Happy New Year!

Just wanted to wish all my family, friends, readers, and fellow bloggers a very Happy New Year! As they say in my hometown of Vienna: "Einen Guten Rutsch!"

While I'm not 100% sure what I'm exactly doing tonight... One thing is for certain, I'll be listening/dancing to the following 2 tunes at some point this New Years's Eve (or morning):

1) mp3: Johann Strauss - The Blue Danube
The best way to "waltz" in the new year...

2) mp3: New Order - Temptation
Because I like to dance to this one like a mad-man (which, arguably I am)...

Prost,
Steve

Pump up the volume

Ha ha neighbors, you're going to really hate me now! Suckers! I just picked up and installed the following in my living room last night:



The subwoofer and speakers replaced (and upgraded) some of my previous equipment, which was either blown-out or not working properly any more. I did some testing last night, and yeah, the full system is finally back up to First Avenue's 7th Street Entry standards again.

Cleveland, are you ready to rock?!!!

Happy Holidays! See you next week...

So of course I didn't get my Holiday Newletter done on time! Well, look for that, along with my "Best of 2005" posts next week.

Here's the last Christmas tune I'm posting for the year... I think it summarizes myself and my blog quite well (I'm a lover not a fighter)...

mp3: The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

Enjoy the Holidays!

No, I will not fix your computer

I need one of those shirts! And I know at least 3 other people who do...

I really thought I could get me Holiday Newsletter out today or tomorrow. It's not looking good... Instead, I spent hours trying to fix one of my co-worker's home PCs. Thou shallt not use AOL, ok! I cannot tell you how much AOL (and most other dial-up services) screw up your computer. If there's one request I have... please, please, everybody switch to a broadband connection! And get rid of your regular phone land-line too... old fashioned, don't you think?!!!

While I was working on 2 computers at the same time, I had music going on my main PC. Here's some cool stuff I like that came up during a random mix, and I'll explain why:

mp3: Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone (Jason Nevins Club mix)
I seriously didn't even know I had that one! One of the great "pop" tunes of the year though, so I figured I'd post it. You know I like good "pop" by now, right? I'm not Pitchfork, you know...

mp3: Kings of Leon - The Bucket
Damn (I mean "Fuck"), I missed these guys live twice this year! Absolutely love this song and their album Aha Shake Heartbreak.

mp3: Adam Green - What A Waster (The Libertines Cover)
If you've ever wondered what the lyrics are to this song... Now you can sing along.

mp3: The Go! Team - The Ice Storm
Once the vocals kick in, this song really takes off...

Merry Christmas! Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Just in case I don't get to my "Holiday Newsletter"...

mp3: Vienna Boys Choir - Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

Thanks for the great year everybody, I love you (and so does Ringo), you know who you are...

Steve
a.k.a. Stevie
a.k.a. Stefan
a.k.a. Rock 'n' Roll Star
a.k.a. Monkey Boy
a.k.a. That Guy

Last Christmas

Did you know I have a very special connection to the Wham! song "Last Christmas"?

Yes/No, it doesn't matter! Here's the greatest "pop" Christmas tune ever made:

mp3: Wham! - Last Christmas

And a couple of cover versions, that "try" to come close:

mp3: Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
mp3: Pas/Cal - Last Christmas

I'll be putting out my 2005 Christmas Holdiday Newletter on this site later on this week. For anybody who read my 2004 email, it will be somewhat similar. I'll summarize my 2005 life: private, work , music, lists, etc... In other words, it will be fairly shocking to most of you, trust me.

Bonus, just coz' the guy is amazing:

mp3: Louis Armstong - White Christmas

Blues Power @ Middle-Of-Nowhere

It's time for a new report from the frontline of music here in Germany.

Yesterday we made a spontaneous trip to a gig of a band named BluesPower (German webpage). The gig was literally in the middle of nowhere close Brunswick, Germany.

Being in the middle of nowhere, I didn't really expect too much, it's not Chicago here, you know - but: Hell, I was wrong.

This was probably the best live-Chicago-Blues I ever listened to! Close your eyes and you think Jake and Elwood were around. Not only that those guys did make great music, they still had some "resources" available for a great show, playing with the crowd and fooling around.

