Unbuckled Tonight

Doors at 9. Be there. I'm very excited to see both these bands and not just because of all the hard work I put into booking this thing or because USA Today thinks Middle Distance Runner is the next big thing. I'm excited because it's going to be an awesome show. So come on out and support the cause! I'll be DJing early.

The Wire has been picked up for season numero cinco! For the record, I give up, it is the best show on TV. Anytime I'd rather sit at home and On Demand three or four episodes a night instead of going out, it qualifies for the shortlist. I watched Season Three in like four days. It's like teh pandemic. Even the Sports Guy is on board.

Gawker media launched their music blog skewering Idolator today. They think "in the last year, the music-blog netherworld has become as homogenized and indistinguishable as the record labels themselves," which, as one of the only blogs not on the Tapes n Tapes / Sufjan Stevens / Wilco etc. train (just check my visitor stats, ha!) I have to say I agree with. Now pardon me while I go listen to some Art Brut and write something about Pavement.

Ahem...You can fuck right off if you don't think Wowee Zowee is the best Pavement record. OK, that may be a little harsh, but it's def. my fave. Here's the drool enducing double disc issue reissue tracklisting.

Reunited and it feels so...much better than it currently is. *sigh*

These guys get closer to this with every damn picture. Sad really. But inevitable.

I stumbled into tickets for last nights Zero 7 show at the 930 Club, so I went not knowing what to expect. I semi-liked their first record (way overhyped, but decent enough) but haven't really paid attention to their last few albums. I was hoping for some sultry and seductive, slow grooving trip hop but got eight white guys and Sia onstage playing homogonized R&B to a crowd of people at one of the three concerts they will attend this year when they're not at dinner parties listening to Santana's "Supernatural" album and/or expounding on the latest Jack Johnson record. Which is to say most of the people in attendance weren't your average concert goer (indeed, the women were MUCH hotter than usual) and would go gaga at any little thing the band did onstage. "A Kazoo! How clever! Oh my!" I was bored out of my mind and left after the first few songs. The band are competent musicians, but like Dceiver said as I discussed the show with him, they play "retail background music." Indeed.

Jose Gonzalez, on the other hand, was incredible. He had more stage presence than the whole of Zero 7 did, mostly because for him, it was about the music. He just sat on a stool with an acoustic guitar and played his songs. And they were amazing. He ended his set with two covers, Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and a jaw dropping version of Massive Attack's "Teardrop," which was brilliant. I usually don't go for the singer/songwriter acts, but I walked out of the venue a new fan. Unfortunately, I got to the venue too late to take pics of him. My new 85mm lens, by the way, is totally on point.