Friday, March 31, 2006

In the famous words of the great Ali G: I didn't realize you was a playa hata

Don't date him girl, a website for agry women to destroy men's reputations everywhere. What is next? Could angry employers be next with their own version, "Don't hire him bourgeois"?

Thursday, March 30, 2006

The Walkman's first piano sold for over a grand on ebay


This dilapidated piano was featured on the Walkmen's earlier recordings and they also took it on tour with them for years. They sold it on ebay despite the fact that it is no longer in playing condition. I recall seeing this piano on stage when I saw them perform years ago.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

The first tortoise album was the original recipe


I bought it back in '98 from the used bin of Park Ave CD's for $7.98. I was going to buy a new copy but Park Ave had such friendly customer service back then they found me a less expensive alternative. The CD was unscathed so I proceeded to buy it... I miss the customer service of the south!
The first five tracks of this self-titled debut are powerful reminders that musical landscapes can be created outside of pre-existing formulas. I was highly influenced by this CD in the late 90's. This was a time when post-rock was the most innovative direction of the indie rock scene and bands such as The Sea and Cake, Tortoise, Stereolab, Yo La Tengo and Trans Am were crafting some of the most layered and expressive music of the time.
Magnet Pulls Through is the first track, it introduces the world to Tortoise's instrumental music with a mellow beat and repeating patterns laced on top. The bass guitar work is especially noteworthy not so much for technical prowess as for emphasis on the rythem and melody. You can tell there are many influences being sighted here, from jazz to krautrock, yet the result is unmistakeably their own sound; simplified yet effective, predictable yet pleasant.
Night Air slows down even further as people used to higher beats per minute will soon realize the title of the band implies more than just a name. There are slight vocals on this track, not sure if it is John Mcentire or Bundy K. Brown but it does seem sythesised and all you can make out of the lyrics is "nitroglycerin."
Ry Cooder is deceptive because it begins as a "start and stop" rhythmic pattern but soon dissolves into the funkiest beat on the album. This track is as close to Eleventh Dream Day as Tortoise gets. The Ry cooder track alone probably spawned off dozens of imitation math rock bands due to its pseudo improvisation combined with seldom then used acoustic instruments such as vibraphone (see Mercury Program, Euphone, Dianogah).
Onions Wrapped in Rubber is the least accessible of the first five, but you should still hear it. There are analog electronic sounds which are not easily recognizable, but when I was younger I could sometimes hear a ringing in my ear similar to the acoustic occurrences produced here. It's mechanically eerie, like sounds emanating from an adjacent room somewhere, but in a good way.
The Onions track then melts into Tin Cans and Twine, the feel good track of the album, track five. A soothing, yet melodic baseline keeps time as the drums come in on top of the beat and together they synchronize a chorus and then a breakdown section just to repeat again in an all-to-elegant fashion.
It is now 2006 that I am writing this and the first five tracks of Tortoise's self titled debut are a fresh now as they were then. This album was recorded in 1993 for Thrill Jockey, release 013. The orignal lineup of tortoise was their best:

Douglas McCombs - Bass, Bass 6, Guitar, Lap Steel
John Herndon - Drums, Vibes, Keyboards, Sequencing
Dan Bitney - Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Vibes, Marimba, Keyboards
John McEntire - Drums, Modular Synthesizer, Ring Modulator Guitar, Electric Harpsichord, Keyboard
Bundy K. Brown - bass guitar

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Oh Pat Metheny, you're too funny!

This may be old news to some, but every time I need a good chuckle, I read up on how much Pat Metheny does not care for Kenny G's musicianship. I suppose the intent of the article was all too serious, but for some reason it make me laugh every time.

note: I am more of fan of Pat's writing than his music, but that is besides the point ;)

Larry Brown in a Different Light

This writer carries a voice seldom heard amongst the NYC newspapers. Apparently I have to read a California based newspaper to gain insight as to why the Knicks are so horrible this year.
It is just impossible to believe that a team with this much talent and potential could have lost so many games this season. Even if there is no chemistry whatsoever, there should have been some semblance of a rotation, instead of 40 different starting lineups (depending on which player's home town they were in). I still have hope for next year, but whoever gets dealt this summer is probably going to unjustly blamed for this season's failures.

