rest. You can read the story here and even get a bit more band info. More info on the show can be found here . Pretty cool that they have former Rival Schools axeman, Ian Love opening up.

You know that brewery makes 10,000 bottles of beer a day. I drink 45 of them, and I'm the bad guy!

Finally saw what could be the best movie of the summer. From the men that brought you the classic, Super Troopers, Beerfest! Seriously funny. They trained by drinking! It had almost everything you'd want in a good comedy, beer, comraderie, the occasional boob shots and making gun of Germans. Amazing! Has anyone seen that preview for Artie Lang's Beer League? Why is anyone letting that guy make a movie? Does anyone not remember Dirty Work? Howard Stern, I blame this on you.

I don't get this According to Jim show, but damn if i couldn't help myself from watching it the other day, no not for the still lovely, Courtney Thorne-Smith or Kimberly Williams, but for the man himself, Erik Estrada. Yes, you heard that right, the Ponch himself, made a guest appearance on the show. Man, I love that guy. I mean, it's no CHiPs, but then again, what is?

This kid, is amazing. Wow, those are some moves. I don't know how I found this, but you gotta love the random stuff you can find on YouTube.

Listening Pile:
Been digging this As Tall As Lions album lately. Really great songs, lead by singer, Mike Nigro's falsetto the band chimes in w/ sweeping guitars, lush arrangements and flourishes of pianos, trumpet and trombone. Produced by Mike Watts and Steve Haigler the album is a fantastic 2nd disc from the Long Island band, and is on the Triple Crown label?!?

I am loving this new Basement Jaxx song, "Take Me Back To Your House". It's a great jam. The video is hot! They really outdid themselves on this one. They've got a sexy lead, and dancing Cossacks, dancing bears, plus a tank.

While we're at it, the new TV On The Radio album, kills. It's so freakin good. I really didn't think they could top themselves, but they did. Way more guitars on this album, insane beats capped off by the stellar, "I Was A Lover" and soulful harmonies. Check out the great video for "Wolf Like Me".

Listeners, fans and friends of WOXY.Com

WOXY.Com posted this message today on their website. This is a horrible blow to indie rock and online radio. This was a great station and will be sorely missed. With the conglomeration of radio and ever tightening playlists, WOXY provided a viable solution, with fresh and innovative music, a knowledgeable on-air staff and loyal listeners. Unfortunately, another one, and a great one at that, bites the dust. -fn


Listeners, fans and friends,

This sucks.

This is the moment all of us hoped would never come. After plugging away at this for the past two years, it’s become pretty clear that operating woxy.com as a stand-alone Internet "radio station" is not going to cut it. Our operating costs are higher than you might think, and the revenue we were able to generate from advertising isn’t close to supporting what we’re doing. Even membership revenue wasn’t enough to get us there. When your business doesn’t make money, you eventually go out of business.


With this in mind, we’ve been looking for either a significant partner – someone with a larger plan into which woxy.com could be plugged – or an outright buyer. That search hasn’t been fruitful. We’re still willing to entertain offers and explore possibilities (email bryan@woxy.com), but our time is short. We thought it was time to share our situation with you ... to give you a heads-up.

You might be saying, "What can I do to help?" Unfortunately, unless you have significant investment capital and a way to profit from the wonderful programming we create, you can’t. As of today, we will no longer be selling or renewing memberships or accepting contributions. Please don’t send us money ... it will just mean we have to send it back to you.

Now is a good time to say THANK YOU to our incredibly patient, generous and kind angel investors. Without them ... well, we wouldn’t have had the chance to even be in the game. They’ve enabled everything we’ve accomplished over the past two years, and for that, they are saints to indie rock lovers everywhere.

We did investigate an alternative: stripping our operations to the absolute bare minimum by cutting back to one staffer, no more DJs, no more Lounge Acts, etc. We decided it wasn’t worth it. It wouldn’t have been true to what woxy.com is, and it wouldn’t have honored the legacy of 97X.

While woxy.com may have failed in a business sense, we’re pretty proud that we managed to put out some of the most passionate, unique and interesting programming on the Internet and elsewhere. We showered love and airplay on countless bands who otherwise would have received none, garnered national press attention and hosted nearly 200 live Lounge Act performances. Not too bad for a little, four-person Internet radio station from Cincinnati.

A radio station is only as big as its listeners make it. We’re not BS-ing when we say that you guys, our supporters, are the most amazing people on the planet. THANK YOU. The dedication and enthusiasm you’ve shown for what we do is staggering and inspiring. Thank you to everyone who stepped up to become a member, generously made a contribution, emailed (spammed) your friends, spread the gospel of woxy.com and – most of all – listened.

