Sad Stars

I think there might be donuts here

2006-10-13T15:07:00.000-04:00

Pee Wee Herman was here

2006-10-10T09:40:00.000-04:00

Someday People Will Live in this Building

2006-08-17T09:15:00.000-04:00

Don Fagen Lives Here!

2006-08-17T09:11:00.000-04:00

This used to be Bob Dylan's house in Woodstock. Now it's Steely Dan-itized. Sigh.

I Made This!

2006-08-17T09:10:00.000-04:00

South Slope at Sunset

2006-08-07T13:45:00.000-04:00

I love him!

2006-08-07T13:38:00.000-04:00

Matt and I went to see the Red Krayola the other night, with my (other) boyfriend John McEntire on drums. What I didn't know is that John suffers from "rock face" when he plays the drums. Surely others will comment on this sooner or later, but when one sits in the front row you can see all the silly faces he makes. This blurry image makes me love him that much more.

Shane West is hardcore!

2006-08-07T13:35:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to see Shane West and the Germs. Shane is HC because he lit the setlist on fire. Easily the highlight of the evening. More pics of other things to come.

P.S. I keep seeing billboards of cheesesteak flavored potato chips. I am intrigued but can't find them anywhere! Help!

Just Your Friendly Horsey

2006-07-18T13:21:00.000-04:00

I went to see Elvis Costello on Friday Night!

2006-05-15T13:43:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize I could blog at work. It had quit working for awhile, but voila! I present Elvis Costello. The quality of this picture is a testament to the sheer amount of money I spent on these tickets. Happy birthday, Matt Berlyant!

You Can't Fool Me!

2006-04-05T23:34:00.000-04:00

Also spotted in Los Angeles:

Stars Hollow, I'm Next.

2006-04-05T23:13:00.000-04:00

If you are fortunate enough to ever find yourself in Los Angeles AND you happen to be a big dork with some time on your hands, I wholeheartedly suggest going on a tour of the Warner Brothers Studio lot. This is where the Gilmore Girls is filmed. This is where Stars Hollow is, the fake Yale is, the fake mansion, and Matt and I saw a good 75% of the set while we were there. Make a point of telling your tour guide, as we did, how much you LOVE the Gilmore Girls. Then when you're done, go to the gift shop to purchase matching Dragonfly Inn mugs. Don't forget to take lots of pictures like these...

Oh yeah, I saw them filming an episode from really really far away. I saw Luke and Lorelai from really far away. I think it might be the episode that shows next week. I also figured out that the episode featuring Joe Pernice as troubadour-wannabe airs May 9th. This is the day my heart stops beating for good. Okay, photos! Eat your hearts out!

Matt and I in Lorelai's Jeep. She's got 2 of them.

Matt next to the Gilmore's mailbox!
Where all his stalker fanmail gets sent!

Matt and I under the chuppah where the wedding that never was to Max (!) didn't happen. All you teary eyed fans remember Max. Well, the chuppah's falling apart. It's made of paper. It wasn't meant to be.

A Postscript

2006-03-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

I won the office pool anyway. I can't help myself! I came out 25 points ahead of anyone else in the office, which given the number of college basketball games I've watched this season (zero) is pretty awesome.

NCAA Wankery

2006-03-26T22:39:00.000-05:00

Apparenly, popular sentiment demands my return to blogging. Who knew? My gripe for the day is:

What's up with George Mason's basketball team? Are they on drugs? They've won all their games AND they've ruined my chances of winning my office NCAA pool. I've won for the last 2 years in a row, and frankly, I know very little about college basketball. What I do know is that it's not a bad idea to go with UConn, and George Mason has ruined it. Now, not only do I have to keep my mouth shut about how incredible my psychic abilities are, I won't be able to go and buy myself a cream cheese filled donut as my reward. Sorry, Suzy Jo's. Your donuts probably deserve a post of their own, but a link will have to suffice.

In better culinary news, I picked up a bag of these this morning. Yummy!

In other news, thanks to Nixon's Head, Mates of State, The Books, Jose Gonzalez, The Go! Team, Silver Jews, Joe Lally/Don Zientara/Craig Wedren, the Pogues, Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt, and Stereolab for being my soundtrack for the last week. Last week in an 8 day span I attended the equivalent of 8 shows. I wish someone would pay me for this.

My musical tip for the night, however, since I should really leave you with something interesting...go see Laura Veirs on her upcoming east coast jaunt. She's fabulous. I can't recommend her more, so if you're curious, go to here for a recently recorded show where she opened up for the solo Colin Meloy (seen below). Actually, the whole project that NPR has undertaken with recording shows and allowing them to be downloaded and such is really cool. Yay NPR!

I Never Update this Blog.

2006-03-18T10:09:00.000-05:00

How do people manage to do this on a regular basis?

It's way too difficult.

More from me soon.

Your Commenting Skills Are Weak

2006-01-11T22:35:00.000-05:00

Others to add to the list of '05 because you haven't added them yourselves:

Final Fantasy
Thunderbirds Are Now!
The Evens
Stephen Malkmus
Damon and Naomi
The Go-Betweens
Jens Lekman
Isolee
Mark Eitzel
Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers
Teenage Fanclub
Silver Jews

This is how I began 2006. Hopefully I can end it in the same way.

The Albums of 2005 That You Probably Ain't Hearing

2005-12-27T23:41:00.000-05:00

I have this feeling that everyone blogs and everyone posts year end lists that are essentially the same. Which is why I'm going to try this in reverse. And I'm looking for comments. I know there are a few people that actually read this rusty ol' thing. Therefore, I'm declaring this a work in progress. If there's an album you think has been overlooked this year, leave a comment. I'll add it to the list. I'll give you credit for it. I might even find mp3s. Sheesh. This is actually turning into work!

Here goes:

Clem Snide - End of Love (submitted by Scott France)
Try: Fill Me With Your Light

Archer Prewitt - Wilderness

M Ward - Transistor Radio

The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday (do people not like this album at all?)
Try: Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Crooked Fingers - Dignity and Shame

Sons & Daughters - Repulsion Box

The Rosebuds - Birds Make Good Neighbors
Try: Back to Boston (not from the new one, but soooo good)

Crystal Skulls - Blocked Numbers
Try: Airport Motels

Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of It Again (again, I think I'm possibly the only person who likes this)

Konono No. 1 - Congotronics

Laura Veirs - Year of Meteors
Try: Fire Snakes

John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolt
Try: Trance Manual

The Hasid and Santa

2005-12-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

I love Yo La Tengo.

One Hanukkah show down, 2 to go.

Top Shows of the Year

2005-12-17T00:25:00.000-05:00

I go to a lot of concerts. I just counted. It's late, and I know not everything I went to see this year made it onto my calendar, but I think I'm at about 75 shows this year. Last year was 69 shows, so it's approximately the same. A hectic schedule, to most people. At least it gives me something to post about at the end of the year, when people get nostalgic for the best albums they listened to. I could tell you how I enjoyed Sufjan and Colin and Ben but I won't. That's not quite challenging enough for this late hour. Therefore, you get top shows of the year, starting with tonight's.

1. Living Colour (12.16.05) and The Yohimbe Brothers (1.13.05). Both of these bands feature Vernon Reid, who is amazing. Tonight he played his guitar so hard he nearly fell over. He's truly a sight to behold. And seeing Living Colour tonight, in a small venue where I got to stand up close and add to my hearing damage was totally worth the expensive ticket. I started off the year with this Yohimbe Brothers show, at the tiny Tritone, which after a day of jury duty was just terrific. Why no one knows about the Yohimbe Brothers is a mystery to me.

2. Teenbeat Records' 20th Anniversary show(s) (2.24.05 and 2.25.05). Teenbeat Records started in 1985 when I was 8. This trip to D.C. was a blast because it snowed and the U.S. government shut down for a little bit of slush AND I got to see Unrest (!) along with Versus and Tuscadero and +/- and a host of other Teenbeat bands AND my sister saw rock star crush #2, Guy of Fugazi. Yay!

3. MIA at the Uki (3.20.05 - Palm Sunday). This is, like all the best venues, a Ukranian social club. This was early on in MIA's conquering of the States. This show was pretty awesome, and a far better show (and far less crowded) than her show later on this year that I saw. She has beats, and she's sassy and I can't complain about that. Plus some kid asked me to dance, a laughable prospect at the very least.