Conclusion: Great show, great band. So blog comunity: Spread the news, I wanna see them on a U.S. tour!!!



For the time being, two songs I found on their webpage:
mp3: Can't be satisfied (live)
mp3: At your service

I try to get their CD's for more international sampling...

Friday... finally!

Ahhhh, finally, it's Friday! I really don't have much more to add to this weeks' posts. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of new music; it just doesn't seem right to post it today. Great stuff to come next week...

This weekend should be pretty cool. I have my work-Christmas party later today, and then I'm heading out for the Vicious Vicious / Tapes 'n Tapes show Saturday @ 400 bar. Other than that, I'll be relaxing and watching the world go by... Perhaps I should start on my Christmas shopping?! Nahhhh, way to early!

Since it's Friday... I'm usually booked for DJ gigs around town on weekends (mainly in my house DJing for my dog), therefore, here's a track that ALWAYS gets people (and dogs) on the floor. Trust me...

mp3: Daft Punk - One More Time (Club Mix)

Yes, all 7 minutes, 45 seconds of it... you need this one for your next party!

Have a great weekend!

R.I.P. Veritas Lux Mea. We shall miss ya'...

Happy 35th Birthday First Avenue!

Unfortunately I missed First Avenue's 35th Anniversary party yesterday. The event celebrated the CD Release of The Bootlegs Vol. 1 Celebrating 35 Years of First Avenue, and featured live performances by The Jayhawks, The Hold Steady, members of Golden Smog, Mike Watt, Curtiss A, and many more. Photos and multi-media presentations were also displayed.

Luckily the excellent crew from HowWasTheShow.com was there. I'm sure David and Andrea will have some reviews and photos up for you any second, so make sure you check them out...

The CD includes previously unreleased one-of-a-kind recordings live from First Avenue from a handful of the club’s most memorable performances.. Were you there for the Rev 105 Suburbs’ show in 1995? Were you there for the Guided By Voices’ sold-out show in the mainroom? How about when Throwing Muses’ Kristin Hersh wowed fans on her solo tour? Now, you can be!

CD Tracklisting:

1. The Jay Hawks - Better Days (12-21-03)
2. Guided By Voices - Queen of Cans and Jars (11-18-03)
3. Ween - The Mollusk (05-13-00)
4. Trip Shakespeare - Diane (11-26-91)
5. Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03-29-03)
6. Patti Smith - Redondo Beach (11-21-98)
7. The Replacements - Love You Till Friday ('81)
8. The Suburbs - Every Night's A Friday Night ('95)
9. Hüsker Dü - Books About UFOs (08-28-85)
10. Old 97's - Murder(Or a Heart Attack) (01-16-04)
11. Atmosphere - The Woman With the Tatooed Hands (07-22-05)
12. Bettie Serveert - What Friends (10-16-03)
13. Mark Mallman - To Speak of the Animal (11-22-02)
14. Richard Thompson - Cooksferry Queen (9-29-99)
15. Jay Farrar w/Canyon - Windfall (9-24-03)
16. Kristin Hersh - Your Ghost (9-3-99)

You can purchase the album directly from First Avenue here, or look for it at your local Music Retailer (even Best Buy carries it).

Obviously the sound quality on some of the older performances could be a bit better. But overall the CD is a nice collection of live performances.

Here's a couple of tracks from the CD for you:

mp3: The Replacements - Love You Till Friday ('81)
mp3: Hüsker Dü - Books About UFOs (08-28-85)
mp3: Atmosphere - The Woman With the Tatooed Hands (07-22-05)

For me personally, I can't even begin to tell you of how many great shows I've seen at First Avenue and 7th Street Entry. Over the years it's definitely been my favorite and most attended local music venue. Highlights for me include seeing Oasis there in 1994, Pulp in 1995, The Strokes in 2004, and just this year The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, Death Cab for Cutie, Constantines, The Go! Team, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party... And so many others, I could go on and on...

One of the worst shows I've ever seen there: The Dandy Warhols in 2004. Absolutely brutal (and 2 1/2 hours of it)...

Happy Birthday First Ave!

