Three Cheers for Our Side

Me and the summer roomie have been going on craft journeys. Our latest endeavor being making jewerly out of old vinyl records we don't need anymore. After a few trial and errors I created my new favorite chunky bracelet.

For all those kids now just starting to wet their pants over Sufjan Stevens you should check out that My Mean Magpie has some Mr Stevens live circa 2001.

Erin over at Cornerstone sent me this video link for the video "Your Mama" by Kennedy like 5 times and it's excellent. I can't stop laughing.

My favorite music elitist send me a song from the band Clor. You need to check them out for some fun Brit, 80's feel- good wackiness. They are weird like Devo, but not that geeky that I feel uncool for listening to them.

And The Tripwire decided to use one of my articles. (NOTE: you cannot view this article unless you belong to the Tripwire...if you are not one of those insider happy folk, then just read two entries below to see what I pretty much submitted to them) Holy smokes, I was so excited I wanted to piss my pants. (I did not do that though because I was at my internship and I think that is on the list of things to do when trying to make a bad impression.) PS - internship peoples weren't exactly thrilled that I was writing for the folks over there....perhaps I should watch out who I lend my crafty writing skills too. It's either that, or come up with a really cool moniker for future writing endeavors.

Fox News to Buy Myspace?

Ahem, well Rupert Murdoch (who runs News Corp who pretty much owns fox news) has purchased the owner of Myspace.com for $580 million.

Here's the link to check it out for yourselves:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4695495.stm



Is this the beginning of the end my friends?

Mirror Kisses

Last night Matt from WRFT and I headed down to the TLA in Philly to check out The Redwalls, The Cribs and The Kaiser Chiefs. Cribs and Kaiser Chiefs are British bands, all very tight sets, all extremely cute accents.

After bothering Erin over at Cornerstone for like 5 straight days in a row now for the interview/guestlist, it was finally time for me to check out the goodness of the Cribs.

Upon arrival there I had to ask for Spike (The Cribs' tour manager.) First of all, who the hell calls themself Spike? And why in the world did he and the security of the TLA frantically freak out when I tried to bring my tape recorder into the venue.

After a secret convention in the corner with the tour manager and the security guards the consensus was reached that my bag would be held backstage for me. Them taking my bag = Christine freaking out without her cell phone, notes and expensive white linen jacket.

We walked into the Redwalls set. The singer seemed to be making eye contact with the girlies in the front row and the pants the band was wearing was tighter than mine that night.

I jumped into the bathroom quickly for a quick piss before the Cribs set. The bathrooms in the TLA are super small. Oldhead lady in front of me was decked out in a Kaiser Chiefs t-shirt and British girl behind me seemed normal until she decided to stick out her tongue dangerously close to my face to ask if I saw any bite marks.

At this point in time, I peed my fastest pee ever and beelined it to the front of the venue wondering why British bands attract such fucking weirdo fans.

The Cribs came on the stage and completely rocked my face off. The drummer, Ross Jarman, was intensely beating the shit out of his drums and standing up to play the set at times. After breaking a snare drum, vocalist/guitarist Ryan and vocalist/bassist Gary broke out into an impromptu cover of the Shirelle's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" while someone ran on stage to replace it.

Their set was seemless and hard hitting the entire way through. The songs "Hey Scenesters" and "Just Another Number" poured out of the speakers while cute girls danced along with their scantily-clad bodies swaying to the Cribs's pounding melodies.

It was finally 10pm so I headed backstage to collect my bag from the mysterious man named Spike and make my way to the Cribs dressing room. On the way there, random boy from Kaiser Chiefs looked me up and down. I gave him a look that said "no, I am not a groupie. I will not:
- kiss you
- fuck you
- suck your dick.