4. M. Ward with Devotchka and Northern & Western (4.9.05). Wow. This show was all the way back in April? Well, honestly, as much as I loved M. Ward's and N&W's set it was Devotchka that stole my heart. They're awesome. I can't say enough good things about them. They have this gypsy sensibility mixed with a little bit of tex-mex-y goodness. Plus the lead singer has the sexiest voice this side of the Allegheny Mountains.

5. Prefuse 73 and Battles (5.2.05). This show totally blew me away. I knew nothing about Battles and they were terrific. I hope to catch them again in the future. I'd missed Prefuse 73 at Coachella the other year, and I wanted to catch his act. I didn't know if it was going to be boring and full of computer replicated crap, but it was a live set of jams. Jams, folks! I like jams!

6. The double header of Caribou/Russian Futurists/Junior Boys and Okkervil River/Earlimart (5.7.05). This was an ambitious night of music. Two totally different shows. Surprise of the night? Junior Boys! They were awesome! Caribou was also amazing, but I couldn't see a thing due to the fact that I gave up my prime spot for a drink of water. Okkervil River is surprisingly really popular here, and the entire crowd left before Earlimart's set. Too bad for them, because Earlimart is one of my faves.

7. The combination of Need New Body and the Marshall Allen Arkestra (5.28.05). Besides the fact that Need New Body puts on a crazy and intense live show, Marshall Allen is 81 years old and still plays a mean set.

8. Sam Prekop and Inara George (6.6.05). If only because the church basement flooded and the show got moved to the sanctuary and I got to sit in the first row. And I love Sam Prekop.

9. The Go-Betweens (6.11.05). This show was so great. It's nice to see that people like this band. I yelled at some girls for talking the last time I got to see them. The Go-Betweens are from Australia. They don't tour much. They are pop geniuses. I met my boyfriend at this show. I didn't know he'd be my boyfriend at the time. All the more reason to be amused and amazed at the outcome of this night. Forster and McLennan. Keep them with you.

10. Yo La Tengo does Sounds of Science (7.9.05). I've seen Yo La Tengo about 15 times now, and I'm about to see them 3 more times within the next 2 weeks. That being said, this was the most awe inspiring performance I've ever see them do, where they scored a bunch of silent sea life films. Who knew that sea horses and octupuses could be so beautiful?

11. Teenage Fanclub and the Rosebuds (7.21.05). I love Teenage Fanclub. How they play such tiny venues here is a weird thing. They should be pop music's heroes. Plus the Rosebuds played, and one of these days when they are super famous, I'll say that I sat next to them at Sound Fix and totally kept my cool. They are probably one of the year's most underappreciated and underrated bands. Check 'em out. And check out Teenage Fanclub's Man-Made while you're at it. It's a pretty terrific album.

12. The Feelies pseudo reunion with Antietam (8.23.05). Matt was supposed to come to this show but bailed. Alas, he missed this quasi-reunion of one of my favorite things about New Jersey. The Feelies are great. Antietam were great. I got the feeling this was a little bit of a family reunion of sorts, and seeing Ira Kaplan waltz into the Indian place I had dinner at with my sister and not freaking out too much was an accomplishment for me.

13. Ted Leo at South Street Seaport (8.26.05). While technically I enjoyed the show on 12.2.05 I saw better, this makes the list for being outdoors. It was pretty. I got to watch the sunset. I had half a hot dog. I can't imagine a better way of ending a hot summer day. The Of Montreal show I saw the next night was pretty special too.

14. The Roots/Deerhoof/TV on the Radio (9.16.05). Purely because it was at the Kimmel Center and because the Roots had the best entrance and exit I've seen this year (to a New Orleans brass band).

15. Q and not U's third to last show (9.21.05). I stood on the stage. It was fantastic. And sad. I miss them already.

16. John Vanderslice (10.12.05). I love John Vanderslice. He's so nice. He gave me a hug. We chatted. I hear he eats a vegetarian burrito everyday.

Honorable mentions. Sons and Daughters because I saw them twice in one day. Gang of Four for being old men and breaking a microwave into pieces. The dB's, Slint, and Dinosaur Jr. for being bold enough to reunite. Sharon Jones and the DapKings for the funk. Patti Smith for kicking ass for the last 30 years. Seu Jorge for pulling off David Bowie covers in Portuguese. The Mountain Goats for not being annoyed at the annoying college kids (and our campus police escort). All the Canadian bands I saw this year and loved to pieces. And many others that are too numerous to mention.

Disappointments:

Phoenix with Dogs Die in Hot Cars. I expected more of Phoenix. They sucked. They were like a French Maroon 5. What happened?

Joe Pernice (solo). The opening acts sucked. And Joe barely played. He almost seemed shy. The crowd clamored for more and we just didn't get it.

Having to skip the Hold Steady show I had a ticket to because some asshole broke in the rear window to my car.

British Sea Power. They were kinda boring. And one of their plastic birds fell on me. I honestly went to see Feist, she opened for them. She was great. BSP leave something to be desired.

All the stuff I missed! You'd think I'd have seen everything I wanted to see this year, but I actually skip a lot of stuff. 2006 should be all about seeing 100 shows. I'm getting closer!

Long Overdue

2005-12-12T22:52:00.000-05:00

Even though I probably should be headed for bed, seeing as that I can barely drag myself out of it when it's time to wake up in the morning, I've been meaning to post about all the lovely things that have been going on these days.

First, the Ted Leo and the Rx show from 2 weekends ago. Granted, it made me feel old to see that the only people profiled as having gone to the show (in the City Paper?) were no older than 17, but oh well. It was a great show. I stood in the front row. The scoop I've got is that the show was filmed for a possible future dvd, but you should check the comment board at Timorous Me if you're truly concerned about that sort of thing. I took some cool pictures, but Blogger is pissy about uploading them. Oh well.

Just prior, Patti Smith and her band celebrated 30 years of Horses. This outing was to celebrate my sister's birthday. We all love Patti Smith, you (the reader) included. I got in trouble for taking pictures of this event, but there's little they do to you at BAM other than sternly scold you. Special guests for the evening included Tom Verlaine and Flea. Yup. Flea. Flea is amazing. Even if you don't enjoy the Red Hot Chili Peppers (and actually, I do) you can appreciate the fact that Flea is a talented and very energetic musician. That, and Patti Smith is 59 years old and rocks the socks off musicians a third of her age. She's great. She's from New Jersey, and if the New York Times has anything to say about it, she's damn proud of it. Okay, apparently the New York Times doesn't archive their "New Jersey" section, but there was an article about her in it this past weekend. I'm a big fan of the New Jersey section because it's like reading the Star Ledger, but with bigger vocabulary words. This show was well worth the pricey entrance fee, if only to hear the most fantastic version of "Rock and Roll Nigger." I love that song.

It's 11:11 - I should be wishing.

I'm supposed to be reading The Power Broker about New York City's favorite urban restructurist, Robert Moses. This is a really big book, the biggest book I've tackled in quite some time. I'm lucky to make it through the paper on a daily basis. So this is a big step for me. The book is off the shelf and next to my bed. Wish me luck.

In other news, I spent the past weekend with Matt in Philadelphia for the first time in over a month. We went to see X. They were pretty awesome. It would seem that I've been on a kick of reunited bands/bands with older members/bands that had their day waaaaaaay before my time and well, you're right. I can't help it. X is better than whatever the kids are talking about these days. Arctic Monkeys, still? Love Is All? The Decemberists signing to Capitol Records so that Colin can properly take care of his baby? I can't keep up.

Also, was anyone other than me a little disturbed by the Inquirer's cover Sunday news story? That teens have a secret "web network" - aka things like MySpace where they can post provocative pictures! brag about drinking! look for sex! and drugs! Seriously? Is there nothing more important to write about? No wars? No dead comedians? Not even something salacious about Britney dumping KFed? Really disappointing. I'd rather be throwing a zillion snowballs at Hurricane Schwartz.

And, for your listening pleasure, check out John Vanderslice's website where he's giving away a recent concert of his for free. I heart the 'Slice. I don't know if he knows that. He's the only rock star to have given me a hug all year, and that's not something I forget too easily.

Keep an eye out for my end of the year list. I'm working on it. Best concerts of the year. That, and the best albums of the year that you're not hearing list. Because frankly, you'd be bored if I told you how much I enjoy listening to Sufjan Stevens. It's been done.

Is it too late to be thankful?

