BANDS

SO MUCH LOGGING.




so many band names. so many labels. we're over 4000 now - and I've most definitely done at least 40% of that sonicbids stuff.

I ADMIT I HAVE A PROBLEM

YES, I do read craiglist when I'm bored.
Yes, this is the best post ever:

"OY! I FORGOT TO GET A VIFE!"
Reply to:
Date: 2005-06-28, 9:40PM EDT


Nu, I vent to wisit mein mishpoche. Und mein deer modder, hoo I loff, she sez to me, "Lookit you! Yaw hendsome! Yaw smaht! But yaw fawty yiz olt. So vie arnchoo merreed awreddy?"
Pliz, Miss. Mehbee yew kin be mein vife und mek mein modder heppy und stop kvetching. Dot vood be nice. So pliz enser dis ed kvickly. But send uh peekshuh mit yaw enser. Mein modder dont vant no meeskeit in mein mishpoche.

WAIT! Nevermind. this post definitely wins my seal of approval:

a couple of honest losers - week eleven - 23

---

Reply to:
Date: 2005-06-28, 9:09PM EDT


so, there’s this nice walk around the block from where we live- they call it “the museum walk.” some of the world’s greatest art can be found in establishments along this saunter: MET, Guggenheim, Whitney, etc. to fully experience “the museum walk,” one is required to wake up early, and wear pants – two things we’re not very good at.

so, we figure, our living room doubles as a pretty sweet art studio: it’s got a table, chairs.

some artists we admire: Warhol, Picasso, Monet, Pollock. my roommate thinks he’s Van Gogh just because he wears a smock. what a piece of shit.

check out the exhibit below. both works of art – ours – and created in just one day. any girls interested in finger-painting? email us. any art collectors interested in one of our pieces, send best offer.


pictures from left to right:

picture 1: “so wait a minute…weren’t Kris-Kross just wearing smocks?”

picture 2: “it’s not so much art nouveau, or art-deco. it’s just really really good.”

picture 3: “i’ll never lose my keys again.”

picture 4: Talented And Gifted

PRIDE

I was looking at Something Awful's Photoshop Contest, and I thought in honor of Pride Week (just passed) I would show you my favorite:

see more hilarious entries here. (I highly reccomend page 6.)

LAND OF THE DEAD

Hey Cheifs! Looks like Glastonbury was pretty wet this year!


picture via mr. amazing coolness himself, Andrew Kendall.

oh, and land of the dead was an awful, poorly thought out movie.

FUNNY (ha. ha.)

I've never had a bad experience at Caroline's. Sure, I've only been there three times, but all of the shows have been good. Too bad two of those shows were tonight. I don't think it's such a good idea to go to two comedy shows in the row. My face muscles hurt. My thinking muscles hurt.

But Hal Sparks and Paul Mooney are pretty funny dudes.

Nevertheless, I think I'll be sleeping all of tomorrow.

JET

In what turned out to be one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced, Jet performed in the middle of times square last night in honor of the opening of the "Pontiac Garage." No, I have no idea what that means.



I have some people visiting from the big OH; only in town for Oasis (and coincidentally Jet as well) and we were eating a nice, filling meal at the Olive Garden only to come out and find police barricades everywhere. There were a good deal of video cameras as well, so we decided to stick around for a little while. A little prodding (and an australian guy with a 'tude) led us to the conclusion that Jet was performing at 10, and that it had something to do with Pontiac. Turns out it had something to do with Jimmy Kimmel, too, as he opened the mini performance and later informed the crowd that it would be shown on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Well, much later than expected, some kind of Pontiac convertible was unveiled and Jet performed 3 songs. They were so high that the only way you could see them was to look at the screen; although with a little straining, we could see the guitar player bopping his head in between the huge steel bars. They started off with "Cold Hard Bitch" and ended with "Are You Gonna Be My Girl." I have no idea what the middle one was, but you know, I'm not a huge Jet fan. In the end they released confetti and we all wandered back to campus still confused about what the hell the Pontiac Garage was, and why Jet was performing for it 100 feet in the air.

But that didn't stop us from taking pictures:

STELLA

is probably one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen. Take a couple of actors from Wet Hot American Summer, then add the most random and perplexing moments of Wet Hot American Summer, throw it in a blender and add suits, and you've got Stella. But considering I'm drawn to anything that's completely absurd, it'll probably grow on me.


You can watch the first episode here.

I'M A TUMOR

So maybe I wasn't in the mood today, but I just didn't think the Family Guy was very funny. I thought the "I'm a tumor" joke was one of the funniest... I don't know. I hate to say it's going down hill, but I was dissapointed at the end of the last one, and this one... eh.

It's June and I'm cold. and I have a stomachache.

and am I delusional, or does Fantastic Four actually look kinda good?