Recent acquisitions: Tom Vek, Arctic Monkeys, YYY's

I was in the neighborhood of World Financial Center today so I couldn't help but stop by to take a look at what J&R Music World had to offer, and I picked these three up:

tom vek -British indie rocker's debut album. It is rumored that until recently, Tom's music had been recorded in his parent's garage using reel-to-reel technology.

arctic monkeys - The lads from Sheffield, England's debut is about all I can hear of this band since all their North American tour dates have been sold out for months. Like Vek it is the band's debut album. They tore it up on SNL, so I'm sure they'd be a good band live.

yeah yeah yeah's $2 single for Gold Lion -new album to be released at the end of March 2006

Full album reviews to come at some point, once I get this stuff onto the ol' iPod.

Knick's Frye injured against Toronto

I was at the garden tonight for this game which was unfortunate in many ways, most notably because rookie power forward Channing Frye sprained his knee due to a wildly unnecessary play started by Nate Robinson. I am one of Nate's biggest fans, but when I saw this go down at MSG, it seemed to me Nate was out of control when he hacked former Knick Andre Barrett, who was forced to fall on to Frye. Just from the look of the impact the whole crowd knew something serious had happened.
Aside from that ugly play, the knicks had every opportunity to win the game but did not due to lack of defensive rebounding, perimeter defense and, yes, missed free throws.

Monday, March 20, 2006

the bamboo bike


very interesting. i've seen bamboo handlebars before but a bamboo frame with carbon lugs?

this past weekend

This weekend was Stereolab at Town Hall, this weekend was Via Bicycles on South Street, this weekend was Harmony Vegetarian restaurant in Philadelphia, this weekend was AKA records on 2nd street in Philadelphia, this weekend was the acquisition of Stop Making Sense on DVD. Clearly this weekend was good.

Quote of the day - motivational

It is not your aptitude but your attitude that determines your altitude.
-unknown

Thursday, March 16, 2006

just keeps getting worse

I give up. I simply can't understand what is going on with this team anymore. Too much drama, speculation, controversy. The egos, the money, the poor fans who have to endure this nightmare season.
Stop feeding fire to the media!

March Madness

perhaps the bomb sniffing dog just wanted a hotdog?

Lollapalooza 2006 August 4-6 Chicago

This lineup is pretty sick. The questions remains, will I have my bike rack with me in case I drive to this?
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Kanye West
Manu Chao
Wilco
Death Cab For Cutie
The Raconteurs
The Flaming Lips
Ween
Queens of the Stone Age
The Shins
Common

Matisyahu
Ryan Adams
Umphrey's McGee
Sonic Youth
Thievery Corporation
Sleater-Kinney
Nickel Creek
Blues Traveler
Broken Social Scene
The New Pornographers
Iron & Wine

Poi Dog Pondering
Coheed And Cambria
The Secret Machines
Eels
Panic! At the Disco
The Disco Biscuits
She Wants Revenge
The Dresden Dolls
Reverend Horton Heat
The Smoking Popes

Andrew Bird
Gnarls Barkley
Stars
Cursive

Blackalicious
Editors
Lyrics Born
Lady Sovereign
Hard-Fi
Calexico
Nada Surf
Feist

Aqualung
The Frames
The Hold Steady
The Go! Team
Mates of State
Pepper
Particle
The Redwalls
Mute Math
Wolfmother
Sparta
The Subways
Of Montreal
Blue October
Jeremy Enigk
Living Things
Sound Team
The M's
Hot Chip
The Benevento-Russo Duo
Matt Costa
The New Amsterdams
deadboy & the Elephantmen
Sybris
Anathallo
The Burden Brothers
What Made Milwaukee Famous
Manishevitz
Husky Rescue
The Towers of London
Ohmega Watts
Boy Kill Boy
Jim Noir
The Standard
Be Your Own Pet
Elvis Perkins
Trevor Hall
Midlake

I just hope they don't invite Beck because that fucker will cancel on a festival at the last minute. A three day pass is $130. They're advertising it as $1 per band. Price will go up as time elapses -
time elapsing through the sound of you;
and the things we could do
just think of the master
trying to fool the blastman
check the cards at the table
scream softly you are able
to see the sign of thine self as
throughout the ages of time
things u thought weren't going to
climb the mountain
see the sun
touch the waves of the earth
feel the grass softly
and don't think for the one you know
i am - screaming backward in the sand
hey, dude, he's the stallion
>>>
Sorry, I was reminded of ween lyrics from pure guava. If previous shows are any indication there will be public nudity during the ween set.