2005-11-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

It's a little late...but I never got around to publicly announcing what I'm thankful for. And I hesitate to do it here because I'm pretty sure more people read this than show up to the Leavitt-Gruberger/Slomin thanksgiving dinner, but here goes:

1. I'm thankful for my family, friends, and the most recent addition to this mix, my boyfriend.

2. I'm thankful for turkey gravy. Why Americans don't eat more gravy year-round is a mystery to me.

3. I'm thankful for having the opportunity to hear a lot of terrific music this year, on cd/the radio and in concert. Lots of concerts. Really really thankful for that.

4. I'm additionally really thankful that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey finally made their public split. It was waaaay overdue.

5. I'm thankful that I consistently enjoy living in Philadelphia.

6. Lastly, I'm thankful for the neverending resurgence of my favorite movie stars via television reinvention. Though the whereabouts of Craig Sheffer (sp?) since he fled One Tree Hill after being left at the altar, are a mystery to me as well.

Greatest. Game. Ever.

2005-11-23T14:11:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Schwartz is going down!

Oy vey?

2005-11-23T13:39:00.000-05:00

I've been dying to post a picture of this for weeks! If only I'd thought of searching the Internet for this sooner - it's what I see every time I leave NYC these days.

Tardy.

2005-11-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

So, I could talk about all the wonderful things I've been up to lately. I could talk about how I disappeared to study for, take, and pass the AICP exam, making me a certified planner! Yay! I could talk about the Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings show I saw on Saturday night. Or the Russian art exhibit at the Guggenheim that I went to with Matt and his parents. Or Art Brut - everyone's talking about them these days. Well, was. Now's it's all Arctic Monkeys blah blah blah.

Instead, I'm going to tell you that I'm obsessed with celebrity gossip. I can't get enough of it. I don't actually buy any of the magazines that litter our supermarket shelves. But show me a website with pictures of drunk, car crashing, wardrobe malfunctioning celebrities, even the most minor of celebrities, and I'm fascinated. You might think you're too intelligent for this sort of thing, but you're not. Which is why I'm so excited to have spotted Lisa Loeb out on the town the other night. Apparently, I thought she was with Dweezil Zappa but she ain't. And she's got a reality show that's soon to start about how she's single and in NYC...though I didn't see her being filmed this past Saturday night. Well, I can understand that too. But, hey, if you've always wanted to date Lisa Loeb, now's your chance! She's cute, and shorter than we ever expected.

Where am I?

2005-11-14T13:11:00.000-05:00

This picture is from Brooklyn Vegan.
That dude inside the star is Matt. Where am I? Oh, I'm there. I went to this Art Brut show. I am just to Matt's left (and your right). Therefore, I am invisible. Oh well. I took some pictures of this lovely evening. Remind me next time that the Tribeca Grand has poor ventilation. I'll hopefully get around to uploading them (as well as some other stuff) later. Also remind me that studying for the AICP exam is no fun at all.

For Matt.

2005-10-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

I took this picture at Matt's request. It's somewhere around Silver Spring, Maryland. I'd like to think that it's the people who are "in the buff" and are therefore "big, fat and ugly" but surely it's gotta be the seafood.

Like I'd Forgotten!

2005-10-29T20:53:00.000-04:00

Part 7

Part 6

Chris Ware. He's awesome. Keep reading his cartoons!

I Heart the Rock Stars

2005-10-29T20:47:00.000-04:00

These are some pictures I've taken recently. Blogger is only sorta acting weirdly.

To the left: The New Pornographers. Neko is in the middle. She is clearly aware that men love her because she's wearing some sort of fluffy feathery outfit.

This is from the Q and not U show I saw before they broke up for ever ever. I will miss this band, even though they already have new projects they are working really hard at. It will not be the same.

This is from the Sons and Daughters in-store at Sound Fix. This band is excellent. I thank Matt
again for dragging me out to see them in the rain.

The Dogs of London.

2005-10-25T12:03:00.000-04:00

I took this picture in London a couple of years ago. I've always thought it was funny. That yellow bumper sticker, because I know it's illegible here, says:

A dog is for life, not just for Christmas

I wholeheartedly agree.

Don't go home to Swarthmore.

2005-10-24T10:07:00.000-04:00

I went to go see the Mountain Goats with the Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers at Swarthmore this past weekend. With Matt. That's a given these days. Anyway, it sorta struck both of us that we're too old to be hanging out with college kids these days. I mean, we're not old, but we're too old to be surrounded by drunk obnoxious 19 year olds who don't care that John Darnielle is totally mesmerizing. Thanks to the 'Slice for the picture, by the way. The show, when you ignore drunk teenagers who get in the way, was quite good. I'm glad we got there early enough (thanks to the good natured campus cop who escorted us) to see The Prayers and Tears...who were exceptional enough for me to sneak downstairs to buy Matt their cd. Unfortunately, 4 late nights in a row meant I was too exhausted to use my Wolf Parade ticket last night. Oh well. Tonight I'll make up for it by seeing Broken Social Scene rock the TLA. See you there.

If you need convincing about the Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers, check out "concerning lessons learned from the aliens"

Ring My Bell, Cornel.

2005-10-21T13:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday while on the Market Frankford dirty-ass El, I thought I was riding the train with Cornel West, seen by some as one of the great African-American thinkers of this era. I don't know what else to call him, he is a college professor and author. I was sorta convinced it was him, and it took me a good 10 minutes to realize that this guy on the train was just copping his look. He wasn't dressed well enough, frankly, to make me think he was a well-off professor. It could've been him, though!

More exciting is that I ditched my night of studying to go see Charles Burns and Chis Ware at the library. I understand that this confirms my status as a geek, but oh well. I got books and art and more than likely you did not. Plus I have a better understand of Chris Ware's obsessive obsessive nature. I should spend more time at the library.

As promised.

2005-10-18T21:04:00.000-04:00

I still take pictures. I'm sure you all find it annoying. South Street Seaport. Towards sunset. Saw Ted Leo right about then, which was really nice. Blogger is being pissy about uploading photos right now, so this'll have to wait for another time.

Only saw 2! shows this weekend. The New Pornographers were grand. A fun show. Too bad Kathryn the Niece is so unneeded, her vocals were buried and her keyboards are redundant. A nice way to recapture the loveliness of a first date. Fiery Furnaces, a little disappointing. Their furious medley of songs seemed a little off - and I enjoy the Grandma album they are about to put out more than most. Oh well. Perhaps it was all due to feeling so blah inside the Black Cat. Stuffy venue. Not a capacity crowd, either. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's Black Dice show more and more, even though I have to work late and will go straight to the show looking all plannery and not at all noise-rocky. It only serves to make me feel even older.

Big News!

2005-10-18T13:07:00.000-04:00

I finally bought a new computer. Which means that later tonight (!) you can see some of the photography I've been laboring over. Let the real blogging re-commence.

More Ware Ahead

2005-10-18T13:04:00.000-04:00

Part 4.

Part 5.

The Etc.

2005-10-11T15:56:00.000-04:00

I know that I'm not the laziest blogger, but I feel badly sometimes for not updating this page more regularly. Oh well.

The future:

Go see John Vanderslice as he tours the East Coast. He plays Philadelphia tomorrow night, and while I'm really bummed that Portastatic isn't playing with him, I'm just as excited to see the 'Slice do his thing. He's nice. He sings nice songs. He's a tasty pop treat. There you have it.

The present:

Oh my, tonight's Gilmore Girls? Where Mr. Huntsburger admits to breaking Rory's almost journalist heart in a weird attempt to break up Rory and Logan? Perhaps where Rory and Lorelai get to be friends again, because Lorelai was right all along? Wow. I'm soooo excited. Seriously. Listened to the demos for Love Songs for Patriots on my way to work. That's the most recent American Music Club album. The two sound totally different. The demos were done before AMC decided to reunite, and it's interesting to see what AMC brings to the table as a band. The demos are worth a listen, if you're an AMC fan. Oh yeah, and they are touring with Spoon and skipping Philadelphia. That won't stop me! November 6th at Warsaw! Be there or be at home watching Law and Order!

The very recent past:

Sons and Daughters with the Rosebuds at North Six. Yay! This show was really good. The Rosebuds seems to have loosened up a bit, and while I've been trying to get people to love this band as much as I do, I'm willing to keep them to myself. Sons and Daughters is Scottish, cute, and totally awesome. I know you've never heard of them, but I think they are worth checking out. Thanks to Matt who persevered with me through the rain to see this show. Twice. Because we saw Sons and Daughters do an instore at Sound Fix in the afternoon. Also worth noting: I saw Metric on Friday night and got very sweaty. I wish the FU Church was climate controlled. But Metric was quite good, as were the opening acts. That would be Lovely Feathers and The Most Serene Republic. Worth my $10 for sure. Bob Mould on Thursday night. Really cool to see him do Husker Du songs with a full band. Really cool to see Brendan Canty looking very old. Now, if only I could get Fugazi to resurrect themselves, we'd be in business.

