New Year's Eve 2008

There is so much going on on New Year's Eve this year. Usually I like to stay in with the mister and have a cozy toast, but this year I will actually be out and about! And I am super excited about it, almost like how I felt when I went to see the Realistics at Mercury Lounge way back in the day. Oh yeah, that was fucking ages ago. I haven't been out to a proper NYE celebration since then. I've either been in the recording studio or just at home with bottles of bubb. Come join me in attending most of the awesome events going on below...

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GBH Party @ Hiro Ballroom in the Maritime Hotel

Young Love Live + 33Hz Live
plus VHSorBeta Dee Jays
with DJ Alex English & Guests
Radiohead Album Release Party hosted by Filter Magazine

Vodka Open Bar 9.30-10.30
Champagne Toast at Midnight
Ball Drop Countdown

A limited amount of $60 tickets are available. Tickets
Doors Open 9pm - 4am

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Earl Greyhound, The Big Sleep @ Mercury Lounge

Earl Greyhound @ 11pm
The Big Sleep @ 10pm

Ages 21+

$25 | Tickets

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Les Savy Fav @ Bowery Ballroom

Late Night Partay!!! 2am
Ages 18+
$30 | Tickets

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Crashin'In New Year's Eve Party

Featuring:
Purple Crush (Crushed Records)
Beans (Warp Records/reformed member of Anti Pop Consortium)

Time: 8:00pm-8:00am
Cover: $30

with DJs:
Upstairs Djs:
Sune (The Raveonettes)
Oil (Kanine Records)
Elliott Golden
Gerald (Other Music)
Sunnyside Up (Sentimentalist Magazine)

Downstairs DJs:
Eamon Harkin (FUN,TAPE - Berlin)
Brodinksi (France, Mental Groove Records)

Sponsored by:
Kanine Records
Filter Magazine
Insound
Sentimentalist Magazine
Mean Red Productions
and more TBA

Hosted by Lio (Kanine Records/Crashin' In), Kay Q (Kanine Records), Eamon (FUN), Jen (Mean Red), and Marc (Crashin' In)

@ 205 Club (205 Christie St and Stanton, NYC)

This is an all night two floor party with live bands and djs on the first floor and dance djs playing all night on the second floor.

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After The Jump presents New Year’s Eve 2007
taking over two levels of the Knitting Factory New York
in support of Education Through Music

with
Dirty Projectors
Foreign Islands
Senryu
Care Bears on Fire
Pattern is Movement
Poingly
and more...

after-party hosted by Cex, with Ecstatic Sunshine, Alan Astor, Wzt Hearts

Tickets

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Pitchfork's Guide to New Year's Eve


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Sick Sick Sick

Yes, I have that hollerdaze sickness that's going around. I know I have been a little quiet lately, but December is the busiest month of the year with all of the holiday fuss, too many parties, too much whiskey, too much too much too much. But even though I'm sick, I love the adrenaline rush that comes with hustle and bustle and am majorly bummed thahttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gift I am missing out on quite a few exciting things going on this week.

Last night was the Tell All Your Friends and Gigantic Holiday party, and I so wanted to be there drowning my cold with the free Bushmills, but I knew from the night before that whiskey would only be a temporary solution and that I would probably just get sicker the next day.

The last treats club meeting is tonight, and I can't go sneeze on the gingerbread house they are going to be building. I've always wanted to make one of those cute little candy houses. Bugger!

I am also missing the French Kiss Records party over at B-Side with Les Savy Fav on the decks. The only consolation is that I plan to attend the LSF-extravaganza on New Year's Eve, right after I see The Big Sleep and Earl Greyhound rock the Mercury Lounge. 2008 is going to be special.

Tomorrow night there is a concert for the new Judd Apatow film Walk Hard. How I want to be there so badly!!! I sort of adore Mike Viola and wanted to see the songs performed live by John C. Reilly. How comically brilliant is that going to be? Majorly, I say.

Hopefully I will be better by the time Friday rolls around so that I can see one of my faves, A Place To Bury Strangers, take the Bowery Ballroom stage by storm with The Cloud Room, The Giraffes and Blacklist.

Dirty on Purpose @ RCRDLBL.com

Head over to RCRDLBL.com to download the new Dirty on Purpose song, free and legal download! The song is called "Leaving," which was inspired by girlfriends on tour.



Click here to download!

10 Albums, 10 Awards for Best of 2007

BEST DRINKING ALBUM
Amy Winehouse – Back To Black


We’ve all been there. This is the perfect soundtrack for the kind of night where you are wandering around looking for a drink to drown your sorrows with our alcoholic boyfriend Jack Daniel. Fuck rehab!


BEST WHISTLING ALBUM
Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block


It seems like everyone and their mother was whistling the catchy “Young Folks.” Me included. And of course, the rest of the album is also fun and lovely. I remember when I was walking around Amsterdam, the PBJ song of the same city name was stuck in my head. Brilliant pop music.


MOST HEARTBREAKING ALBUM
Elvis Perkins – Ash Wednesday


I remember when I first heard an Elvis Perkins song, I started to tear because it just broke my heart. I still don’t think I’m full recovered from the emotional trauma this album has caused me. "Moon Woman II," "Without Love," and "Ash Wednesday" are tender and so fragile.


BEST STONER ALBUM
The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse


The beautiful, lush walls of sound and the amazing harmonies that resound from this album are simply gorgeous. My new favorite Canadian musicians. Seriously, check this shit out!