Quote of the day - J Krishnamurti

"Our minds are conditioned by formulas: my experiences, my knowledge, my family, my country, like and dislike, hate, jealousy, envy, sorrow, the fear of this and the fear of that. That is a circle, the wall behind which I live. And I am not only afraid of what is within, but even more so of what is beyond the wall. One can observe this fact very simply in oneself without having to read a great many books, study philosophy and all the rest of it. It may very well be because one reads so much of what others have said that one knows nothing about oneself. If we looked in ourselves, ignoring what we think we should be but seeing what we actually are, then, perhaps, we would discover for ourselves the existence of these formulas and concepts - which are really prejudices and bias - that divide man against man, there is fear and conflict - not only the conflict of sexual rights, of territorial rights, but also the conflict between what has been, is and what should be."

-J Krishnamurti during talks at Stanford University published in 1972's You are the World

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

I almost died three times today






Today I had some errands to run in the city so I took my beater nishiki fixie for a spin sans a front brake. What fun it was to be blown around town riding in the cold wind! Those city buses really do make commuting interesting for cyclists. Just stay out of their bus lane or they'll literally take a swipe at you for being in the way. My stops included picking up some tickets at town hall (43rd street) and my Tuesday visit to the library (5th ave). I scored some new books that I've been searching for -nice to finally pick them up. Outside the bank some schmo had trouble locking up his 61cm '05 chrome bianchi pista track bike. It looked pretty cool, he did have a front brake on there.
I must stop using my phone for blog purposes, I have a digicam that is perfectly capable of making some decent posts. I always leave it at home, then when I'm out and suddenly find something interesting, I'm stuck with the nokia shots.
the first two were taken while on the west side highway bike path, there is a very provocative design being implemented and I thought I'd share it here. I trust it not to be but the building looks statically indeterminate like a shanty built from a deck of cards before a gust of wind stops by to say hello. Built to Spill, if you will. Perhaps that's what ol' Frank Gehry was going for at the time. There is a similar, if not more linear apartment building, at the center of Astor Place already complete with bourgeois tenants.
the third photo is also along the west side highway (I find I don't have to stop to take the photo, just pedal and balance with one hand on the bars, the other to click to shot) further down by chelsea, last time I rode this bike path I could have sworn there were only two of these buildings but now they seem to be multiplying. I suppose they're chic because they're nearly all glass apartment buildings where people can look inside and see you being all affluent and post modern. It is an envious location in manhattan if for no other reason there are no buildings to the west due to the Hudson's presence, and, since the enclosure is all glass, there must be tons of natural light inside these expensive apartments.
also included: a photo of my nishiki near West 29th street.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Another Guarantee: Knicks Won't Be Last

In years past, Ewing has guaranteed playoff victories and championships, and at the start of this season Marbury guaranteed the Knicks would make the playoffs this year (although that was before Larry Brown signed on as coach). None of those promises were ever realized.

I, chainbreaker aka Kenny guarantee NY will not finish last this season. Don't ask me how, I just know it. Watching last nights game on TIVO, it seems like Brown is doing some kind of extended try-outs for the rest of this season, switching from Malik Rose to David Lee, not a single player on the Knicks is certain if they will ever get any consistent minutes. Brown blew this season as if it were 82 games of preseason. This approach can't be good for a team trying to avoid finishing at the rock bottom of the league, but this team has WAY TOO MUCH talent to let Charlotte (a team whose starting five this year would come of the bench for most teams) finish ahead of them. Brown, just pick any eight guys and give them consistent minutes for the remainder of this awefully embarrasing season and watch: they will not finish last and as a result Chicago will not get the first pick in the draft.