Across Your Narrows!

2005-10-04T13:42:00.000-04:00

Matt and I went to the Across the Narrows festival on Sunday. Lots of people have commented and/or complained about the lack of attendance at these shows. I don't have a problem with this. It meant that I easily found parking on the street. That there wasn't a line for Totonno's. That I easily was able to stand close to the front of the crowd, didn't have to wait on too outrageous a line for the ladies' room, and didn't have to wade through too many people when it came time to go home.

I really enjoyed my day. I showed my ultimate prowess in Skeeball. I'm officially bored with the Polyphonic Spree -- their joyous choir thing is only amusing for so long. I did enjoy the Ravonettes but I also felt like their set never went anywhere. Too many mid-tempo songs. Therefore, that leaves Belle and Sebastian, who I enjoyed wholeheartedly even though they didn't play the song I wanted to hear (Books! C'mon! It's so catchy and dance-able!). The New York Times devoted a whole paragraph in their review about why they didn't play Piazza, New York Catcher. I say, too obvious folks!

And, lastly, Beck was quite the showman. He's quite the snazzy dresser. He brought his wife and child along. He's added a component to the show that involves his band sitting down to "dinner" and having them accompany him on their dinnerware. He parades people around carrying REALLY large boomboxes, and tried to get the crowd to give shout-outs to designer jean-makers of yesteryear. Though if any of the 15 year old kids in attendance knew anything about Sergio Valente, I'd be impressed. I personally was glad to hear him play a lot of the songs off of Sea Change because I'm probably among the minority of people who really like Beck's downer depressive album. While trying to explain why I like this album to Matt, I basically said I really enjoy Beck without all the Beckian bells and whistles. No funny vocal effects, no funky instruments, just straight up somber Beck. It makes it easier to realize he's got something to say.

And, for consistency, here's the lastest Chris Ware cartoon.

In sad news, Philadelphia's The Bigger Lovers are calling it a day. Oh well. They're actually a local band I really like. Listen to their song I Resign here.

Ken Stringfellow, Definite Freak

2005-09-28T09:36:00.000-04:00

I've seen lots of shows lately that I haven't commented upon. Laziness, I suppose. To recap:

The Roots @ Kimmel Center: Awesome. Best entry and exit since I saw Seam kick ass at the Blind Pig many years ago.

White Stripes @ KeySpan Park. Pizza was good (go to Totonno's). The Shins were good, as usual. They were talkative (James, what gives?) and jokey, which was appreciated. I missed Brendan Benson entirely. The White Stripes were excellent. For two people, they are quite noisy. Guys think Meg is hot. Who knew?

Maximo Park with Cloud Room @ Bowery Ballroom. I am one of the few who enjoys Cloud Room. I like them more than Maximo Park, despite lead singer Paul's crazy high kicks and energetic show. They have charisma but I'm not sure if they have staying power.

Last night though, takes the cake. Thumbs up all around. Earlimart was excellent, just as excellent as they were last time around (despite their protests to the contrary). Plus they are really hot. I barely caught any of the Deathray Davies, and didn't watch Oranger's somewhat mediocre set. The Posies were great. Since nostalgia is always a winner, they played at least 5 (?) songs from Frosting on the Beater. I love that album, which should easily be found for $4.99 in any bargain bin worth anything. But here's the kicker, and it's why Ken is a dirty man. He spit on the ceiling of the Khyber and then caught the resulting dripping loogie in his hand. How disgusting. And then people shook his hand after the show. One day, if someone ever fixes my computer, I can post some pictures of this event. Not the spitting, just the bands.

Oh, and the latest Chris Ware cartoon. I search the NY Times website to bring you more genius and I get nothing. Nevermind. They don't make this stuff easy to find.

The Crossing Guard

2005-09-21T10:15:00.000-04:00

There's this crossing guard that I pass when I drive to work, she's definitely my favorite crossing guard ever. Crossing guards always seem like they can't believe they have to stand out on the corner for a couple hours each day. This woman is the most enthusiastic crossing guard ever. She's tan all year long and has blindingly white teeth (maybe the tan helps a little). In the winter, she marches around to keep warm. She chats with everyone, young or old, who passes her by. And the kids genuinely seem to like her, if not love her with all their little hearts. One day, a little boy ran up to her and gave her a big hug and I nearly cried.

There, now you know it, I'm just a big ol' sap. The end.

Chris Ware, My Hero

2005-09-20T11:02:00.000-04:00

This new Chris Ware serial is amazing, by the way. His artistry is so precise, and his obsession with buildings and architecture lately has him high on my list of things that are really really awesome.

Fortress of Lethem

2005-09-20T10:56:00.000-04:00

My main man Jonathan Lethem won himself a MacArthur Genius Grant. He's so cool. Congrats. Now he's rich! Seriously, what does an author do with a strings-free check of $100,000 a year for five years? Write more? Write harder? A question for the ages, I suppose.

News You Can Use

2005-09-07T11:55:00.000-04:00

It kinda sucks having a broken computer. Such is the case with my laptop, which at the moment is just an empty shell. In the meantime, get a load of this:

1. Starting Sept 18th, there will be a six month serial cartoon by Chris Ware in the NY Times magazine. I knew I subscribed for a good reason. It still pains me that the Philadelphia Weekly cut his cartoon in exchange for a little Car Talk nonsense.

2. 21 Jump Street Season 3 dvd was released yesterday. I know I'm not the only person excited about this because Target has it on sale. And that's where I'll be this afternoon.

3. A new song by the Clap? Yes indeed.

4. M. Doughty covers Hungry Like the Wolf only 3 years after I requested him to? With Death Cab as his backing band? Yes indeed.

Just Call Me Ms. Thang

2005-08-30T16:52:00.000-04:00

So, my main squeeze Matt and I had a busy busy weekend. I just spent the last 5 minutes trying to find a decent picture of Ted Leo. This picture is less than decent, but hilarious at the same time. What is this? A Civil War re-enactment?

Anyway, the weekend kicked off with a fabulous and free Ted Leo and the Rx show. I should devote this entire blog to how much I enjoy Ted. Seriously. He's awesome. Openers Tigers and Monkeys were just so-so, to be generous. But the Pharamcists were fantastic. They played Suspect Device. They played new songs, old songs, songs so new they don't have titles. Thumbs up.

Thumbs up as well to Thunderbirds are Now and Les Savy Fav. Thunderbirds put on a fantastic set. They are young, energetic, and cute. These things all work for them. They jump around the stage, I want to jump with them. Now, Matt would tell you that LSF sucked. I would argue that they are an art form. It's really a forum for Tim Harrington, the lead singer. He licks mic stands! He is crazy! Despite that, he recently got married and had his wedding announcement published in the NY Times, with a picture...so how awful could he be?

Saturday night's Of Montreal show was totally awesome. If you like your pop music in equal parts psychedelic and psychotic, then Of Montreal is for you. I've been waiting days to write that. Their most recent album, The Sunlandic Twins, is a brilliant piece of pop songwriting, and the spectacle of the live show made it soooo worthwhile.

And because my post will be better than Matt's, check out their cover of the Shins' Know Your Onion. More audio goodies can be found here.

Lastly, also saw the Minutemen documentary We Jam Econo...a reference to the fact that they toured on the cheap, in a van...gotta love Mike Watt though. He's seriously amazing, a fact that I established for sure when seeing him in concert a couple of years ago. I hope he comes back this way soon, because San Pedro has been hogging him for awhile.

Time For A Witness

2005-08-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

I've been sick for the last 1.5 weeks. Not so sick that I have to stay in bed all the time, but sick enough so that I have done very little with my time worth mentioning to you, the general public.

The one thing I did do, however, was drag myself to NYC on Tuesday night to see this. A quasi-Feelies reunion. With Glenn Mercer and friends. The photo is a little dark, but you get the idea. Not quite being old enough to have enjoyed them the first time around, I love the Feelies a lot. They can do no wrong. So a quasi-Feelies reunion sounded like a lot of fun...and since I was so bummed that I missed their prior quasi-reunion with Yo La Tengo over last Hanukkah, this was worth the trip. I am really looking forward to the Glenn Mercer solo album I heard whispers about, and hopefully JGJR will be able to make it next time.