ABSENT

Sorry I haven't been around lately, but my friends are actually exisiting now! So instead of me sitting around here, I've been going out. Neal came in this weekend and drove Marla and I up and down Manhattan. We even drove into Brooklyn not knowing at all where we were going and ended up finding the most amazing spot that I've seen in the entire city. I made a dog friend and we took cool pictures. (yes, my fascination with dogs is growing.) Who knew there was a mini waterfront park between two bridges? I sure didn't! But now I do. The neighborhood down there is really strange too. They have these huge luxury condos next to trash dumps and abandoned warehouses. I'd like to think it's a hidden gem.
I'm sure lots of people know about it.

So I've been given an opportunity to go to Philly next weekend to see some of my other friends, but part of me is torn. I'd have to skip out (again) on Knee Deep Snow saturday morning, and I'd miss two concerts Eisley (w/Lovedrug!) and Feist (which should both be amazing). This summer I've been completely let down concert wise because I never go to the shows I really want to. Maximo Park was a treat, but other than that I've been missing everything! So I don't know... but seriously, if there's any chance that we could find a spot in Philly as beautiful as the one we saw last night I'd go in a heartbeat.


small update: I just noticed this over at myspace and it almost made me cry in that sonicbids-will-now-be-my-closest-friend kind of way.

CMJ

today was:

the most hellish application explosion ever known to man
surprisingly entertaining
relatively painless
full of AMAZING weather
too short!


btw, home was good.


connie, gretchen, me and lindsay (dana took the picture). We were eating at this crazy vegetarian (and vegan friendly) restaurant, but Lindsay and I had an urge for meat, so we went and bought some gyros and brought them back. We ate them inconspicuously and hoped that we weren't offending anyone. That was until I looked around and saw a sign on the table that said "mankind won't be able to live peacefully until it learns to accept all creatures and treat them equally." Then Dana went to get some napkins and we noticed that there was a sign in front of the napkins that said "These napkins were once a living tree. Please take only what you need." That place was a serious guilt trip. Instead of contributing nothing, I ordered an all natural tofu smoothie. It was delicious, but I have to complain a little because the straw they gave me was actually a piece of pasta. It started to dismantle in my mouth.

BACK IN BLACK

I'm back now. Hope everyone had a nice few days.

MAXÏMO PARK

Opening this fine night was Troubled Hubble - a band from Chicago. They sounded pretty good, though I can't exactly place what kind of rock it was... it was different than most stuff I hear now, which is good. But even after seeing they're application in the box at CMJ, I still have yet to process it, which is bad. So.... yes, Troubled Hubble left and on came the Park!


Paul reminds us not to mess with British people.

Maximo Park has been on my most wanted list since March, when I was totally denied and pwned by the bouncer at the Mercury Lounge. They did not disappoint. The guys came up through the crowd and played most of A Certain Trigger and even 2 new ones, A19 and something with the word Doubt ("a year of doubt" maybe?) which were well recieved (because they sounded great). I still had a hard time believing the fact that these were the same guys I sat across a room from 2 months earlier... they were like completely different people. Wild, performing animals. They're energy was refreshing and Paul's vocals, though a little low at times, were mighty good considering all that jumping and sweating. All of the songs were pretty solid (at least for my first time hearing them live). In terms of the overall experience, I could have done without the girls in front of me feeling like they had to literally translate all of the lyrics with their hands, but you know, let me not be a hater. The band was awesome, Lukas was a badass, and Paul shook his hips like there was no tomorrow!

as usual, more pictures ala les webshots.

setlist:


Paul announced that "Kiss You Better" was for Gwendolyn. The lyrics to "kiss" could go either way, so it's hard to say whether gwendolyn should celebrate that dedication...

When I first saw the setlist, I though Leave/Doubt was clever language for something along the lines of "leave the stage, crowd in doubt as to whether you will come back." Of course, it ended up not being that intricate - Leave stood for "I Want You To Leave" (off they're ep) and Doubt stood for that new song called something with doubt in the title.

Bottom Line: I love this band. and no, I won't stop praising them until they are the biggest band in the world - which is when I'll probably stop going to see them because of all the annoying people (but I'll still love them in my heart).

Notes From the Underground

I know, I know I've been lazy and not creative these last few days.. no updates or nothin'. Well, I can tell you what's been goin on lately. It goes something like this:

• I saw Best Week Ever LIVE! at Caroline's. It was beyond funny. Especially during Sherrod's set. I was crying. Oh, VH1. There's nothing better than a healthy dose of meta pop culture.

• I've been sleeping a lot. (really. at least 3 hour naps. it's insane)

• My heart's been gushing over Pretty Girls Make Graves. - and I think I might be in Columbus when they play which makes me ever so excited.

• CMJ is out of control. If you (imaginary reader) are in a band that sent in a paper application, I'd say you shouldn't be expecting an email from sonicbids in...well, let's say quite a long time.
  

Now that all that's on the table, I have a confession to make. For the next few days I'm going to drop off the face of the earth. Or as my friends in Columbus like to call it, going home. I'll be gone until tuesday, when I (hopefully) will jet right over to the Bowery to see the Redwalls. The laptop is staying here and although I will have access to the internet... I really can't promise anything. So have a great (long) weekend. I'm sure on tuesday everything will be just right and good.