Barring something exceptional happening in the next two weeks, we will silence our broadcasts on Friday, September 15th.

Sometimes no matter how hard you try and how special the thing you do, it simply isn’t enough to beat the odds. It’s the cold reality of business that not even we could escape. When September 15th comes, we’ll meet it proudly with heads held high and celebrate the past two years of woxy.com and the spirit of 97X. For those lucky enough to have been part of it, The Future of Rock and Roll will forever be in our minds and hearts.

So enjoy these last two weeks with us. Shall we rock?

Eternally yours,
Bryan Jay, Mike, Shiv, and Barb

Are You ready for some Football

Just finished my first Fantasy NFL Draft of the year. Got Rudi Johnson and Edgerin James in rounds 1 and 2. And how about Willis McGahee in round 3. My receivers and QB suck. But hey, 3 great backs could go a long way. While we're on the subject of football, I heard on TV this morning, that NBC has signed up Pink to sing the intro song for Sunday Night Football, which will be a remake of Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself for Loving You". Um... very strange to say the least. I mean, they couldn't actually get Joan Jett to do it. I know she's on tour (she played CBGB's recently) and did some work on Peaches new album, but seriously, I'm sure she's available. And Pink? Are they trying to get this party started in the gayest way possible? I know Monday night football is moving to ESPN, but will they take the great intro song by Hank Williams Jr. with them, "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here for Monday Night". There's just nothing like that intro, "Are you ready for some Footballlllll"


So, has anyone seen that Osama Bin Laden has a thing for Whitney Houston. Going so far as to say he's thought of having Bobby Brown taken out of the picture to have her to himself. Yikes! I wonder who's perogative that is. Anyhow, I'm wondering if Osama would still love his Whitney if he saw this video. Also, which Whitney, the early cute innocent " I Wanna Dance With Somebody" or that crazy cracked out, singing to herself, Whitney, we saw on "Being Bobby Brown". By the way, has anyone seen this creepy video of Serge Gainsbourg telling Whitney he wants to bang her? Freaky stuff, I tell you. Though I love how he said, "You're Not Reagan, I'm Not Gorbachov. So don't try it. "


I am bummed, since my trip to Wyoming and Montana earlier this month, I'm just down on almost all beers. And it's all because of Fat Tire.

"Like the ageless delight of pedaling a bicycle, Fat Tire Amber Ale’s appeal is in its feat of balance: Toasty malt flavors (sorta like biscuits just pulled from the oven) coasting in equilibrium with crisp hoppiness. Delicious stability - in the world of sometimes-precarious beer flavors – is perhaps what prompted one consumer who wrote us to say, “this beer just makes you smile.”

It's a great beer made in Colorado. Sadly, you couldn't bring any back on the plane, with the new liquid restrictions on airlines. You also can't get it shipped, and it's not imported anywhere outside of like 4 or 5 states bordering Colorado.


Did we not learn anything from the debacle that was, From Justin To Kelly ? So, why are those damn TV execs. trying to fool us into thinking that any movie telling us the story of American Idol winner Fantasia, would be in the least bit interesting? Come on! That's like watching paint dry, but in the ghetto. Nothing good can come from this. If anything, they need to make a movie where Taylor Hicks gets beat down by some drunken Ford pickup truck owners. Or how about a scantly clad Katherine McPhee doing anything? I mean, anything, shoot, even beating the crap out of the aforementioned Hicks would be entertaining. Why?



I've been loving this Mew record, and I don't mean, the acronym of "Messaging in the Emacs World". I happened to find a copy on sale for $8.99 at the Virgin Megastore on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood on my recent trip. And man, what a great disc, which is actually not so new. A friend of mine turned me on to this band and this album And The Glass Handed Kites , last year. And though it's just been released here in the US, it's been available in their native Denmark for quite some time. From the opening "Circuitry Of The Wolf" and "Chinaberry Tree" this record pulses with a great loud soft dynamic, and ethereal vocals, sounding somewhat like what it's title sticker says, "Sounding like a mix of the Cocteau Twins and Sonic Youth. They will be back in the US to play some dates with Kasabian, who I may say, have utterly disapointed with their new single. I'm hoping that's just one bad song on a decent album. Mew good, Kasabian, eh!
September
17th: Boston, MA, Paradise Rock Club
20th: New York, NY, Webster Hall
21st: Philadelphia, PA, Theatre of Living Arts

Well, what would you prefer? Yellow spandex?

So I came across this great bit from Gennaro Filice's Inside Baseball article on SI.Com, and I laid out quite a chuckle.