Antietam also played - and they were awesome. Sara made the comment that if they had been a band of twenty year old boys, it would have been boring, but because Tara Key plays like a 20 year old boy, all the better. She rocks. Her whole band rocks. I took a couple of pictures of her and her band, but it'll have to wait for another time.

This weekend will be chock full of fun stuff, so you'll be hearing from me soon.

Ladies Who Shop

2005-08-16T16:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to Target to return a garbage can...a too-short garbage can. Anyway, as I was leaving, there was a middle aged woman talking to her older mom. Mom is well-dressed...you know, perhaps too well-dressed to be familiar with Target.

Daughter seems to be telling Mom that she's going to go to another store and she'll be right back. And somehow Mom's got 2 shopping carts. One's got her stuff in it, the other's empty. Mom's really close to the front of the store where they keep the empty carts. Only a handful of lanes are between them. She looks perplexed. What to do with the empty cart?

So, she looks around quickly. She then pushes the empty cart approximately 7 feet...into the middle of the exit aisle where EVERYONE walks to leave. She then pretends nothing has happened. While it would be easy to move the cart aside, she's thoughtlessly blocked everyone's way. She makes me mad. How hard would it have been to place the shopping cart where it belonged? Thank goodness this was in swanky Plymouth Meeting, had it been in Philadelphia someone would have kicked her nicely dressed ass.

Philadelphia is not your Borough

2005-08-15T04:13:00.000-04:00

Oh Jessica Pressler. I hope you at least made some money for your PhiladelphiaisthenextWilliamsburg article. Because otherwise it wasn't worth it. Philadelphia will never be the next borough because we're too fat and unstylish. And we always will be. Which is why I like it here.

In all seriousness, anyone with a passing interest in this city should check out this article, which appeared in the Sunday New York Times. Yeah, some "cool" people from New York City might have moved here recently for the city's affordability and livable nature, but 3 transplanted bands does not make a trend.

In other news, I hate this hot weather! I can't wait to go see the Roots! Leftover chinese food should be eaten as soon as possible! And...

American Music Club is touring with Spoon this fall! Swoon! I swoon for Mark Eitzel and Britt and their respective bands. Sigh. I hate that it's so easy to love gay men (Eitzel, that is).

To prove it to you, listen to "If I Had a Hammer" by AMC.

Is Death Cab Dead? AKA Beard Rock!

2005-08-11T15:58:00.000-04:00

So, the new Death Cab for Cutie album comes out in a week and a half. I've yet to uh, acquire it. Seriously!

But, I'm a little concerned about Ben and the boys. Not about the beard and Minnie Driver - is he blushing? Is he profusely sweating? I'm mostly concerned with all the shitty reviews that Death Cab has been getting. I heard some new song on the radio this morning and honestly, it was just mediocre. People are sayin' all sorts of stuff:

They've jumped the shark.

The lyrics are stupid and non-sensical.

They suck!

Fame has ruined them.

None of this matters, of course. I mean, I predicted awful things when I heard they signed to Atlantic Records. But I will still be unable to attend their concert, due to the fact it is at the Electric Factory and I can't stand it there. I'm waiting for additional dates to be announced. There are holes in their schedule. I'm thinking a private show in my backyard, with former labelmates the Long Winters. Yeah, Johnny Roderick, where have you been? You used to tour all the time, and lately it's been quiet in your camp.

In other news, the Hold Steady show I attended this past Friday night was great. Craig Finn, lead singer extraordinaire, gave a shout out to 1) people who had to get a babysitter to come see the show and 2) people who are falling in love at the show. How sweet! I can't say enough good things about the Hold Steady...they are talented and they can rock. Yet they're a bunch of guys you could go out and have a beer with...I'm sorry that their most recent tour dates don't have them coming through Philly, but they'll be back.

This weekend, get psyched for:

The Pernice Brothers
The Paul Green School of Rock, and
The Knitters

Yup, I'll be busy. And I love Joe Pernice. A lot. Even with his beard. Whoa! More beard talk, sorry!

Perhaps It's Perfect?

2005-08-05T12:25:00.000-04:00

This is perhaps the most perfect snack ever.

Pickles? As potato chips? I ate half of my little bag yesterday, and half is in my bag to eat today. I will need to stock up as this will surely be despised by the American potato chip eating public.

It's vinegar-y, but not too much. It's dill-y, but not too much.

Ah, pickles.

Things I Learned at the Beach

2005-08-03T00:51:00.000-04:00

1. Don't fight the lifeguards, they are always right.
2. Sunburn really really hurts, so therefore...
3. Always use lots and lots of sunblock.
4. Only challenge children under the age of 10 to Skeeball, lest you get your ass whooped.
5. Seafood chowder might be yummy to some, but it's still yucky seafood leftovers masked by broth.
6. Jack Daniels doesn't taste that bad in lemonade iced tea. From Wawa.
7. Listen to Martha when she tells you you'll hit traffic. Sorry!
8. Apples to Apples is possibly the greatest group board game ever. It's always fun!

Roadtrippin'

2005-07-29T16:15:00.000-04:00

It seems like this summer has been one loooooong road trip, with a couple of stops at work inbetween. This isn't a bad thing, since I've found some really great company to come along on the road trip, but have you met the old Anne? I used to spend my weekends curled up at home, catching up on music, movies, tv shows, more music...I even made time for Saturday morning cartoons! Okay, really I just was all sorts of lazy. I work well with lazy.

Now I feel like some sort of half-assed jet setter. This weekend I'm going to the beach with a lot of people. This should be really nice, because the weather should be nice, and I like all the people who'll be cramming into too few bedrooms.

Next weekend I'm going to Woodstock to not be a hippie. I'd make an awful hippie, you know that much, right? I've been told I'm going shopping for cds. Not so much of a stretch for me. I'm skipping a Bardo Pond show for this, so it better be good. Oh, and I'm going to see the Hold Steady next Friday night. I tried to go see them the last time they played Philly, but I was thwarted by the broken rear window of my car.

Ally McWheel takes way too much abuse. She's a sweetheart.

The spider is back!

2005-07-27T11:52:00.000-04:00

Confidential to Heathalouise: I'm thinking about your question. That is, what makes a good pop song? I agree with your assessment of hand claps. I love hand claps. But I also think sometimes that an instrumental song that manages to stick in my head (there are a couple) is a strong contender. I mean, if an artist can win you over with just the music, with no sexy lyrics to go along with it, that has the makings of something excellent. Or, maybe just a song of clapping?

Anyway, I'd like to talk briefly about Stephanie Klein. She blogs, and I learned about her from reading a very academic article about her in the New York Times. Here is a link to her blog:

http://stephanieklein.blogs.com

Now, the gist of this article in the NYT is that we're supposed to feel badly for Stephanie...her blog is called Greek Tragedy, for goodness sake! Why, you ask? Because she hasn't found herself a man yet! That's why! Lots of ladies and men haven't found their ideal partner yet. Lots of people struggle to find someone to share their lives with, yet we're supposed to feel sorry for Stephanie... because she's thin and pretty and assumedly intelligent. Therefore, I reason, people might ask themselves "Why Stephanie? She has all this great stuff going for her! Why hasn't she found a man?"

Well, you know what? Fuck all that. Stephanie should have to struggle just like everyone else. Because it's not like she doesn't have dates. She blogs all about them. Apparently, half of New York City recognized her before the article, and now the rest of the city will. And fuck all of you that are all caught up in her self-pitying. I don't buy it for a second.

Yeah, that spider is back. It's bigger than ever. I took more pictures of it, I'm fascinated with this spider. One of these days I'm going to stumble into its web on my way out the door to work and that'll be the end of me for sure.

Teenage Fucking Fanclub (and the Rosebuds)

2005-07-22T04:46:00.000-04:00

All you folks on the fence about seeing this show...it was so good. Truly fantastic. I mean, I've had this run of seeing bands that mean a lot to the teenage Anne. Teenage Fanclub, all puns aside, is one of those bands. I can't tell you how many times I listened to Bandwagonesque as a surly teen. And I've been listening a lot to it lately too, and the album just gets better and better.

That, and for their second encore, they came back onstage and did Everything Flows. They nonchalantly announced it was their first single. Then I ran back to my car and listened to it twice again on the way home. There's something really special about driving through the ghettos of Philadelphia, singing really loudly to some wussy Scottish pop song.