BEST ALBUM TO RING YOUR EARS
A Place To Bury Strangers – A Place To Bury Strangers


We all know A Place To Bury Strangers are self-proclaimed the “loudest band in New York.” I can testify that this is true. Oliver is a genius, and I’m so happy his music is finally out in the open. It’s an audio assault that will make you like the way it hurts. My favorite track is “To Fix the Gash In Your Head” because it makes me dizzy with delight.


BEST ALBUM WITH A FORMER SMITHS MEMBER
Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank


OK, with the addition of Johnny Marr on guitar, Modest Mouse transformed into Sexy Mouse, according to me. I saw their show at United Palace and got turned on during the show. That’s never happened at a Modest Mouse show ever before. Super hot in my book. Isaac and Johnny = magic. “Dashboard” was inescapable this year!


BEST BEER-DRENCHED ALBUM
Cheeseburger – Cheeseburger


Sleazy, dirty, naughty, silly, fun and drunken. These are all words that describe the Cheeseburger experience. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourselves. Your inner badness will come out and surprise you, I guarantee. Anthemic songs like “Do You Remember?” and “Tiger” get me all riled up like I wanna start a fucking bar fight. Meow.


BEST ALBUM TO KICK IT TO
Fujiya & Miyagi – Transparent Things


This album is an essential. You know when you’re just sitting around your apartment, hanging with your friends and you want to put on some cool music? This is the album you should be reaching for. Their stream-of-consciousness songs will inspire good times in your living room. A couple of my faves were the title track and “Collarbone.”


SPLASHIEST COMEBACK ALBUM
Gabby Glaser – Gimme Splash


Gabby Glaser made a name for herself in the popular 90s group, Luscious Jackson, and she continues to make a name for herself as front woman for her new project, Gabby Glaser and The Great Ones. The songs still have the funk of Luscious with a new garage rock edge. “Spirit of Long Island” and “Naturally High” were a couple of my favorite summer tracks!


SNARKIEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Lily Allen – Alright, Still


Revenge is a bitch, and this year it comes through the lovely vocals and tongue-in-cheek, snarky lyrics of Lily Allen. I had my doubts about her in the beginning, but at first listen of this album I was hooked and singing along to “Smile” and “Everything’s Just Wonderful.” Any time you are mad at someone, put on this album and flip the bird a few times like they do in Flight of the Conchords. You’ll feel so much better, trust me.

Download: Sam Champion's "Your Party Was Yesterday" on RCRDLBL.com

One of my favorite young alt-country bands, Sam Champion, have released a single with RCRDLBL.com today called "Your Party Was Yesterday." Things have been quiet in Sam Champion-land lately, but I'm glad to see they are continuing to write and record. They'll be releasing a single every month through March, so keep an eye out.

Download Sam Champion's "Your Party Was Yesterday"

The Besnard Lakes, Peter Moren, Luke Temple @ Bowery Ballroom

LOVED IT. ALL OF IT.



It was my first time seeing Luke Temple, and he just blew me away with his lovely voice. I'm definitely going to be checking him out more... Just take a listen to one of my faves of his -- "people do" -- you could hear a pin drop in the Bowery Ballroom during this song. It is that stunning.



This was my second time seeing Peter Moren's solo show. This time he had Doug from Dirty on Purpose on keys and bass and the wonderful Chris Egan on drums. He definitely seemed more confident at this show, and he told that to the audience. His endearing between song banter was adorable, but what I love is that his songs are so sensitive. Sensitive, endearing Swedes. You gotta love them. I love that on his MySpace blog, he has posted about how much he misses his girlfriend. You can tell that songs like "My Match" were inspired by his love. I talked to Peter a little bit after the show and asked him about his solo project. He says it's coming out sometime in March probably on Touch & Go or an affiliate. He may tour around it in the Spring -- but he didn't want to think about touring right now. He was totally burnt out. I told him I saw him over at Benicassim, and that it was one of my favorite festivals -- he agreed. What's not to love about spending half of the day at the beach and half of the day on stage? Plus the crowd for PBJ at that festival was insane, extending far beyond the tent the show was in.



Anyhoo, moving on to The Besnard Lakes. These guys blow me away every time I see them. It's like they put me in this trance, and I am totally hypnotized. They didn't disappoint this time, playing all my faves -- "Devastation," "Disaster" and "Bedford and Grand" and more... The Bowery Ballroom wasn't as full as it should have been last night, but everyone who was there was super into it. How could you not be? Jace and Olga's vocals kind of tear at my heart. Oh how I love them.

We all went over to Beauty Bar to hang out afterwards, and I met Adam Franklin from Swervedriver. What a rad dude. I congratulated him on the reunion... can't wait to hear more about that. Overall, a really fun night!!!

The Besnard Lakes, Peter Moren and Luke Temple @ Bowery Ballroom Tonight

The Besnard Lakes put out one of my favorite albums of 2007, The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse. Indeed, I think this album and this band deserve to be HUGE. And I think that will happen soon enough...

They are headlining Bowery Ballroom tonight and you should come out and see the beautiful wall of sound that is the Besnard Lakes. Plus, they are awesome canucks, too. Also performing, the wonderful and charming Peter Moren of Peter Bjorn and John and Luke Temple.

Hungover and Thankful

I am officially hungover, and thankful to all my homies for the party last night. It was amazing. I hope Knitting Factory doesn't hate us for having some fun with confetti and beer. It was all in good spirits.

































Check out more photos...

Cat Boxing

Wow, my friend Saryn and her cat Tij have a really cute video up over at catontape.com. Watch it below. Cutest!