Xavier Nady's life: Imagine this: You're cruising along in your dream job, working upper management in a top-notch operation while living large on the coast. Then, without warning, you're transferred to a futile, nickel-and-dime company located inland. And -- now that we're knee-deep in this analogy -- imagine that the only reason this demotion occurred was because a fellow employee went on sick leave. How would you feel? That's basically what happened to Nady. He was traded from the NL's best team (the Mets) to the NL's worst team (the Pirates) because Mets reliever Duaner Sanchez suffered a season-ending injury in a taxicab crash, forcing New York to move Nady for bullpen help. Say a prayer for the X-Man.

Sadly, I thought the same thing. Man, does that move to Pittsburgh suck. And we all know Lasting Milledge is so not ready to be the everyday rightfielder. And, man does Gennaro look young or what. Since when do they let interns write articles at SI.Com?

Um, in the weird file, and no, I'm not talking about Johnny Mar joining Modest Mouse?!? This story about former Lifetime bassist Linda Kay, who was arrested for having human body parts in her South Plainfield home. She performed on the original version of the band's album Background, but wasn't featured on the actual recording. Her photo does, however, appear in the disc's artwork. Man, that is some seriously screwed up stuff. Seriously! I'm thinking the guys who are on their reunion tour, don't want to comment on this. And man, was it weird to see all those kids that used to be straight-edge at the show last month, drinking beer!

Listening Pile:
Check out Fires These guys are great, featuring old friend's Arty Sheppard and Adam Marino of Errortype:11 and Instruction fame. Arty is one fantastic songwriter and I really like the slightly different sound he takes on these songs. A bit less aggro than Instruction, with more guitar dynamics and a little bit of shoegaze, plus Arty uses a slighly lower register when singing most stuff. Go here to check out a few tunes. Saw them a few weeks back at Pianos and they killed it live.

Cursive is about to release their new album, Happy Hollow on August 22nd. Just got my copy in the mail yesterday and have only listened to it once. Not sure how I feel about it yet. No cello on this one though. I've been a huge fan for some time, and I wasn't overly impressed by their last album, The Ugly Organ . I sorta get that this one is a bit more timid and not as choppy and discordant as the early stuff. Go here to check out two new songs, and a flamboyant band photo!

I'm Back...

OK, so I know it's been quite a long time since I've posted. Well, it's just way too much to go into. I've been crazy busy with work, weddings, traveling, rock shows and email disasters. I'm in the midst's of preparing for my trip to Wyoming next week. I cannot wait. Leaving the city for a week will be so nice.
Of course, while in Wyoming, we'll be visiting Yellowstone National Park and attending our friend's wedding in Cody. Should be a great time and quite the memorable trip.

Anyhows, here is a quick rundown of the shows I've been to over the last two months.
6/02 - Super Furry Animals @ Pier 12
6/06 - Tapes 'n Tapes @ Bowery Ballroom
6/09 - Cat Power @ Town Hall
6/14 - Radiohead @ Theater at MSG
6/19 - Walter Schreifels/Sorla @ Plan B
6/21 - Jennifer O' Connor @ Siñe
6/23 - Brightblack Morning Light @ Mercury Lounge
6/28 - Thom Yorke @ Bombshelter Studios - Henry Rollins Taping
6/28 - Cat Power @ John Anson Ford Amphitheater - Los Angeles
6/29 - Cat Power @ Village Studios - Los Angeles - KCRW Taping
6/29 - Radiohead @ Greek Theater Los Angeles
6/30 - Radiohead @ Greek Theater Los Angeles

7/05 - The Rakes @ Bowery Ballroom
7/06 - Fires @ Pianos
7/08 - Lifetime @ Bowery Ballroom
7/12 - North Atlantic/The King Left @ Siñe
7/19 - I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness/Asobi Seksu @ Bowery Ballroom

Listening Pile:
This new Muse album is just blowin me away. Reminiscent of the earlier records, more so than the last, Absolution, Black Holes and Revelations is way more proggy and features far down-tempo tunes and experimentation. "Starlight" has got to be this band's huge crossover hit. I swear, I think I can here this on top 40 radio. "Knights Of Cydonia" is the first single, and is epic to say the least, in all it's glory and clocking in at 6 plus minutes . "Super Massive Black Hole" is the funkiest thing on the album, sounding like Bellamy and Co. discovered a weird Thom Yorke meets Prince collaboration. "Assassin" and it's bombastic riffing, is the heaviest song on the album, yet the album does fine with just that one heay song. Really great album with interesting twists and turns, plus more than a few jabs at George Bush and Tony Blair to boot. Lastly, dunno if anyone else noticed this, but how about the similarities to the new Tom Petty album cover? Weird huh!