Want another guarantee? How about a first round knock out to gimps Kidd and Carter and the Nets? You heard it here first. First place with a record just above 500, sorry ass Nets.

Steph just interviewed for another NY/NJ paper yesterday as saying he has been someone else this year and not himself. I can't belive with all the talk of being a better team this year that he is still focusing on his numbers and performance instead of getting his team to perform better. I don't know what will happen here, they've already got Francis here to possibly replace Steph and so far this season Brown has sparingly played them together. I want Steph to stay but at least two of the following must be moved this summer since there is only one basketball to go around:

Nate Robinson
Jamal Crawford
Jalen Rose
Stephon Marbury
Steve Francis
Quentin Richardson

I wish they'd keep all those players and just trade heartless Curry, but that isn't going to happen. Hopefully its just Nate and Jamal that leave but if Marbury still doesn't buy into sacrificing for TEAM victories, he probably will get moved, especially with the shoulder injury this year.

NYC: Five Boro Bike Tour

So this year's five boro bike tour will be held on May 7th 2006. Registration and more info can be found at bike new york's website. You don't need much to ride, about 40 for the entrance fee and a helmet -they won't let your ride without one. The ride is about 42 miles, 3 or 4 optional stops where they have water and fruit to keep you going. I'm definitely riding a fixed again this year, just not sure which fixie at this point. It is really fantastic because they close major rodes for this event, so it is really a car-free experience of New York City's streets and highways. So far my homie Matt from Boston shall join me for our second tour of NYC's Five boros. Last year's was fun, hopefully this year will be even better -both in terms of better weather and more ferries running from Staten Island to Battery Park. I have hope about the ferries! If there is another major problem with the ferries, I think we'll take our chances braving the frightful Bayonne Bridge by bike to get to back to my hood.
Comments taken from another site on the Bayonne Bridge:

"The Jersey side of the Bayonne Bridge crossing is the most dangerous thing that I have ever seen. Cannot believe that there is no physical barrier between the path and the long, deadly stairs. Rumble strips or speed bumps would be better than nothing. Because people do, and should, bike this path ( despite the PA policy ) ...one miscalculation, and serious injury/death awaits on those stairs."

I love that quote -so hilarious and scary at the same time. Well, we may be up for the challange because last year we waited hours for that ferry to arrive.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

President Bush's Smokescreen Worked

Just a theory, but perhaps all ol' George W. ever wanted was for the patriot act to be passed again. His administration's train of thought could have been something like this:

1. Increase fear and paranoia about terrorism by seeming to support the Arabic Dubai company's management of US ports.

2. Pass the patriot act since we'll need it to "watch suspected terrorists."

3. Scare (or buy) off said Dubai company. This news comes literally hours after the patriot act was again passed by congress, George with pen in hand ready to sign. Coincidence? Perhaps.

George W. gets what he wants, and the people of the U.S., what do they get? Oh yeah, more spying by big brother, who is probably already aware of this blog post courtesy of the patriot act.

Thanks George W!

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Rate your professors

I'm sure most everyone knows of this site where you can rate your college professors, I was just surprised by the number of overall frownies the college of engineering received at UCF. Okay, perhaps not too suprised after all.

Breath through your stomach

that's what my sax teacher always said.
perhaps he was right.

Draw a PIG

http://www.freaknfunny.com/files/upload/draw-a-pig.swf
(this is a psych test that attempts to tell you something about yourself at the end)
(seems to work better with internet explorer rather than mozilla firefox)
I should have saved my drawing my pig was looking good!