Everything ends

OK, by far the best 2005 TV Soundtrack came from HBO's Six Feet Under.

Ahhh, how much I loved the show Six Feet Under; I can't even tell you. The last 3-4 episodes are the best TV you can ever watch. And yes, I almost cried during the last episode. I miss you Claire and Nate (listen to the "Sia" tune)!

So, without further a-do, here are (some) of my favorites tunes from the most-excellent soundtrack:

mp3: Nina Simone - Feeling Good
mp3: Phoenix - Everything Is Everything
mp3: Sia - Breathe Me
mp3: Interpol - Direction
mp3: The Arcade Fire - Cold Wind

Bonus mp3s:

Since I'm an HBO addict:

mp3: Alabama 3 - Woke Up This Morning (Theme from The Sopranos - Chosen One Mix)

And coz' I love the Jesus & Mary Chain:

mp3: The Jesus And Mary Chain - Snakedriver

I'm exhausted and going to bed. Have a great day!

Weekend in review etc. / The Killers (?)

My life has been sooooo hectic since last Thursday, but I figured I'd give you an update anyway:

Friday. Hmmm, I hardly remember... I've been training one of my co-workers on new duties since Thursday, so by the time I got home Friday I was totally wiped. I had some dinner and crashed on my couch. All of a sudden, when I woke up, it was 2:30am. Exciting night, huh?

Saturday. My sister, Queenvick's, last night in town, before she headed back to sunny LA. Met up with some really good friends, namely Dawn, Nate, and Alicia, and had a great time @ BW2. I went over to Big 10 Bar after... not much has changed there. Molly, you're still my favorite waitress in Mpls/St. Paul, though!

Sunday. Chilled, watched some football (and I'm not even a football fan). Had some pizza with my parents and sister. I did deliver an early Christmas gift to my sister... 20 mp3 CDs with some of the music she had requested from my CD collection (in addition to some of my recommendations). Total, it came out to 230 albums... Crazy, huh???! I think she has enough new music for a while...

Yesterday was pretty hectic again; you could say it sucked... it's all good though.

Switching over to music stuff. Two of the bands I really used to like when they first came out: The Killers and The Bravery. God, these guys suck! I kind of dislike/hate them now (mainly because I dislike the lead singers and most of their music)... and that goes after I watched them before the became "famous" and played huge venues (The Killers opened for Stellastarr* at 7th Street Entry a while ago). Well, anyway, the "Limited Edition" version of Hot Fuss came out a while ago. Turns out I kinda' like the "Glamorous Indie Rock 'n Roll" tune; so, for all of you how don't own the "limited edition" I'll post the 3 tunes you're missing from the regular album:

mp3: The Killers - Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll
mp3: The Killers - The Ballad Of Michael Valentine
mp3: The Killers - Under The Gun

Enjoy... and that's my post on "bands who I used to like, but don't like any more 2005"...

np: Sigor Ros - Takk

Tapes 'n Tapes Tour Dates

Again, I "blanked" out a great local show last night. I missed Tapes 'n Tapes @ Turf Club. For some reason I thought the event was today... Oh well, I'll catch them on 12/17/05 @ 400 Bar instead...

A good thing to come out of my missed gig... I noticed Tapes 'n Tapes added quite a few new tour dates on their website. For those of you outside of Minnesota, you finally get a chance to check these guys out:

Dec 17 2005 8:00P 400 Bar Minneapolis, MN
Dec 22 2005 8:00P The Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
Jan 4 2006 8:00P King Club Madison, WI
Jan 5 2006 8:00P Quiet Storm Pittsburgh, PA
Jan 7 2006 8:00P The Delancey (NYC) New York, NY
Jan 8 2006 10:00P Pianos (NYC) New York, NY
Jan 9 2006 TBA
Jan 10 2006 8:00P The Fire Philadelphia, PA
Jan 11 2006 8:00P Talking Head Club Baltimore, MD
Jan 14 2006 8:00P Schubas (Tomorrow Never Knows Fest) Chicago, IL
Jan 20 2006 8:00P St. Olaf College (The Paws) Northfield, MN
Feb 3 2006 8:00P the Cave (Carleton College) Northfield, MN
Feb 4 2006 9:00P Terminal Bar Minneapolis, MN
Mar 10 2006 9:00P The Cavern Dallas, TX