I also can't say enough good things about the Rosebuds. They are also on Merge, and have a new album coming out in September, I think. The people who I forced into listening to their first album didn't like it so much. But this band can rock. Their debut, The Rosebuds Make Out is among my favorite albums of late. So that's saying a lot, I think.

If you can ignore the red eye, you can see that they are totally cute!

Yay!

Hey, I have to get up for work in 4 hours. See, that's rock and roll. Was it Jonathan Valania who went to a show every night for a week and then wrote about it in the Weekly? Two weeks? Yeah, he gets paid to do that, and he sleeps as late as he wants, I'm sure. I'll see y'all in Norristown tomorrow.

This day just gets better and better!

2005-07-21T17:29:00.000-04:00

Whoo! The R. Kelly mannequin! Thanks Philebrity!

Seriously, this is soooo jacked up.

This Deserves Its Own Post!

2005-07-21T12:10:00.000-04:00

http://apps.hotornot.com/jeff/

Wow. That's all I can say. Plus there's only one hot guy in my zipcode...

Thx Chromewaves.

Panda Babies

2005-07-21T12:04:00.000-04:00

These panda babies are crazy looking, aren't they? After not being able to see the panda cam here I decided to see what they looked like myself. Panda babies could merit a trip to the D.C. zoo.

Even weirder is this spider that's been hanging out on my porch. It's huge! Honestly, outside of the spiders that exist solely for things like Fear Factor and horror movies, it's the largest spider I've ever seen up close. What's weird about it, though, is that it only seems to build a web at night. During the day, it's not there. Or it's hiding. I watched it trap some poor bug the other night. Really fascinating stuff that only shows to you all just how nerdy I am.

I listened to the Feelies' Crazy Rhythms on the way to work this morning. It's a really good album. I hadn't listened to it in quite some time. FYI, JGJR, I really enjoy the songs Loveless Love and Moscow Nights. It gets me that much more excited to see this quasi-reunion at the Knitting Factory next month. You should all check it out yourselves, I suppose, but it's to celebrate downtown living and Howl (by Allen Ginsberg) and it should be really cool. It's August 23rd. It's $12. Antietam is playing, and they never play. So worth your $12!

On the other hand, if you're in Philadelphia, perhaps you'll come see the Drive By Truckers with me tomorrow night? It's all hinging on the weather. I'm just as likely to go home, curl up in a ball, and take a nap. Hot summer days make for lazy summer nights.

Reverse Chronology, Almost.

2005-07-19T15:49:00.000-04:00

So, it's been busy lately. And I'm going to work in reverse. I'm sorry the spacing sucks. Here goes:

Siren Festival. Hot, until it got foggy. The Dears were good. I've only really heard them on the radio. But this guy loves them and I trust his taste. Thankfully he trusts mine too.

Q and not U. D.C. says they should have rocked harder and he might be right. They could have been louder. But I love Q and not U and I'm really sorry that they are breaking up. Plus they gave props to the Shoot the Freak song, which was totally wicked awesome.

Shoot the Freak!

Nah, I couldn't really.

Dungen. I like them. They would probably be better up close and personal, in a venue the size of a closet. I hear they are coming back to Philly and I welcome the occasion of getting to see them again.

I also saw Spoon. Britt's still tall. Don't ask me how all the other bloggers get better pictures. Press passes? Blow jobs? I'm willing to hold hands with Christgau, but that's about it.

Coney Island is full of fun, pizza, arcadery, and things that are bright and shiny and noisy. Thumbs up.

No Blue Bunny spotting gets by me! I love the Bunny!

I also went on vacation recently. Best second date/vacation ever. I got to see Dinosaur Jr, who rock! That, and I've had a crush on Lou Barlow since I was 14, or something ridiculous like that. If all bands would reunite and only play their oldest/best material, we'd all be better for it.

Seriously! 14 years old! I'm really dedicated.

Okay, maybe 15.

I also got to see Yo La Tengo perform their soundtrack to the Sounds of Science. Also the best second date ever. It was a long date. That I could go see Yo La Tengo twice in one week in two totally different settings just proves to me (and therefore YOU) that this band should win prizes and accolades more often.

Sorry I haven't been a better blogger. Go here for some more Dinosaur Jr love. I'm going to see Teenage Fanclub later this week. I'd hold all of their hands, in a big loving circle, in exchange for some good blogger worthy photos.

Sigh. Hi Scotty.

2005-07-08T09:20:00.000-04:00

I miss the gay cabaret.

Philly Phreakout.

2005-07-07T15:48:00.000-04:00

Oh no! I just read on Billboard that Darryl Hall (you know, of Hall and Oates) has Lyme disease. Yes, I read Billboard almost every day, mostly because I get news about Hall and Oates and the Silver Jews all at once. Anyway, perhaps I'm letting the proverbial cat out of the bag, but I like Hall and Oates. Not enough to see them play at Great Adventure, or something like that, but enough to feel nostalgic and warm when Maneater comes on the radio. Or Out of Touch? Yummy!

I'm leaving soon to go on vacation. I'm terribly excited. Obviously, it won't interrupt my sporadic blogging, but I'll be seeing this band and this band.

In other news, I pulled a plastic peanut butter jar off a groundhog's head the other day, surely saving it from an untimely death and restoring my good karma for at least the rest of the week. Animal rescue is not something I usually get to do in Norristown. Normally I just watch 6 year old girls shake their undeveloped asses as they dance on the sidewalk and/or drug deals go down next to my car. Both are equally entertaining. I participate in neither.

Love...

2005-07-06T21:23:00.000-04:00

...is Henry Rollins with puppets.

Midyear muddles.

2005-07-02T18:54:00.000-04:00

Well, All World Cowboy Romance wants to know my top 6 jams of the moment. I think I can come up with 6. People it seems have been making top mid-year lists but there's so much that hasn't come out yet. Like Sufjan Stevens album, which has apparently been delayed for awhile due to some cover art issues (this info from Chromewaves). Okay, here are my six, in no real order.

1. "This Year" by the Mountain Goats
2. "My So-Called Celibate Life" by the Pernice Brothers
3. "Repulsion" by Dinosaur Jr
4. "Mushaboom" by Feist
5. "I Changed by Mind" by Lyrics Born
6. "It's All In My Mind" by Teenage Fanclub

Six is too few. But I currently enjoy all these songs a whole lot.

If I had to pick a video, it would be the new Kanye jam "Diamonds (From Sierra Leone)." Ooh, the eyes on those little kids!

In other mid-year news, I've seen 41 shows this year so far, I'm way ahead of the curve to beat last year's 69 shows.

At last night's birthday party, we struggled to come up with Philadelphia glitterati. You know, famous people that actually live in Philadelphia. All we could do are newscasters and sports stars who live here likely because they have little choice in the matter. Oh, and Ed Bacon. You know, this guy (on the right)...

Sometimes it's nice that Philadelphia has no glitter.

I've given up.

2005-07-01T19:43:00.000-04:00

It's 4:19 PM on a Friday afternoon as I start this - and the thought of doing more work right now isn't sitting so well, so instead of sneaking out early I'm going to stick it out here instead. At least for a little while.

I've had a crazy week, and crazy, I think you know who you are.

Anyway, happy July 4th everyone. July 4th kicks off with an excellent summer concert. Why Philadelphia has to settle for Elton John and the crap that is Live 8 is beyond me, so instead I'm heading to New York to see Yo La Tengo, Sir Stephen Malkmus, and Laura Cantrell. Anyone who knows me at all knows I love Yo La Tengo. I love them so much I emailed them with a song request for Monday because I know they take requests. And you know what?

THEY SAID NO!

If I had to guess, I'd say it was Ira who wrote me back. In any case, I asked for "Let's Get Rid of New York" which is perhaps slightly tacky given the location of the concert but geographically it's right on! And I got a no. So sad. This will not stop me from driving all over this country to see them in the future, at the end of this week, etc.

Grrr.

For those of you in NYC that don't like Yo La Tengo, apparently John Darnielle will be gracing Brooklyn's presence with two short shows followed by cool movies on rooftops? It sounds like fun. Philly folks, you can suffer through Elton without me.

That's right. That's Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston. And apparently he helps her out on the crapper sometimes.

Oh my. Don't know how long this picture will last, but it's a good one.

By request.

2005-06-28T03:20:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I take pictures of other things. This is from Wildwood.