It is not improvement

Considering the talent level and the coaching staff (I can think of no other team that has seven coaching assistants plus a hall of fame coach), NY's two game road win streak comes more as a relief than a surprise.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they won, I simply expect them to win some games. And though Brown purposefully destroyed the Knicks with 40 different starting lineups this season so that he could later build back up their confidence, this team is better than the Media permits. And if you want to start pointing fingers to explain the fact that Conan O'Brian and Tina Fey's jokes are regularly directed at New York's current basketball misery, blame underachieving, over-rated, sorry ass, pre-game mcnugget eating Curry for not living up to his potential due to a simple deficiency in effort. Blame Larry for his failure to recognize that David Lee is better than both Mo Taylor and Qyntel Woods. Do not blame Stephon, who seems to be on his way out of Gotham now that both players and coaches no longer have his back (thanks Steven A!). Finally, do not blame Isiah, who has put together a roster of incredible talent albeit mismatched and devoid of chemistry -that is until about four games ago.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Weekend recap

So this weekend we went to see the Planet Smashers play in Montclair, it was a great show. I think the top two ska bands (and I've seen my share of Skee-yah) I've ever seen would have to be The Slackers and The Planet Smashers. The Montclair cafe/venue was a little drab, no booze and mostly high school kids, but it was nice to know there actually are venues in NJ to visit. We spoke to the lead singer/guitarist of the Planet Smashers while Robin bought her t-shirt, he seemed nice though I could not hear anything he said. The last time we saw them was at Knitting Factory during last year's blizzard -I remember riding my fixie to the show from World Trade Center. I couldn't see three feet in front of me with the blinding snow coming from all directions. There were a bunch of hoodlems horsing around behind me as I rode my bike slowly in the street (I had to experiment with slicks in winter conditions, admittedly a failed experiment) and I knew they were going to see the same show. Music lovers will endure virtually anything to see their bands perform.
The place was packed and the only bathroom in the entire place (which we were advised to avoid using at all costs) was right next to the front stage and indeed had no doorlock on it. After a few bands it got kind of hot in there, and before long it started smelling like teen spirit. I remember seeing a tattoo: "One Life, One Chance." We bolted right after the Smashers finished their highly entertaining set. The next generation of ska kids and punks started chanting "one more song," then the lead singer got back on stage to remind them they had a show in NYC tomorrow. I thought that was kind of a cold, yet amusing way of saying no. Montreal people are perhaps more direct than their American counterparts.
While we were in Montclair, we had lunch at a vegetarian deli that reminded me of the inside of a Florida gas station and then stumbled upon Montclair Book Center. I had no idea New Jersey had these kinds of resources available! This book store rivals ANY book store I've seen in NY or Florida, they have new and used sections, it was just a great place to spend a few hours while waiting for a show to begin. I don't know if the website does it any justice. It was kind of like discovering that old lady's house in fahrenheit 451 or perhaps like the first time walking into AKA records in Philadelphia (replace cd's with books). It's kind of mind boggling at first, then you're just so glad to be there. For me, the Strand is kind of uncomfortable. This place feels just right and reminds me of how much I enjoyed going to Mandala books in Daytona Beach during my college days. I picked up a used copy of High Fidelity and a new copy of please kill me, which I intend to begin after finishing all my library books.
Also, the Knicks won for once, so it was indeed a good weekend.

...
The internet, it seems, is equal parts dream world, over-sized bumper sticker, digital macro-encyclopedia, big brother government spy tool and global tin cans and twine (though now wireless in Starbucks).

Saturday, March 04, 2006

March Shows

I tried not to include sold out shows, but as you know: this is NYC, and its tough to keep up with all the kids buying everything up. For the extreme, I've also listed below the alternate dates for some of the sold out New York shows. Shows in bold indicate possible chainbreaker appearances.