Found my way to dressing room. Drank beer. Smoked cigarettes. Had a nice little chat until scary tour manager Spike came up there giving me the evil eye that equals "get the fuck out student radio girl"

Anyhow, you need to see the Cribs live. After 10 minutes Ryan was already bleeding all around the mouth. While interviewing them, Ryan explained that he had badly split his lip while in Europe one night and he never got the proper stiches. Ever since then, his lip has just been splitting open during performances most likely due to smacking it against the mic.

He doesn't do it on purpose and it's not just a gimmick. Yet when I asked why he still had blood all over his face like 20 minutes after their set he told me that people tell him it makes him look more like a rockstar. And then added, "Maybe I'm just keeping it on to impress you."

After interview/ getting station ID's I headed back down to catch the latter part of the Kaiser Chief's set. After coming from back from behind backstage I was molested by a groupie.

She had shorts so tiny her bum was hanging out. And she was wearing an extremely low-cut white t-shirt with no fucking bra. And to make matters worse she was completely drunk off her skank ass.

I got to enjoy a lovely screaming conversation with her:
Groupie: Are you in a band?
Me: No.
Groupie: Why were you backstage then?
Me: *Shakes head and tries to move away from said groupie.*
Groupie: (Not taking the hint) Who are these guys?
Me: They are called the Kaiser Chiefs.
Groupie: Do you know who Good Charlotte is?
Me: *Winces, tries not to throw up* Gross, why would you even say that?
Groupie: So I like hooked-up with the guy from Good Charlotte like 20 times.
Me: *really feeling the beer start to come up* *pushes groupie* Go away.
Groupie: *Lights cigarette* *Looks backstage to see if she can get back there*
Me: Seriously. You are gross.
Groupie: What? You can get me backstage?
Me: Fuck no! Get away from me before I burn you with my cigarette.
Groupie: *finally stumbles away from me and unto unsuspecting male hipster who is too dumb to realize she will give him herpes*
Me: *takes deep breath. forces smile. pretends to finish enjoying kaiser chiefs*

Hey Scenesters!

A year or so ago I found an mp3 from The Cribs on some random blog and after listening to it a few times they kind of slipped my mind.

Yet after hearing their newest disc, I doubt it's poppy catchiness is going to slip my mind again or yours. I'm going to see/ interview them this Wednesday night in Philly. Let me know if you'll be there and for all those kids not in Philly, please come out and support them when they come through your town.

NME has been singing their praises as well as all those kids on our side of the pond that are in the know.

Check the Cribs' video for their single "Hey Scenesters"
http://www.wichita-recordings.com/video/hey-scenesters-hi.mov

Cribs Touring Dates:

07.18.05 – Boston, MA (Great Scotts) w/ Nine Black Alps, Hard-Fi
07.19.05 – New York, NY (Mercury Lounge) w/ Nine Black Alps, Hard-Fi
07.20.05 – Philadelphia, PA (Theater Of Living Arts) w/ Kaiser Chiefs
07.21.05 – New York, NY (Webster Hall) w/ Kaiser Chiefs
07.22.05 – Washington DC (9:30 Club) w/ Kaiser Chiefs
07.25.05 – San Francisco, CA (The Filmore) w/ Brendan Benson, Kaiser Chiefs
07.26.05 – San Diego, CA (Casbah)
07.27.05 – Los Angeles, CA (Spaceland) w/ Nine Black Alps
07.28.05 – Los Angeles, CA (Forbidden City)

All These Things I Have Done

New Killers video is up and ready for your viewing pleasure! Brandon Flowers makes me feel like a giggly girl sometime...

http://music.channel.aol.com/search/avresults.adp?query=killers

Random Music Updates

Who has heard Adam Brody's (aka Seth from the O.C.) band Big Japan?

Capitol has signed the Magic Numbers. I saw them at sxsw and they made me happy. (it also possibly could have been because I knew in a few minutes I'd be seeing Idlewild.)

And Grandaddy has released the tracklisting of their new EP "Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla" according to those kids over at Pitchfork.