Also just announced from Tapes 'n Tapes:

"in other news, those of you who are myspace savy may have noticed that the boys posted another song from the loon on their myspace page. if you didn't know, or you have yet to become myspace savy, head on over to www.myspace.com/tapesntapes, and check out just drums. according to 'n, "it's guaranteed to stimulate and titillate...but in a very G-rated way." hope y'all enjoy it."

mp3: Tapes 'n Tapes - Insistor (more mp3s available on their website)

You can purchase their excellent album The Loon here.

We miss you John!

Love is real , real is love
Love is feeling , feeling love
Love is wanting to be loved

Love is touch, touch is love
Love is reaching, reaching love
Love is asking to be loved

Love is you
You and me
Love is knowing
we can be

Love is free, free is love
Love is living, living love
Love is needed to be loved

mp3: John Lennon - Love

Coldplay on Conan O'Brien 12/7/05 (take 2)

So for some reason my previous post on this topic got lost; may have had something to do with my PC crashing this morning...

Did you catch Coldplay on Conan O'Brien last night? Wow, I'm happy I stayed up to watch it. What a classic performance. The band performed "Talk" during which Chris Martin climbed into the audience. For their 2nd tune Chris Martin sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" solo on piano, with Conan himself joining in for the 2nd verse. Conan was singing in his "high voice" and was wearing this really cheesy Christmas sweater. At this point I was rolling on the floor laughing... One of the funniest live-music things I've seen since witnessing OK-Go's performance of "A Million Ways" when they opened up for Kaiser Chiefs.

Luckily I taped the whole performance... If you missed it, you can probably find a rip of it on somebody's blog really soon.

Update: See I told you! You can download the Coldplay performance here:

wmv: Coldplay - Talk (follow link)
wmv: Coldplay - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (follow link)

mp3: Coldplay - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (another link here)

Speaking of bands that are experiencing "indie backlash"... Are we liking the new leaked Strokes album "First Impressions of Earth"??? I think it's really good; "Ize of the World" is one of the best tunes they've ever done. Then again, I haven't really listened to it enough... more to come on the album in a later post.

Back to work...

Hockey Night Pics / JWL / etc...

All photos from the Hockey Night gig here. Slideshow here.

Instead of the usual crappy post about a band I saw, I figured I'd give you the pictures first. For once I'm not trying to quickly sum up a show by writing any of the following: "amazing", "brilliant", "fucking awesome", "totally blew me away", etc. You know what I'm getting at, right? Even though, they'd accurately sum up yet another gig. Instead, I'm trying to write a proper review of the gig for a change (to come soon)... Hopefully that's not one of my (yet again) empty blogger promises. In the meanwhile check out the HowWasTheShow review from March 26, 2004.

Tomorrow, 12/8/05, marks the the 25th anniversary of John Winston Lennon's life being taken... A very sad day in world history. "Imagine" what life would be like with him around. Here's a tune which I think properly describes his early years with The Beatles:

mp3: The Beatles - Slow Down

A proper John Lennon post to come tomorrow.

I'm tired... Hockey Night didn't come on-stage until 12:30am last night! I didn't go to bed until like 4am. I need to get some rest. Talk to you tomorrow!

P.S. Anybody have an extra Spoon ticket for me tomorrow??? Email me if you do. I'll be willing to part with some serious $$$ (not that serious, though) to attend...

P.P.S. I read a lot (and I mean a LOT) of music blogs. Quite a few have this at the end: "np" and then an album name and link... I finally figured out it stands for "now playing"... Yeah, I'm a dumbass like that; can't believe it took me this long to figure that out. So I think I'll publish what I was listening to when I wrote this...

np: The 88 - Over And Over

Hockey Night

As mentioned in my previous post, I'm checking out local band Hockey Night @ Turf Club tonight. Therefore, I figured I'd do a quick post on them.

This five-piece (featuring dual drummers) just finished a well publicized live trek through Europe with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The press from the tour has been very good to say the least. Here's a recent live review and more info on the band.