Sat 3/04 8:00 PM Smoking Popes, Bayside, Eyes Like Knives Northsix
Planet Smashers 03.04.06 Montclair, NJ Bloomfield Cafe
Planet Smashers 03.05.06 New York, NY The Continental
Planet Smashers 03.06.06 Lowell, MA VPAC - University of Mass
Wed 3/08 8:00 PM The Wedding Present, Sally Crew and The Sudden MovesBowery Ballroom 21+ $16
Wed 3/08 8:00 PM Nada Surf, Rogue Wave, Inara GeorgeBowery Presents @ Webster Hall 18+ $20
Thu 3/09 8:00 PM Mike LaddThe Kitchen All Ages $8a/$10d
Fri 3/10 6:00 PM Metric, Islands (ex-Unicorns), Men, Women and ChildrenBowery Presents @ Webster Hall 16+ $20
Fri 3/10 8:00 PM Les Sans CulottesMagnetic Field 21+ $6 (don't know if the band is any good but I like the name)
Fri 3/10 8:00 PM Early Man, Priestess, The SwordNorthsix 18+ $10a/$12d
Sat 3/11 9:00 PM The Cloud Room, Film School, The Big SleepMercury Lounge 21+ $12
Sun 3/12 4:00 PM Film SchoolSoundfix Records All Ages free
Mon 3/13 7:30 PM Isobel Campbell (of Belle & Sebastian)Joe's Pub All Ages $15
Mon 3/13 8:00 PM Tall Firs, Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the RadioTonic 18+ $8
Wed 3/15 8:00 PM Isobel Campbell (of Belle & Sebastian)Southpaw 18+ $13
Fri 3/17 8:30 PM Elysian FieldsTonic 18+ $12a/$15d
Fri 3/17 8:00 PM StereolabTown Hall All Ages $25
3/186:00 PMSilver Jews, Tammy Faye Starlite, John TullyBowery Presents @ Webster Hall 18+ $20
Sat 3/18 8:30 PM Jenny Lewis, The Watson TwinsIrving Plaza 16+ $19
Sat 3/18 8:00 PM StereolabTown Hall All Ages $25
Sun 3/19 8:30 PM Jenny Lewis, The Watson TwinsIrving Plaza 16+ $19
Sun 3/19 7:30 PM Sam Prekop (of The Sea & Cake), Archer PrewittSouthpaw 18+ $15
Mon 3/20 8:00 PM Michael Stipe, Rufus Wainwright, Bright Eyes, Fischerspooner, Peaches, Chuck D, Devendra BanhartHammerstein Ballroom(Bring Em Home Now Benefit Concert) All Ages $28
Tue 3/21 8:00 PM Matt Pond PA, Youth Group, Blood FeathersNorthsix 18+ $12
Wed 3/22 9:00 PM Camera Obscura, Maria Taylor of Azure Ray, 13 GhostsKnitting Factory(Main Space) All Ages $14