Can You Hear Me Now?

Just got a new cell phone last month. But damn, I wish I'd seen this one first. What's better than a phone that can give you a hug?

My friend Mike sent me the link to these Quicksand videos from their appearance at the first Van's Warped Tour back in 1995. The videoes include the entire set, and pretty much iall their hits. The sound quality is not half bad either. For more info on this amazing band, check out the, Quicksand Website. Also, if you keep searching on You Tube, you can find their appearance on Jon Stewart's old show on MTV. Remember that?

OJ. What the hell is wrong with you? In a scene from his new candid-camera program "Juiced," O.J. Simpson pulls a prank involving the infamous white Bronco, drawing criticism from the family of a man he was accused of killing. View story here. As part of the pay-per-view show, Simpson pretends to sell the Bronco at a used car lot and boasts to a prospective buyer that he made the vehicle famous..."It was good for me it helped me get away," Simpson said. Wow, that is just wrong!


Listening Pile
I'm digging some tunes I got from Ladytron a little while back. The songs are intriguing and engaging, invoking the ability to make audiences shake it. The arty blend of darkness synth lines with warm real instrumentation proves to be the record's best attribute and Ladytron kill at it.

Here it is, a link to Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". Man, this is a hot track. I heard they were pretty wack at Coachella though.

She should be nice and attractive and... topless. Topless is good!

Wow, this Gnarls Barkley album is blowing up like crazy! . Gnarls Barkley is a collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo. Their first album, St. Elsewhere , was released by Warner Music on April 24, 2006 in the UK and is set to be released May 9 in the U.S. by Atlantic/Downtown Records. It was made available for download one week earlier in the U.S. iTunes Music Store and other online download stores. "Crazy", the first single, became the first ever UK number one based on download sales alone. Nuts I tell ya. But damn are they some catchy tunes. Soulful, full of samples and beats galore. Danger Mouse is on a huge roll. Which after hearing about Charles Barkley and John Daly's incredible gambling loses, I'm wondering at what point will Sir Charles come calling for his share of the pot. That Danger Mouse just loves to not make money on any of the work he does huh!

Found this amazing story last week on how young adults in the United States fail to understand the world and their place in it, according to a survey-based report on geographic literacy released today. For example, despite non-stop news coverage since the war began in Iraq in 2003, 63% of Americans aged 18 to 24 failed to locate the country on a map of the Middle East. 70% could not find Iran or Israel. Now, I'm no Columbus or anything, but I know where Iraq, Iran and Israel are. If you would like to test your knowledge, please take thisquiz. I blame this decline on you Steve Jobs. Well, maybe it's because most kids that age learned Geography like this

So, the other night I'm watching Road Trip, well, because there was nothing else on. And that scene where Horatio from SNL puts the kids's french toast in his pants comes on. Holy Snikes, is that scene hilarious. I credit that scene for making me never, EVER!, sending food back because it's not cooked right. Unless I can see the kitchen of course. What ever happened to Tom Green. Last thing I remember was testicle cancer and Drew Barrymore dumping his ass.

Bond's #715, a joyless endeavor. I have to say, Tom Verducci put is so eloquently the other day in this article. He talks about Bond's chase for Ruth, and ulitimately, the chase for Aaron and how something that should be so great, has becomes so joyless and unrewarding. He closes with this, "An athlete being labeled a cheater is worse than being called soft or a loser or even a jerk. And yet that is the verdict on Bonds, a player once gifted with as great a package of all-around baseball skills the game had ever seen. And that, really, is why this tour toward history is so sad." Which sadly is the biggest bummer. Bonds could have been as great as his godfather, Willie Mays, maybe even better. But now, we'll never know how good he was, just that he cheated us all of something great.


Listening Pile
My god, I am loving this new I LOVE YOU BUT I'VE CHOSEN DARKNESS album. The Austin band's first full length, Fear Is On Our Side was released March 7th on Secretly Canadian. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness had worked with Spoon's lead singer, Britt Daniel, who produced their earlier work. On Fear Is On Our Side, former Ministry bassist and programmer Paul Barker, produced and engineered. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness make beautifully haunting music that sees them expand a bit on their earlier work. The vocals are frightengly distant and full of disdain. The guitars soar and crash around linear bass lines and synthy sounding drums. What you could imagine this bands sounds like, dark, brooding and full of mystery, is sort of what you get. And it's damn good.

They are going out to the West Coast w/ the Rogers Sisters, and then come back to NYC to play the Bowery on July 19.