*Tracklisting*
01 Pull the Curtains
02 At My Post
03 A Valley Son (Sparing)
04 Cinderland
05 Fuck the Valley Fudge
06 Florida
07 Goodbye?

Get excited girls and boys.

Let's Get It Started

Today was the first day of my internship. As a result of my life being doomed, it had to rain. Not just a few drops...I'm talking sheets of rain so that I couldn't see the car in front of me. Normally this would not be a problem for anyone. Unfortunately I'm not a normal person and I haven't driven a car in a year since I got mine back a few weeks ago.

After battling with the rain and fighting off my tiredness and headache I made it to FMQB. It's actually quite quiet in those offices. I got to write my first article for them and have it posted to their website.

Here's the link for all you kind people who want to give it a glance over: http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=99381

Also they decided to conduct an online poll to see what their readers thought the greatest american band was. Because I had to sift through the votes I noticed Pearl Jam getting waaaaaaaaaay to many votes. I know USA Today already conducted their poll and Pearl Jam did win theirs, but I have a sneaky suspicion all the PJ fans got together to try and throw the vote off. Or maybe Pearl Jam really is the best all-time American band.

What do you think?

NOTE: If I hear/think about/ talk about Pearl Jam anymore I'm going to smash my head through my computer screen.

Now it's time to get my laundry done and get ready to head down to South Jersey with the sir for the weekend to go car shopping/buying and get our party on.

Preliminary CMJ Line-Up Announced!!!

The Arcade Fire, Atmosphere, !!!, Dungen, Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Juan Maclean, John Vanderslice, Nouvelle Vague, Of Montreal, the Hold Steady, Against Me!, Mae, Wolf Parade, Blackalicious, Blowfly, Athlete, Lucero, Supersystem, Mary Timony, Tim Fite, Hot Chip, Devin Davis, Arctic Monkeys, Wolf Mother, Constantines, Colder, Why?, Cut Copy, the Oranges Band, Motion City Soundtrack, Copeland, the Honorary Title, Battles, Acid Mothers Temple & the Cosmic, Chad VanGaalen, Mu, Earth, Cranes, Alan Sparhawk, Kinski, the Morning After Girls, Annie, the Talk, People In Planes, Grand Buffet, Ida, the Wrens, the Giraffes, Nashville Pussy, Portastatic, Hella, the Epoxies, Marat, Cocorosie, Jessie Diamond and the Thousand, Urdog, Zzz, the Big Huge, Zeke, the Firebird Band, Big Business, Parts & Labor, Icarus Line, William Elliot Whitmore, Eric Bachmann, the Rosebuds, Elevator Action, the Rakes, Receiving End Of Sirens, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Amusement Parks On Fire, Need New Body, Youth Group, the Gossip, the Kingsbury Manx, Rogue Wave, Robbers On High Street, Paybacks, Dr. Dog, Funeral For A Friend, Snatches of Pink, Limbeck, the Mae Shi, the Makers, Early Man, Alias, Her Space Holiday, Black Forest Black Sea, the Witnesses, Gore Gore Girls, Fruit Bats, Test-Icicles, Vaux, Sex Slaves, the Dix, Nightmare Of You, James Blunt, Denison Witmer, Jessica Dobson, Oxford Collapse, Saturday Looks Good To Me, XBXRX, Kind of Like Spitting, the Robot Ate Me, the Numbers, Goblin Cock, Jim Yoshi Pileup, Tenement Halls,Annie Hayden, Pony Up!, Mahjongg, A Gun Called Tension, Lion Fever, Prosaics, Das Oath, DDM, Swords, Pilot To Gunner, Talkdemonic, the Kingdom, the Comas, the Standard, American Princes, the Cities, Alternative Champs, Emperor X, Langhorne Slim, the Mobius Band, Subtitle, Hockey Night, the Dollylrots, the Reputation, Troubled Hubble, Bling Kong, Bellini, Psychic Paramount, Sleeping People, Coptic Light, Maserati, Deadman, Jeff Klein, B.C. Camplight, Levy, Without Gravity, the Sammies, Queenadreena, Pit Er Pat, Head of Femur, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Cameron McGill, Catfish Haven, Le Concorde, Dirty Perfect, Billy Nayer Show, Channels, Edie Sedgwick, Voicst, Singapore Sling, Maktub, Dirty On Purpose, Face Tomorrow, Enablers, Blood and Time, Grails, the Soviettes, Dressy Bessy, World/Inferno Friendship Society, the Heavenly States, the King of France, 8-bit, the Blue Van, the Plastic Constellations, Walking Concert, Cary Brothers, Man Man, Daughters, TSAR, Kaki King, and the Navigators.