Mar-23-06 Animal Collective $20 WEbster
Fri 3/24 6:30 PM 30 Seconds To Mars, Aiden, EmanuelAvalon 16+ $15
Fri 3/24 8:00 PM Detachment Kit, Foreign Islands, The Big Sleep, Goes CubeBrooklyn Lyceum(Oh My Rockness' March Radness Party) 18+ $10
Sun 3/26 7:00 PM Stellastarr*Bowery Ballroom 18+ $15
Sun 3/26 7:00 PM Stellastarr*Bowery Ballroom 18+ $15
Tue 3/28 7:30 PM Magic Numbers, The ElectedBowery Presents @ Webster Hall 18+ $22a/$25d
Tue 3/28 8:00 PM Stellastarr*, Editors Warsaw Not Specified $17.50
Thu 3/30 10:30 PMI Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, Hail Social, BlacklistMercury Lounge 21+ $10a/$12d Buy Tickets
Sat 4/01 8:00 PM The Pretenders Irving Plaza 16+ $50 (Geez)
Tue 4/04 9:00 PM She Wants Revenge, Astra Heights, Nightmare of YouIrving Plaza 16+ $16.50
Tue 4/04 7:00 PM The Stills, The Sam Roberts Band, Favourite SonsMercury Lounge 21+ $15
Tue 4/04 8:00 PM Mice Parade Southpaw 18+ $10
Thu 4/06 8:00 PM Sondre Lerche, Tracy Bonham Bowery Ballroom 18+ $20
Thu 4/06 7:00 PM Neko Case, Martha Wainwright Bowery Presents @ Webster Hall 18+ $20a/$23d
Fri 4/07 7:00 PM Neko Case, The High DialsBowery Presents @ Webster Hall 18+ $20a/$23d
Fri 4/07 8:00 PM The Hold Steady Warsaw 16+ $16.50
Sat 4/08 8:00 PM Oneida, Parts and Labor, The Ex-Models, Kyp Malone (of TV on the Radio), The Good GoodNorthsix 16+ $8
Mon 4/10 7:30 PM Wolf Parade, Holy Fuck, Besnard LakesBowery Presents @ Webster Hall 16+ $17
Tue 4/11 8:00 PM Beth Orton, Willy MasonBowery Presents @ Webster Hall 18+ $23a/$25d
Tue 4/11 American Princes, MidstatesMaxwell's All Ages $7
Wed 4/12 8:00 PM Mates of StateBowery Ballroom 18+ $16
Thu 4/13 6:00 PM Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab For Cutie, The CribsHammerstein Ballroom Not Specified $40
Fri 4/14 6:00 PM Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab For Cutie, The CribsHammerstein Ballroom Not Specified $40
Fri 4/14 9:00 PM Eleventh Dream Day, Antietam, The Red Eyed LegendsMercury Lounge 21+ $14
Sat 4/15 9:00 PM Ladytron Irving Plaza 16+ $19.50
Sun 4/16 8:00 PM Owen, William Elliott Whitmore, The Snake, The Cross, The CrownKnitting Factory(Main Space) All Ages $10
Mon 4/17 7:30 PM Alkaline Trio, Against Me!Avalon 16+ $18
Thu 4/20 8:00 PM Robert Pollard Irving Plaza 16+ $20a/$25d
Thu 4/27 7:30 PM John VandersliceMercury Lounge 21+ $12
Fri 4/28 8:00 PM John VandersliceSouthpaw 18+ $12
4/29 Fruit Bats Maxwells $12
Tue 5/02 8:00 PM Thursday, Minus the Bear, Mewithoutyou, We're All BrokenIrving Plaza 16+ $20
Tue 5/02 6:45 PM Yeah Yeah YeahsRoseland Ballroom All Ages $28
Wed 5/03 8:00 PM Built To Spill, Camper Van BeethovenIrving Plaza 16+ $22
Thu 5/04 8:00 PM Built To Spill, Camper Van BeethovenIrving Plaza 16+ $22
Fri 5/05 8:00 PM Built To Spill, Camper Van BeethovenIrving Plaza 16+ $22

Sat 5/06 8:00 PM Clem Snide (Solo), Damien JuradoMercury Lounge 21+ $13
Tue 5/09 8:00 PM PinbackNorthsix 18+ $16a/$18d
Sat 5/13 8:00 PM Pretty Girls Make Graves, Giant DragIrving Plaza 16+ $15.75a/$17d
Wed 5/17 8:00 PM Elefant, Sound TeamBowery Presents @ Webster Hall 18+ $18a/$20d

Sold Out Alternatives---------

The Subways
Fri 03/03/06 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
Sat 03/04/06 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Tue 03/07/06 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Wed 03/08/06 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club / Lounge
Thu 03/09/06 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa

Silver Jews
Fri 03/17/06 New York, NY Webster Hall
Sat 03/18/06 New York, NY Webster Hall
Sun 03/19/06 Cambridge, MA Middle East Club
Tue 03/21/06 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
Wed 03/22/06 Baltimore, MD Ottobar

Arctic Monkeys
Wed 03/22/06 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
Thu 03/23/06 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club / Lounge
Sat 03/25/06 New York, NY Webster Hall
Sun 03/26/06 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
Mon 03/27/06 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

Ted Leo + RX
Fri 03/03/06 Providence, RI Living Room
Sat 03/04/06 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club / Lounge
Sun 03/05/06 New Haven, CT Toad's Place
Mon 03/06/06 Rochester, NY Bug Jar
Fri 03/24/06 Washington, DC Black Cat
Sat 03/25/06 Richmond, VA Tyler Hanes Commons
Sun 03/26/06 New York, NY Knitting Factory

Snow Patrol
Sat 03/25/06 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club / Lounge

Stellastarr*/Editors
Tue 03/28/06 Brooklyn, NY Warsaw
at 04/01/06 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero & Balcony Bar
Sun 04/02/06 Baltimore, MD Sonar

Wolf Parade
Fri 04/07/06 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club / Lounge
Sat 04/08/06 Providence, RI Lupo's At The Strand
Sun 04/09/06 New York, NY Webster Hall
Mon 04/10/06 New York, NY Webster Hall
Tue 04/11/06 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of Living Arts
Wed 04/12/06 Washington, DC Black Cat

Clap your hands say yeah
Tue 03/07/06 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of Living Arts
Wed 03/08/06 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Wed 04/12/06 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club / Lounge

Friday, March 03, 2006

YO LA TENGO means I GOT IT!