So, has anyone noticed how the worst rapper ever, The Streets, new track, "When He Wasn't Famous", sounds so much like the beat to the "Macarena"? I kid you not. Check it out here This guy is horrible. I'm sorry, I just don't get it!

When I Am King, You'll Be First Against the Wall

Radiohead is touring. Radiohead is touring. YAY!!! And to think, now I won't have to go down to the lovely and scenic, Manchester, TN to see them at the hippie love fest that is Bonnaroo. Though have you noticed that so many of the bands playing are not jam bands, but halfway decent indie rock. I smell a conspiracy here. Peep the Radiohead tour dates here I know for sure I'm going to one of the NYC dates. Hoping I'll maybe get to see at least one more show too, whether it's the other NYC show, LA or Philly.

What the f'ing hell happened last night on LOST. Man, there have been some crazy twists and turns this season, but I gotta tell ya, I didn't see that coming. The sex, the picnic, the shootings. Did Michael go nuts? Did he hate those other folks? What the hell happened? I bet they don't air a new episode for another three weeks now too. UGH!!! Erika had a good point last night, that we shouldn't watch the season as it happen, but rather just ignore it and rent it on Netflix at the end. I don't know if I can do that. I think I'm hooked. LOST, I just can't quit you!

My friend Colin's band The Attorneys, have entered a contest to get their song on some new movie with that assbanger, Josh Hartnett. Hey, he sucks, and I'm sure the movie will, but their song is great and should win. Go here and vote for them. Spread the news too mang! They are playing the Delancey Saturday night too. If I get back in time from MK's Seis party, I will be there.

Actually, that leads me to this. What do you do when someone keeps trying to be your friend on Myspace and you keep rejecting them? I mean, at least four or five times now. Do you just not respond? Do they know you've rejected them? And no, it's not her. I mean, can you really reject a young impressionable girl like this, who has a webcam! HA! Remember, when Myspace first started and would allow crazy porno pics up. Rupert, I blame this on you!

Listening Pile
Been listening a bit to that Wolfmother record. I have to say, I was drawn in by the hype a little. So I felt inclined to give the record a fair shot. Man, was I wrong. I like this band the first time around, when they were called Black Sabbath. WTF! This band is lame and so unoriginal, they make the Yeah Yeah Yeahs look like Sonic Youth. Wolfmother completely rips off Sabbath, down to the riffs and melodies. Except for the one song on the album where they rip off the White Stripes, this sounds like it could be the new Sabbath album. Man, what a disappointment.

Anyhow, with the bad, I give you the good! These guys are my new friends, well on myspace at least. I swear, I really don't go on myspace that much. I digress. So, The Picture is a Brooklyn five piece that lists, Blur, Stone Roses, Velvet Underground, Jesus & Mary Chain, The Cure as influences. So, if you like those bands, you should take a momment and listen to the Picture.

I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout

Things I Think I Think

1. I've never really listened to Mono, but what I do know, is they are Japanese and they are a post rock outfit. Mono Review at Pitchfork.
And yes, they totally pulled one on Victory Records and Hawthorne Heights. Read the wonderful manipulation of some lame call to arms letter Victory sent out., below.


2. Um... So I finally saw Brokeback Mountain the other day. Uh... well.... I saw it. It was well shot. Heath and Jake were terrible in it. Sorry, but they could have gotten much better actors. The sex scenes were a bit tamer than I thought, but the first one, was well, unexpected to say the least.

3. Does David Bowie just keep latching himself onto hip cool bands or what? I mean, every few years, he just finds another young hip band, and latches himself on. This time around, it's, TV On The Radio. He scurried past me last week right as the band was about to go on stage at the Bowery. According to this Rolling Stone story, he's been a fan for some time. He's appearing on one of their new album's tracks. I also hear he was working with the Secret Machines on their new one.

4. Wilder Valderrama, enjoy your fame and your romps with hot young celebutantes now, because this is what your future looks like. Hot Springs Homes.Oh, poor Erik Estrada. How far you've come from your days with Morgain Fairchild

5. How do you know MisShapes has jumped the shark? Axl Rose was there this weekend. Yeah, that Axl Rose. Guns N' Fucking Roses. Man, they will let anyone in these days. I'm just waiting for Jim J. Bullock or Gerardo to show up and throw down some records. Ah, well, since Misshapes moved, to Don Hill's, you just can't call it home anymore... You know, where everybody knows your name... Ha, see videohere

6. Now did I call it or what? Keith Hernandez (aka 'The Second Spitter' ) made some creepy comments during the Mets game on Saturday night. here "Who is the girl in the dugout, with the long hair?" Hernandez said during the broadcast. "What's going on here? You have got to be kidding me. Only player personnel in the dugout."