Head of Femur at the First Unitarian Church.

Dead Meadow, this past Friday night, at the Trocadero.

Dreamy Robert Forster standing above me at Southpaw.

More of the Go-Betweens at Southpaw.

It's been raining all night. Sometimes I like zoning out and listening to the rain but tonight it's been drowned out by neighboring air conditioners. Good night.

Freddy was a rock and roll groupie

2005-06-25T11:07:00.000-04:00

Seriously, what's the deal with Fred Armisen? He does this thing where he dresses up and puts on a phony accent and inserts himself in the middle of a concert, for comedic effect.

Don't get me wrong, I like Fred Armisen a lot. He's the closest to indie rock that SNL gets right now, and they seem to let him be as wacky as he wants. But last night, between Dead Meadow and Sleater Kinney's sets, there he was. He put on a fake Spanish accent, took off his glasses, and said something along the lines of "Whee, it's Sleater Kinney!" Seriously, he said no more than 3 or 4 sentences. And then after the show he was out at the merch table. I should have asked for a picture, but all I've got are red blurry ones. Instead, here's some more photography from the last couple of days...

Wilco. They're awesome. Jeff Tweedy told us he had gas, and frankly, it didn't bother me at all.

Ted Leo, was this past Wednesday night. You've already heard all about that.

And with that, I have to go help some people move. And eat breakfast, I'm starving!

More Cowbell!

2005-06-23T12:59:00.000-04:00

Last night's show was terrific. Truly. I thought everyone's sets were spot-on. I thank Devin O'Campo for bringing the rock back into his girlfriend's life. As much as I enjoy Mary Timony's recent past work, it can be rather timid, and in a return to form Ex Hex is a lot of noisy fun. I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.

See, look how cute those two are together. You can stream some Mary Timony and Helium songs at her site, and I'm sure if you scratch your head for a minute or two, you can download them and keep them forever.

Or, you can be really lazy and just do your clicky thing here, get yourself Friend to J.C. straight from the source.

Radio 4, awesome with the cowbell. Anthony didn't wear a cap, but he's still endearing just the same. I thought I heard a new song in there, but since I haven't listened much to their latest album, I can't be sure. I feel like they've perhaps stalled a bit, since Stealing of a Nation didn't take off like it could have. And Ted Leo, he's always great. If his Sunday night show wasn't sold out, I might hang around New York City to see him again. I think it's going to have to wait until August. South Street Seaport, baby!

Tonight: Wilco with My Morning Jacket. I love the noodly Wilco. I hope they noodle all night long.

I saw their bass player, John Stiratt, eating lunch at Zingerman's once. In Ann Arbor. I left the guy alone. I always do, I'm awful with the rock fandom small talk. I've never seen My Morning Jacket but I'm excited to see them too.

Tonight's Got Me Happy

2005-06-22T12:32:00.000-04:00

Tee hee. I'm going to see Ted Leo tonight. I'm very excited! But it's not just for Ted Leo and his Pharmacists, who I've seen a dozen times (and who never disappoint).

It's because I'm seeing Radio 4 too!

Look how cute they are!

Here's their song Eyes Wide Open off their album Gotham (which is far better than their most recent album). It rocks! See you tonight!

2005-06-21T02:25:00.000-04:00

Whoa, here's a far more arty one of the Danielson Family.

Photos From My Recent Past

2005-06-21T02:19:00.000-04:00

Robert Forster of the Go-Betweens

Hey! I took this picture!

This is from the show I recently saw at Southpaw. Robert Forster is so cute!

You know what's not cute? Shows that sell out. I have so little patience for large sweaty crowds. Even when they're sweating for someone like Sam Beam. Sorry! Here's hoping that the Ted Leo show on Wednesday is just me staring at you, Ted.

The best music news I came across today is that John Vanderslice is touring with Portastatic. As much as I adore John Vanderslice, I adore Mac that much more. I inch ever closer to seeing Superchunk in concert. Really, I do.

And, for amusement, this Tom Cruise gets squirted in the face thing is kinda cute.

Playing Catch-Up

2005-06-15T16:01:00.000-04:00

It's been so hot out lately, I've been very uninspired to do anything after I leave work. Which means I have yet to start uploading my own clever photography onto this site. One day though, I promise, the meager few who see this site will be treated to something very special.

I went to see the Go-Betweens on Saturday night. In Brooklyn. I think a show in Philadelphia would have been nice, but since they are Australian and don't tour much, I had to make the effort. I like Brooklyn. Well, I like hanging out in Park Slope. It's pretty and green, there's lots of expensive housing, and it hosts lots of exciting activities while lacking much of Manhattan's pretentiousness.

Anyway, the Go-Betweens are great. They are an underappreciated band with excellent, catchy songs and a back catalog worth purchasing if you haven't already. Their new album, Ocean's Apart, is worth checking out.

Monday night, M.I.A. She was good, but it was hot at Transit, and I couldn't see her. Okay, mostly it was hot. But it was that much better when I was at the Uki and didn't have to be grossed out by other people's sweaty bodies. Spotted there, the awesomeness that is Charles Burns, graphic novelist extraordinaire.

Spotted Charles Burns again last night at the Daniel Clowes lecture at the library. Another hot and sweaty concert after that with Head of Femur, Dr. Dog and Architecture in Helsinki. But I left halfway through AIH's set - too much hotness! All of these bands were really good, but Dr. Dog was really really good. So much better than the last time I saw, a drunken love fest at the Khyber. This time they were sober and it showed. Their songs sound really good with the oomph of a live band. Since they can't play the Peach Pit, I'm pretty sure they are destined for a set on the O.C.

Summertime!

2005-06-03T11:52:00.000-04:00

My summer vacation just got that much cooler. Granted, it's really more like an extended solo road trip. And originally it was all about going to see Yo La Tengo perform the Sounds of Science at MassMOCA, waaaaaay far away in Massachusetts. But now, golly, it's also about seeing Dinosaur Redux in Northampton! It's as close to a hometown Dinosaur Jr show as I'm gonna get, and it means I don't have to see them at the Electric Factory here in Philadelphia.

Because as much as it is about YLT, it's about Lou Barlow. His self-deprecation takes on new meaning when its Dinosaur Jr and they aren't playing anything post-Bug.

Anyway, go here if you'd like to stream some Lou Barlow mp3s. I'm sure there's some way of capturing them but I'll have to figure that out some other time.

Hit Me Baby 1 More Time...

2005-06-03T01:35:00.000-04:00

Wow. This show will revolutionize my summer t.v. watching.
A Flock of Seagulls? Tiffany?
Thank goodness Arrested Development was so awesome, I'm glad they won.

Sometimes it's the art.

2005-06-01T16:05:00.000-04:00

I had a busy weekend. Aside from spending a lovely day in Wildwood with the always bubbly Ryan, I went to NYC to see the Diane Arbus exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I suppose not everyone likes photography or Diane Arbus' photography but I do. Her pictures seem to center around naked people, freaky people, or naked freaky people. The above is of a young boy in Central Park, and my sister proclaimed that she never wants her babies to look like he does. But then a kindly visitor told us that he grew up to be just fine, he just happens to have been photographed with this weird look on his face. So don't fret, folks. He's okay and you're okay too.

In other news, I hate the person or people who broke my car's back windshield. Really, what was the point? My car's not worth stealing. It's an Oldsmobile!

Tonight, I'm wavering as to whether or not I should go see The National. I do really like them, and I like their new album. You'd probably like it too, so check out this song, Slipping Husband.

And, what's up with the lame line up for Philadelphia's Live 8 concert? Philadelphia, the only place in the entire country that gets a show, and I couldn't care at all for any artist playing. Maybe half a care for the Kaiser Chiefs, but they are young and haven't wowed me that much. Thom Yorke, where are you with all your political correctness? You've got this band that would be terrific for a free show in Philadelphia.

Geezer!

2005-05-19T16:21:00.000-04:00

Here's what sitting behind the stage gets you at a U2 show:

Bono uses a teleprompter! Perhaps he really does remember all the lyrics to the songs he sings each night, BUT MAYBE HE DOESN'T! Maybe he's losing it!

Ah, not really. The U2 show was excellent. I can't complain. I got chills. I am very predictable. The three highlights of the show were 1) meeting Dean and Christine, who bought our extra tickets and 2) seeing Sunday Bloody Sunday seamlessly switch into Bullet the Blue Sky (even if they didn't finish singing about slapping them bills down and seeing the fighter planes) and 3) remembering yet again that the Edge is brilliant.