Bolded above are the ones I'm extremely excited for...Who else will be waiting in line with me this year at CMJ?

This Station is Non-Operational

Tonight I was told of a job opening at a PR firm in the NY. (the firm and the person who brought it to my attention will remain anonymous.) After I said that I would not drop out of school to work a job for such a little amount of money, I was told that I was worth $15,000 at this point in time in the field of music/PR/etc.

I'm sorry but I can make more money working the cash register at Starbucks. Or folding shirts with the hipster retards at Urban Outfitters. Or working the streets.

I do understand that I will be graduating college soon and I will be lucky to get any sort of job that I will enjoy with making a satisfactory pay every year. But $15,000? Fuck that. And fuck the music industry.

I never said I would work for that devil industry. Even though it seems that I've already sold my soul, I'm not going to be working my ass off to make entry wages.

I'll become a cracked out English professor. Or write for newspapers. Not whore myself out to be spit out and used by the industry so many want to get into and so little really appreciate once they are there.

PS - the sir accidentaly called me by the name of his ex-girlfriend yesterday. Not only has this upset me to no end, it is most likely the reason why I bit the head off of the generous person just trying to keep an eye out for me in regards to finding a job.

Live DVD from Death Cab to be released soon

As per Matt DuFour of the lovely Cornerstone/Fader family:

With a major label deal in hand, Death Cab For Cutie are now planning the release of a live DVD. Called Drive Well, Sleep Carefully: On The Road With Death Cab For Cutie, the film shows the band at the tail end of their grueling 2004 US tour. Director Justin Mitchell shot the entire film on 16mm film, incorporating live performances and behind-the-scenes, in depth interviews. In addition, the DVD, which was produced under Plexifilm's new Plexi Productions banner, will include rare footage like an acoustic performance in San Francisco, rehearsal footage and deleted scenes. The DVD should be able to hold fans over until the release of the band's new album, Plans, which is currently in the works and will be released via Atlantic Records this fall. Read on for all the details of Drive Well, Sleep Carefully.

Live Performances in the film:
"The Sound of Settling" - The Crystal Ballroom, Portland
"The New Year" - The Showbox, Seattle
"We Laugh Indoors" - The Marquee Theatre, Tempe
"Styrofoam Plates" - Trees, Dallas
"Title and Registration" - Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans
"Company Calls" - WorkPlay Theater, Birmingham
"Tiny Vessels" - Stubb's, Austin
"Transatlanticism" - Trees, Dallas
"Expo '86" - The Crystal Ballroom, Portland
"We Looked Like Giants" - The Fillmore, San Francisco
"Why You'd Want to Live Here" - The Wiltern, Los Angeles
"Prove My Hypotheses" - The Showbox, Seattle
"Bend To Squares" - The Showbox, Seattle

DVD Special Features:

-Acoustic Set at the Metreon, San Francisco
- "Stability" in Reherasal
-"Lightness" Demo Montage
- Andycam Behind-the-Scenes Footage
- Deleted Scenes and Interviews

Who's excited?!?

Way too many people at ground level at Live 8 for me to be milling about them.

Me overlooking the awesome view of Live 8.