"I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout," Hernandez said.

Hernandez, a former Mets first baseman, then laughed and said: "You know I am only teasing. I love you gals out there -- always have." He also went on to say that he thought she "was Morgana ['The Kissing Bandit'] for a minute, but she wasn't blonde."

WOW! I don't even think James Woods could have made that shit up. AWESOME!!! Dude is so getting fired. And she's definitely not asking him up for coffee.

7. Apparently, Monopoly is in for some changes. For real man, the game that has stayed virtually unchanged since being invented in 1935 is in-store for some big time changes. As I found out from this CNN Article, the game's updated Here and Now edition, due in the fall, will replace Atlantic City landmarks with legendary streets, neighborhoods and national monuments. Until May 12, fans can vote for their favorite landmarks from 22 cities — including New York's Times Square, Chicago's Wrigley Field, Honolulu's Waikiki Beach, Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. What, no Pinky's Hot Dog stand, Playboy Mansion, or The L Train? Bummer!

Listening Pile:
Band Of Horses's Everything All the Time isn't gonna win them any prizes for originality. At times singer, Ben Bridwell's reverb-laden vocals immediately evoke memories of Built to Spill and more recently, My Morning Jacket. However, they do sound refreshing over the course of the album. Ultimately, the album's ethereal atmosphere is set with the opening track, brilliantly titled "The First Song." "The Funeral" is the winner here, which builds like a slow burn, leading to the song's crescendo, a burst of floating guitars, drums and reverb. The band's niche is its delicate balance between gloomy, quiet and loud dynamics. It's a good listen, that surprisingly, gets better each time.

Nice game, pretty boy.

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. I saw the Gorillaz at the famed Apollo Theater last week. It was a fantastic show. Just about all the guest stars on the record, actually made it out to play with the band at the Apollo. De La Soul, Ike Turner, Neneh Cherry, Bootie Brown, Roots Manuva, and Martina Topley-Bird. Also, Shaun Rider from the Happy Mondays made it out. Which gets me thinking, they should make TV spots of him, and use that as reasoning for kids not to do drugs. Others only turned up on tape, including Dennis Hopper and MF Doom.

The visuals for the show were not in front of the band, they didn't play behind screens the way, I guess they've done in the past. They all played in front of white screens that were shaded with different colors to go along with the one main screen that had animated images projected onto it. There were also two puppets, of Murdoch and 2d that introduced the band before the set, and for the encore.
None the less, it was still a really special show. Playing mostly songs from the most recent disc, Demon Days, they did manage to play one song from the War Child Benefit and some other song that I wasn't familiar with. They didn't play one song from the S/T debut, not even the hit single, "Clint Eastwood", which I was convinced would have been the encore.

2. I don't know if anyone saw the Strokes on Letterman this week, but wow! Wow, were they horrible. I was actually thinking to myself the other day, you know what, there are at least two or three songs on that new album that I don't hate. Of course, they didn't play any of those last night. I'm not sure what song they played, but it should have a name like "don't play with me, I have aids" or something like that. (yes, I stole that from the mcluskyism bio) I swear at one point, they all just looked at each other and realized how bad they were actually playing. It's like that moment when a guy realizes he's on Maury Povich to see if he's the baby's daddy, not to win a vacation or a new car. Julian, what the fuck, was that "Yee Haw" all about? Fab, I've got news for you, movie starts don't date guys in lame bands. Video here:

3. I finally saw Editors at Webster Hall last week. It was a good show. The band plays with lots of emotion and conviction. The played through most of the songs from their debut album, the Back Room. Also, playing "Heads In A Basket," a B-Side that was only available as a free download last week. Highlights included first US single, "Munich", and my pick for best song on the album, "Bullets". They played well, but seemed to have some trouble engaging the crowd and sounding a bit small for the size of the room. I wish I'd gotten the chance to see them at the Mercury Lounge a couple months back. They should have done two nights at Bowery or something.

4. This Plastic Constellations band needs to be stopped. On iTunes they are said to sound like Fugazi and AT The Drive-In. Which they sound nothing like. They sound like mini-Papa Roach or POD. Just plain awful! At first I thought this was a joke. But, well, no it's not! These kids think they are good and sound like Fugazi!

5. I had the flu all weekend. I'll tell ya this, I felt like total crap. I was knocked on my ass. I didn't get out of bed for two days. I didn't leave my house for four days! FOUR DAYS! I can only imagine what something worse than the regular flu I had could feel like. If that bird flu really does start to spread, I'm working from home until they find a cure.