STAR WARS

This is for those that liked or did not like the new Star Wars movie. I have to say, it was the best out of the three (especially the steaming crap of poo that was the 2nd one), but it still had some major plot flaws. Now instead of thinking about what those flaws might be, head over to the self-proclaimed best page in the universe and see him line them up for you in a funny (albeit mean) manner.

But really, if you don't see the truth in yoda's statement at the top of the page, you have too much faith in George Lucas.

COME WITH ME

Ticketmaster is selling (as usual) lots of overpriced tickets to summer concerts. Normally I stay away from that awful high fee charging thing, but I can deny it no longer. The shows are too good!

and you must come with me.

Show #1 - dress code: tapered jeans and keds; hair gel

Show #2 - mmm yes!

Show #3 because he's totally easy on the eyes.

was that mean? I think that might have been mean.

ps. Crash is good. go see it.

WEEKEND

At times slow, at times fast, and now basically over!

Friday - I went to see Electrelane along with white magic and some other band. Electrelane was good, but not quite good enough to make up for the major snoozefest that was their 2 opening acts. White Magic's best song was their last one. Not to sound sarcastic - it actually was a good song. I didn't even see the first performer (just heard him/her). Everything seemed really long.

Saturday - Tried to go see Sondre Lerche at Soundfix Records. Got to 14th st. at 3:30 fully confident in the abilities of the L, only to find out that it was broken. They told us to take the train to essex and then take the jmz and then take a shuttle bus, and doing all of that there was no way I was going to make the instore at 4. It was sad. Walked around, wasted some time in my old stomping ground (i.e. around 11th - 14th) Then headed to Central Park. Our original intent was to go see the Killers at Summerstage, but then we got very confused as to where the whole thing was being held. Walked from 72 to about 81, then back down to 72, only to find Louis XIV playing. We picked a spot, got dirty, and listened to the Killers bring in the night. Would it have been worth the $35 to see them as well as hear them? I'm not sure....
We were approached by some banker types(a usual thing when hanging out with marla). One of them named Adrian (haha). anyway, night fell. We came home around 12 and then proceded to call everyone we knew. Slept.

Sunday - Work! yeah for 730 in the morning. I've started reading the New York Times which makes the time much more interesting. I usually avoid all the articles about national politics though, which leaves it a little thin...

gonna see Crash tonight. tell you how it is.

GO

I forgot to mention this on the 31st, but have you gotten this yet?
No? Well, go now. Buy it and support great people. And if you listen to it all and then tell me what your favorite song is, I promise I'll play it for you on my show tomorrow...

SLEEPING

I talk about sleep enough, but sadly I rarely do it. Working at 7:30 is no fun and it messes up any hope I have for a regular sleep pattern. But naps are good. I've grown to appreciate them recently. Now I just have to learn to control them because sleeping through the daylight is not such a good idea.

But in cool news - hilariously enough the Defamer's photoblogging of Tom Cruise on Oprah ended up in today's New York Times. I'd feel a little embarrased for him, but don't they say that there's no such thing as bad publicity? Oh - and I'm going to see Electrelane at the Bowery tomorrow. Who's Electrelane? I actually have no idea. but a girl on my floor asked me to go. And let's be honest - when have I ever turned down an opportunity to go the Bowery?

There are a ton of good concerts coming up and it's making me very nervous. I have to budget wisely. I'm also thinking of getting an italk. It's not too expensive, and it would be great to have it after concerts to (perhaps... maybe) get some station ids. we'll see. I want to try it out soon, given my show's only for a couple of weeks. Maybe Sondre Lerche will be my first try?

HUMIDITY. BOO.

Had a mini-reunion with my friends last night and got about 4 hours of sleep. Woke up, went to work, came back, showered, went to CMJ. The submissions are coming in pretty steady now and as the office had no air conditioning or fans going, I was extremely hot. Come to find out it's only 67 degrees. So, who's the culprit of the exhausting heat? Humidity! Boo, humidity, boo. The weather's been so that I almost forgot what it felt like.

In other news, one of my favorite wastes of time Gawker, put up another Gawker Stalker today that had me laughing and aww-ing. Highlights?

Wandered to the No Malice Palace on 3rd and B, where an underage Amanda Bynes pulled out her fake ID right behind us. She may weigh only 85 pounds, but at least 60 of them are in her giant moon face...

Ouch! and another!

I sat right next to Albert Hammond Jr. and his fiance, Cat Pierce at a cozy restaurant on Clinton 2 nights ago. They looked very much in love and were discussing wedding plans! Albert kept saying, “let’s just do it now” and Cat would smile...

AWW! All the guys are getting married... very cute.

Anyways, I'm going to take a nap and most likely fall asleep for the rest of the day. Have a good day, and oh yeah - happy June.