So one of my all time favorite bands for the past decade has been Yo La Tengo. Every year YLT appears on Jersey City's eclectic WFMU for their fund drive. Requests are taken live from callers who have the most random shit they ask YLT to play unrehearsed. This year's fundraiser is March 7th, 8pm - 11pm. If you are not in the NYC area you can stream WFMU real time in various ways by clicking here. WFMU also happens to be one of the most archived radio stations of all time so if you have the interest you can probably dig around and find steams of previous YLT fund raiser request shows.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Knicks looked good in tonight's loss versus Memphis

The NY Knicks may have lost the last 21 out their last 23 games, but I saw tremendous progress in tonight's loss to the the Grizzlies, and I view this loss actually as a win because the team played together, shared the ball and made the extra pass while playing solid defense despite coming up short(literally short as stephon gave up nearly a foot defending Gasol during that last shot)at the very end of the game.
Tonight we finally saw the Steph that dominated during that 6 game win streak in January. Because of Steph's injury dealt by dirty Wally Szerbiak's moving pick, I take tonight's game as the first real game with the backcourt of Steph and Steve Francis. All the doubters and haters take heed that this backcourt may very well work afterall:
Stephon Marbury 25points(8-11fg)13a 1st 1to
Steve Francis 19points 5a 2st
Obviously there are a glut of guards on this team. I once thought that Q should be traded due his bad back and limited mobility but I've a newfound respect for Quentin since he brings defensive effort to the knicks everynight. We need him to guard the players that are Kobe's size, Vince Carter's size. Orginally Brown thought that Ariza could do this but now he's gone so we do need Q. Its just too bad he can't make a shot during a home game. He does shoot much better on the road though.
It seems clear to me now that the Seattle backcourt of Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford should both be moved this summer. I love both players but obviously there are too many guards and not enough shot blockers on this team.
I should say there are no shot blockers on this team. Lazy, underachieving Eddy Curry is more of a baby Oliver Miller than a Baby Shaq. I would trade him in a heartbeat for a player like Kevin Garnett. Channing is great in all aspects except shot blocking, and Jackie Butler is too young to garner serious minutes from veteran loving Brown. Jerome James is the most expensive bench warmer in history and I can only hope he gets on a diet this summer so perhaps he can play 15mpg next season off the bench and give us a block or so per game. We need Theo ratliff or Darius or Joel przybilla or one of those portland guys (they must lead the league in shot blocking, right?)on our team to seal up the middle and leave the guards on the perimeter to take bad shots instead of wide open ones.
I liked the two man game tonight between Steph and Qyntel Woods, that was really fun to watch with the perfect alley oops and give and go plays.
Larry Brown, how can you ignore David Lee at this point? If Ariza's departure can be justified it is my hope that it was to get Lee more minutes at the three. The man can rebound, play defense, finish on the break. He plays above the rim and has displayed fierce competitiveness and patience this season. Give this guy 30mpg and he would have been on the rookie team this year with Channing and Nate.
One player that clearly was a negative factor for the Knicks tonight was Mo Taylor. Every time the knicks start to find some chemistry and teamwork during a game, Mo has to start a fight with the player he is trying to box out. I can think of several times this season this has happened (it happened tonight and it also happened the night Antonio Davis went into the stands to help his wife). The time has come to bench Mo (I know Brown likes him because he's a veteran on a 'college' team) and trade him this summer. He tried to play for the Knicks but with Frye, Butler, Lee, and Malik we just don't need him to screw things up anymore.
For the second straight game Jalen Rose did not see an ounce of daylight. Larry Brown can be harsh like that. Sometimes he puts players in for just 7 seconds worth of playing time.