6. I don't know if anyone out there has listened to the telecast of the Mets games on SNY. But have you noticed how much Keith Hernandez (aka 'The Second Spitter' ) sounds, like James Woods. My god, it's scary. I'm just waiting for him to say "I hope you all get anal herpes!" or " Some we give them the good life, others we give it right up the ass." Which leads me to this posting I found here, on the best 'Seinfeld' sports momments. #1 was genius. And, I'm sorry, but putting Ralph Kiner on TV is sadder than putting on Dick Clark. Poor Kiner's got a foot and a half in the grave, and some dumbass reporter from SNY asks him the dumbest questions. "So Ralph, how do you feel about the Met's chances this year?." How about "Hey Ralph, gonna make it to the end of the program?"

7. I've been watching the Alternative on VH-1 classic. Man, there have been some great videos on this thing lately. Blur's "Girls & Boys", Breeders "Canonball", Heaven 17, so many, I can't even remember them all. Videos I haven't seen in years. You'd think MTV would want to help that music industry thing and maybe think about playing videos again. Considering the joke that MTV and M2 have become. The best chance you have at seeing good music videos is on MTV2 Subterranean. Even then, half the show is crap major label baby bands. Ah, well. I guess you could always watch Matchbook Chemical Boy Romance on Fuse.

Listening Pile
Best two songs I've heard today, Joy Division's "She's Lost Control" and Travis' "Writing To Reach You" . "She's Lost Control" will easily top any of the bands these days that have copped their style. Dark, brooding and translike in it's percussion, this song may be one of the band's best. But I mean, come on, like Michael Bolton, I celebrate the entire catalog. Travis kicked off their best album, The Man Who, with "Writing To Reach You", which in my opinion has some of the best guitar harmonies I've ever heard. I also love how he asks, "What's a Wonderwall anyway?" The good news is after the mostly disappointing 12 Memories album, they are once again teaming up with Nigel Goodrich on their new disc. I'm hoping he helps the band return to form. If you check out their site, you can read up on their studio diaries.

Come Play My Game I'll Test You

Seven Things I Think I Think

1. Freakin LOST. Goddam them to hell. I'm really getting sick of having to wait weeks on end to see a new episode. I wish this (be careful, first time I saw this, I threw up in my mouth) upon all the big wigs that make me wait for a new episode. Though the one I watched last night was one of the best of the season. I swear, I have friends that are so obsessed with this show they plan their Wednesday nights around it. This leads me to think. Do I really want to be obsessed with 24. I have the chance to start from season one, and watch them all on DVD. Do I need another show to watch. Probably not!

2 Why is the Three 6 Mafia doing a song with Paris Hilton. This is just nuts. Plus, Dr. Dre already did the girl making the blowjob sounds on a record thing. Anyhow, I know the Three Six guys won like 18 grammys. But I still have no clue what they sound like. Think we need to just stop making new hip hop and just re-issue all the classics from the late 80's and early 90's that were total sample driven and not about grillz or humps. Though come on, that new Ghostface is pretty hot! But, well, it's Ghostface. It's ain't no "Protect Ya Neck", but come on, there hasn't been that great of a collaborative hip hop ensemble, since... hmmm. Well, ever!

3. Last week, I saw Prodigy at the Nokia Theater (yeah, we know I despise that place). Not only was the band fantastic, burning away through hits from the past, like "Firestarter," "Smack My Bitch Up," and "Breathe", but they also mixed in newer songs like "Spitfire" and "Hot Ride," from their most recent disc, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. I saw the most amazing crowd I've seen in ages. People were literally going ape-shit. Man, those guys really bring it though. They play a killer set and try to get the audience as involved as possible. Keith Flynt and Maxim were both out among the crowd at various points during the show. It's crazy to think Breathe was a hit almost 9 years ago. I still remember coming home after partying with my friend Jose and trying to figure that song out. If you get a chance, you need to see their new video for Voodoo People(Pendulum Remix). Wow! This band's videos are always great. And as I've felt for a long time, bands like Linkin Park and the like, should be paying this band royalties for ripping off their sound, and having them pave the way for bands like this.

4. I need to find a contact at Nike that can score me some out of print sneakers. I swear, I spent all Saturday searching for these. I swear it's like they only make a limited for midgets and freaks. How could you have ten pairs in size 7! Then I spent the next few days trying to find them online. These are pretty hot. I actually have a pair in another color. Nothing beats old-school Nike. Well, except maybe old-school hip hop.

