M.I.A

Happy birthday to Doug GoStation!
Full weekend ahead, i hope some of you will make it out to MisShapes on saturday night (see flyer below). Last year, Jasper and i threw a "i hate football" rock party at Pianos for the SuperBowl and it's happening again on sunday with a bunch of fun stuff! Check out the details:

Sunday February 6 :: 5-10pm :: No cover!
In the spirit of the "you'll always remember where you were when Janet and Justin..." excitement of last year's Super Bowl, Pianos is proud to host it's second annual Big Game party catered to those that want to party with fellow like-minded "casual fans". This year we are featuring:

:: Game projected on both floors
:: All Star DJ's KariBomb, Melody Nelson, Reno of The Fame, and special surprise guests in the upstairs lounge
:: Beer pong, ping-pong, Playstation, and other assorted games in the live room
:: Sunday Skool with The Whitest Kids U Know Halftime Spectacular
:: $3 draft beers / $5 gourmet burgers / $5 gourmet chicken wings

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power out

Tonight! Tonight! Tonight! ATOMIQUE @ Eleven (Downstairs Lounge)

Thursday February 3rd :: Filter Magazine presents... .
Tim Booth: Bone listening party with tons of giveaways!
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Guest DJ: Gerald (Other Music)

:: Party starts at 10pm
:: Beers and Well Drinks 1/2 off for the first 2 hours!
:: Blue Light Specials! Every 1 1/2 hour, you get FREE drinks for 15 minutes!!
:: NO COVER! - 21+

Eleven (Downstairs lounge) :: 152 Orchard St. between Stanton and Rivington St.
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Believe or not, this is only my second time ever mentioning Arcade Fire on this site, and it wasn't really a post about them the first time. Don't think i haven't done so because i don't believe they're great, quite the contrary, but there are so many other blogs who do a a great job at telling you why you should love their music, that i haven't felt the need to add to it. That and the fact that i usually don't write about a band until i see them live. Well, that day has finally come. Tuesday night at Webster Hall was my very first, highly anticipated, time seeing them on stage, and i will disappoint some of you if i say that they absolutely lived up to my expectations. Granted Webster is far from being my favorite venue, and the band went on much much later than planned (not their fault, Conan's), they still put on an amazingly tight show. I usually know when a concert was particularly good when i wake up the next morning and i have an undeniable urge to put on the band's latest record. And that's exactly what happened yesterday morning. If you get the chance to see them, don't think twice, just go. Man Man wasn't really my thing, but Final Fantasy (side project of one of the AF members) was great.

Purple Arcade Fire at Webster Hall.

I need to interrupt this program to wish Sarah Ultragrrrl a very happy birthday!

Ok, continue reading now, it gets better...
This saturday, i'm DJ-ing at my favorite saturday night party MisShapes alongside Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey of PULP (again!), which is enough excitment in itself... add to that the official M.I.A afterparty (for her sold out Knitting Factory show), and it's going to be completely insane!

electrical sun

This past weekend was all about Laura Burhenn, whose shows i recommended on friday. I took my own recommendation and went to Rockwood Music Hall on friday night to see her play on a grand piano, a very unsual setting for Laura who normally plays with a full band. Needless to say, it was a treat to hear her amazing voice in this environment. She played through some of her album and covered Leonard Cohen's Chelsea Hotel #2 and Radiohead's Karma Police. I've said it before and i'll say it again, this girl is an A&R dream: beautiful songs, a voice that goes from angelic to raspy in the switch of a note, and an accomplished musician. She's gonna get the Fiona comparison a lot, but if you listen closely her songs are quite different, and so is her persona. On saturday, Laura played another great set at Pianos, this time on her own organ and accompanied by her guitar player. She'll be playing Vicious with a full band in a couple of weeks, don't miss her!

Laura Burhenn at Rockwood Music Hall. Photo by Dennis Cahlo.

Happy Birthday to Rob Sheffield!

lips like sugar

Bauhaus? The Cocteau Twins? Great bands, but do you think the Coachella kids will sing along to She's in Parties and Lorelei? As expected, Coldplay, New Order, Gang of Four and many more are part of Coachella's 2005 lineup. Will i be going for a fourth year? I'm still undecided.

Now for some local music talk...

Congratulations to The Twenty-Twos for signing a deal with Epic Records, making them Franz Ferdinand's label mates. One more record deal news, Matador has signed eccentric rockers The Double.

Photos from the last Vicious featuring up and coming local bands that you should check out.

Rockethouse, formerly known as Aerial Love Feed, has gone through a line-up and name change but has retained the essence of their fuzzed guitar sound. They ended the show with a great cover of Lips like Sugar by Echo and The Bunnymen.

After seeing their posters and flyers all over downtown, it was my first time seeing Levy play a versatile set that reminded me of a cross between Coldplay and The Strokes.

Another first time for me, The Fame unleashed short pop tunes that have that perfect vintage Tom Petty feel to them.

My TVs are probably one of the only local bands who know how to write rock anthems using a tenor saxophone.