Somehow I missed that Elvis Costello was at the show, and missed that Bono sang some of Pump It Up. But here's the setlist if you're curious:

Main Set: City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo - Stories for Boys - Pump It Up, Elevation, Gloria, The Ocean, Beautiful Day, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky - When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Running to Stand Still, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One

Encore(s): Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, All Because Of You, Yahweh, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Bad - 40

Admittedly, I love Elvis Costello more than U2, but he would have never found his way up to the cheap seats where I was.

So, love Elvis too, and check this cover of Indoor Fireworks by the lovely Laura Cantrell.

I started when I was 10

2005-05-17T16:23:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow night is a big night for me.

I'm going to see U2.

If you put it all together, I've been listening to U2, on and off, officially since I was 10. And 10 was a long time ago. And it's taken me this long to get to go see them. I think the problem here is that I wish I was seeing them circa 1985 and it's 2005. On the other hand, it's that much cooler that they are a bunch of old (relatively speaking) men who don't look too foolish doing what they do. Fools, you know who you are.

Ha! When you're not all listening to U2, perhaps you'd like to listen to Matthew Sweet like I am right now. He writes perfect pop songs, and perhaps released my of my favorite albums ever, Girlfriend. You might argue that his star has faded a bit since then, but I'll tell you that when I went to see him with the Velvet Crush not too long ago, he was totally awesome! And I saw Patrick Berkery there. And Patrick Berkery drums for the Pernice Brothers! Who are all totally awesome themselves. See for yourself, truly.

Stream the new Pernice Brothers album here:
http://www.pernicebrothers.com/av.php

And you can stream various and sundry things related to Matthew Sweet here:
http://www.matthewsweet.com/main.html

I apologize for not having proper mp3s to post - but I'm at work AND it's not like I've got a fervent fan base clamoring for the stuff.

Oh, and P.S. Joe Pernice's new beard is hot! Not necessarily a summertime accessory but hot just the same.

She's a black belt in karate.

2005-05-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

I've seen tons of shows over the last couple of days. But more pressing is that I can't seem to figure out how to add links to this page. I'm working on it. There are lots of things/people/pages I'd like to link to, but that'll have to happen later.

The show recap:

1. Last night. Deerhoof and the Danielson Famile. Apparently their last appearance as the Danielson Famile. They're cute, in their costumes and such. Deerhoof was awesome and loud.

2. Saturday night. 2 shows. Show 1 was Russian Futurists, Junior Boys, and Caribou. This show was 100 kinds of cool. Junior Boys were totally amazing, despite their moans and groans about the pa. And Caribou, they sound great, they played a really loud set and I'm definitely enjoying their new album all the more for it. And with that, what's up Canada? You continue to export all this really awesome music and now all I can do is count the days until the Canadian consulate puts on their annual blowout in Prospect Park (June 25th. New Pornographers, Sadies and Stars.) Show 2 was Okkervil River and Earlimart. Everyone was there to see Okkervil River, who are good, but not nearly as good and grizzled as Earlimart. I like the grizzle! The Khyber was really crowded but cleared out for Earlimart. Inexplicable, really.

Check that grizzle!

3. Friday night. Bardo Pond! I love this band. I've decided they are a band's band. You know, the kind of band that your favorite musicians say they are big fans of...blah blah blah. Doesn't matter, I love 'em anyway. I hope they play out more, because this was their first show in awhile and they really didn't play all that long. But they sounded amazing. Even without Clint Takeda (yeah, I notice these things).

In other news, I bought a digital camera this weekend, and took pictures of most of these shows. When I advance far enough to download these photos, I will try to post them. But first I have to catch up on back episodes of Everwood and the Joe Strummer documentary I taped the other week.

I'm sorry!

2005-05-03T16:24:00.000-04:00

You know, posting to this on a regular basis can be hard. Not as in, challenging to my mind hard. But difficult to do on a regular basis. Stuff gets in the way, right? I suppose you could go in two different directions. There are blogs I read everyday, and I know there will be a new post by a certain time every morning. Or there are blogs which post irregularly, and then I hope and hope and hope and wait for new items to show up. This blog definitely falls into irregular.

So, today's band to hype is Battles. I saw them open up for Prefuse 73 last night. Prefuse 73 was good, but Battles was really good. Good in a post-rock jams sort of way. No singing, just intense jams. It's the kind of thing that would probably drive most of my friends crazy, but you (yeah, you!) the discerning listener will enjoy it. I'd post an mp3 for you but all I can find is the streaming variety. You'll have to do the hunting yourself.

In other news, Wilco is finally gracing Philadelphia's presence. This is good news, but I imagine a ticket will cost me big dollars. My Morning Jacket opens the show, June 23rd, at not-nearly-as-awful-as-it-could-be Penn's Landing.

Also, if there's anybody out there who cares, please save the one mature, meant for adults show that I watch - Arrested Development.

One more thing. I bought a ticket to see The Go-Betweens in Brooklyn at the start of June...but it occurred to me this morning that most fabulous novelist Jonathem Lethem might be there. I know he loves this band. I know he must reside in the NYC area. Certainly if this happened, it would be one of those occasions where I drool and think about dorky things to say and inevitably say nothing at all.

So Much For More Sleep

2005-04-26T02:47:00.000-04:00

So, I didn't go see Damien Jurado, which of course I regret. Because it's easy to regret things in one's past. I like the guy so much, but I was yawning by 9 PM. Which means no concerts. Alas, I did make up for it by seeing Superwolf the next night. Superwolf on a Friday also brings on major yawns because Will Oldham is so mellow and slow and slow and mellow. But he, along with Matt Sweeney of Chavez and Zwan apparently, make for a good combination. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you like your Friday night jams slow.

This weekend I also managed to check out "Sin City" - finally! For some reason, I'm always behind the curve on movies but I have wanted to see this for awhile. It was great! So it was violent and bloody and full of nudity and whatnot. But that's what makes movies adapted from comic books great.

Other things that are great:

The flurry of Buffalo Tom torrents on dimeadozen
Water ice season is upon us
Getting to hear the new Pernice Brothers album before drooling all over Joe Pernice on Saturday night! Yay!

Tonight's the night for Damien!

2005-04-21T16:07:00.000-04:00

I'm hoping to go see Damien Jurado tonight at the Khyber. I've been listening to him for what seems like ages, and I was trying to remember how I got hooked on him. I think...maybe he opened up for someone many many years ago at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor? And I liked his set? Doesn't really matter now. He's got a spiffy new album out called On My Way to Absence that I'd definitely recommend. His past albums have been a lot more hushed/quiet/folky but lately he's been rocking out more.

Try this one out if you're curious. It's Prices, off his new album. And don't be scared off by that mean look on his face. I know it looks like he could kick your butt - but he's not gonna!

In other news, I came across this funny site. http://www.indietits.com
It's not what it seems. It's a cartoon about birds! Ha ha!

Damon and Naomi

2005-04-20T16:18:00.000-04:00

On Monday night I went to see Damon and Naomi...who were great, as usual. It's too bad there were so few people at the show, because I think they are an underappreciated act. Anyway, Damon and Naomi are 2/3 of what remains of Galaxie 500 (the other third being Dean Wareham, of recently disbanded Luna). Even more exciting than being at the Damon and Naomi show was that they played "Blue Thunder" - a Galaxie 500 hit if you will - as a lark, they said. I've only been waiting for 10 years for that to happen, lark or not. Playing with them on this tour is their friend Kurihara from Ghost. I know that he can really play guitar, so it's too bad that he doesn't get more of a chance to, I don't know, let loose or something like that.

So go check them out! They are headed west and then to Europe. And before you go, you can listen to this - Beautiful Close Double - from their new album, The Earth is Blue.

My So-Called Secret Blog!

2005-04-19T12:12:00.000-04:00

I have a blog and no one knows it! That alone seems counterintuitive to the whole idea of blogging. But whatever - sooner or later that won't matter, right?

Maybe you're wondering why I've got this blog, or why I'm so slow to get myself one? All I wanted to do was leave a comment at good ol' Jason Brody's blog and then I had to register. Which gave me this blog. Plus I'm always reading other people's blogs, especially ones that deal with music, and well, why not.

The Sad Stars part? It comes from the Crooked Fingers setlist that hangs in front of me at work. So thanks Eric Bachmann - you've provided lots of fodder for high school yearbook quotes and now this!