5. It's now been ten years since Placebo burst onto the UK music scene with their self-titled debut album. Instantly pegged as Bowie and glam revivalist, they put out some of the most interesting, beguiling and androgynistic records of the past decade. I still remember seeing them open up a K-Rock show with Kid Rock on the bill sometime 98, and rowdy fans calling singer Brian Molko a fag. Always a bit misunderstood and thought provoking for US crowds(especially in the Kid Rock era), Placebo have become huge stars in their native UK and across Europe. Placebo are getting set to release their fifth LP, Meds, in the US next week, on the Astralwerks label. The set features 13 new tracks, of their dark-yet-glammy rock and heartfelt tales of addiction, sex, love and loss, but the overall sound is a bit stripped down, back to basics, raw. There is less studio trickery than on previous efforts. This is Placebo at it's most honest and human state, as Meds is more of a slow-burner and not as slick as their previous efforts. The album features the singles "Because I Want To," and "Song to Say Goodbye," as well as guest spots from Michael Stipe of R.E.M. on "Broken Promise" and VV of the Kills on the title track. It was recorded over an eight-week period at RAK Studios in London, with Dimitri Tikovo and Flood. I was also fortunate enough to get a limited edition 2xCD set that features a number of audio/video extras, including a documentary on the making of the record, live clips, and four additional audio tracks.

6. Barry Bonds wants to crawl into a hole, because there is so much going on in his life. Sadly, Major League Baseball wants him to do that too. Apparently, Bonds is bummed about all that information coming out on his steroid use, tax evasion, his ego and his mistress. Man, this guy needs to shut up. He has utterly embarrassed Major League Baseball. He's disgraced himself, the Giants ogranization, his family, any just about anybody else that cares about the game. He did this to himself. Just admit you couldn't handle seeing McGwire and Sosa hit balls out of the park and America falling in love with them. He took what was a great career at the time, and turned it into a joke. He could have gone down as one of the greatest of all time, now he'll just be remembered as a cheater, and a liar.

7. I saw Snow Patrol for the first time the other night. I'd really loved their last two records, and also the Reindeer Section, side project dubbed a Scottish indie super-group, which singer, Gary Lightbody participated in with members of Arab Strap, Belle & Sebastian, Idlewild, Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub. Well, Snow Patrol's last album, The Final Straw, blew up across Europe, and here in the US as well. Even getting them a slot opening up for the omnipotent, U2. And being featured on one of those annoying AOL Session on Demand. Snow Patrol did an intimate show at the Bowery Ballroom, and man, did they kill. They really rocked out all their songs, adding a really incredible live dynamic to the songs. I had a few problems with the evening. First of all, with their growing popularity, their fans have gone from indie rockers, to fans of the oc, frat boys and sorority girls. While being great for the band, really hurts them in a live setting. I can still hear those guys screaming to chug and those girls yapping away during the quiet parts. They also butchered my favorite song from Final Straw, "Grazed Knees," and during new single, "Hands Open", singer Lightbody played sans guitar, like they are trying to add some sort of front man status to him. Lastly, they had the god awful Martha Wainwright(yes, Daughter of Loudon and sister of Rufus) come out and do a song with them. Which, I have to say, the song itself sounded great, really giving me hope that maybe this album will be pretty good. But dear god! Can that woman make my balls crawl up into my abdomen pretty fast. God she sounds like a someone beating a bag of cats against a wall.

Listening Pile
Just came across this great review of Ian Love's new Self Titled album. As you know, Ian played in Rivals Schools, Burn, and fronted his own Cardio. He's got a really amazing voice and this record sees him take production duties in his home studio, and playing most instruments. The songs are touched with piano, mellotron and softly strummed guitar. You can check out some of them here

Best two songs I've heard today. Radiohead's "There There" and My Bloody Valentine's "When You Sleep". Man, good stuff from two amazing, and highly influential bands. Which leads me to this; I think I'm really starting to like this Pilate song I've been hearing. Of course, when you google them, this comes up, "Toronto based rock/pop band described as Radiohead meets Crowded House. MP3s and upcoming shows." Yikes! Well, OK, I can actually hear that. Anyhow, I was totally blown away by their video for "Barely Listening". Shot so well, it looks amazing, and the song is great to boot. I'm thinking the Canadian government paid for at least part of this. I totally have to track down a copy of this album.

Au Revoir Simone. They're a three-piece all-keyboard, all-girl band from Brooklyn. Also, came across this band Heather D'Angelo sings, keys and drum-machine; Erika Forster and Annie Hart on vocals and keys. They make really pretty songs. Check them out on their site.