I've sampled a few of their tunes over the past couple of days. I really like what I've heard of them so far. I'll definitely be picking up their new album Keep Guessin' at the gig tonight.

Here are a few samples of their "ecclectic indie rock":

mp3: Hockey Night - For Guys' Eyes Only
mp3: Hockey Night - This Peaceful Year
mp3: Hockey Night - Cooperation

You can find more mp3s, videos, and other interesting things on their website.

Band Website: www.hockeynightmusic.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/hockeynight
LookOutRecords: www.lookoutrecords.com

You can purchase their new album Keep Guessin' for only $10 here.

If you're not convinced yet... Here's what Filter Magazine had to say about the band:

"The best thing to come out of Minneapolis since Prince."

Weekend in review

All photos from the weekend and wedding here.
Slideshow here.

Burrrrrr, I'm so cold! I've returned from the "hotspot" tourist destination of Fargo, North Dakota, only to find the the same freezing weather here in Minnesota. Enough of the complaining, here's what I was up-to the last few days:

• Friday morning, bright and early, around 6am I picked up my sister Victoria at the airport, who arrived from LA. Welcome back to Minnesota Vick! She swears every time she visits is one of the coldest periods here in the state. Judging by the weather, she's absolutely correct.
• After a period of rest we headed up to Fargo with my Mom & Dad. Speed limits were broken, and we arrived in 3.5 hours. We made good time!
• We "chilled" (literally) that night. Getting ready for my cousin Melanie's wedding...
• The wedding didn't start until Saturday ~ 5pm; so my Dad, sister, and I decided to go sight-seeing in Fargo. Did I mention it was damn (bloody) @#$% cold? Well, luckily, in Fargo, sight-seeing only involves 3 blocks... and we were somewhat happy about that. Most the time was spent at a local coffee shop, actually.
• The Wedding. Excellent, very sweet ceremony. I actually enjoyed not being in the wedding party for a change! One duty I did get assigned... I was "Paparazzi" at the wedding reception as my cousin Abby (amateur photographer) was in the wedding party (and the other photographer was ill)... Ahhhh, I loved it! Shooting with a Canon Rebel XT was absolutely amazing! I wish I'd have something of that caliber for my live-shows... This is one of the reasons I don't really have a lot of pictures of the reception on my camera. Hope the shots I took for you Abby (like 300) turned out! They belong in a gallery near you!???
• As with all weddings, the best part is seeing family and friends you haven't seen in a while. So I'd like to say "Hi!" to all of you who I hung out with (and maybe even gave this website address to). It was a pleasure and I'll miss you...
• Congratulations again to Melanie & Tom, the happy couple! They're on a cruise of the Caribbean right now, so I'm pretty sure they have better things to do than to check my lonely ol' blog...
• No offense to anybody, but the DJ at the wedding absolutely sucked! He played the a-typical wedding tunes... I did not even inquire to do my "guest DJ set"...
• Sunday we headed back. As much as I enjoyed my 2nd trip to Fargo this year, I was happy to be back in Mpls/St. Paul. I missed my dog Ringo. Thanks Randy (my bro) and Jenn for taking care of all of our animals for the weekend!
• You may be wondering... Did Mr. Rock 'n' roll star get lucky at the wedding??? Sorry, that's classified! I'm giving you way too much information on my private life already...

Bloggin' for the rest of the week will be sporadic as my sis is here. Hockey Night later today, though...

A lot of stuff to cover today...

Folks, how are you? I have a lot of stuff to cover today, very little time, so let's get started:

I tell you this music blogging thing is absolutely crazy! It's changing the whole way the music industry is operating. You want proof? Go here. Big Record Companies (i.ie. Sony, Capitol, etc.), you better get with the times, 'cause the times they are changing!

Speaking of blogging... I'm finally trying to network a bit more with the other local bloggers! For example, see the new "local" bloggers section in the right-side-bar. Also, a message to all of the other local bloggers, should we have a "get-together" sometime? I think we should. Perhaps at local restaurant/pub? Let me know what ya'll think. Email me, or leave it in the comments. I'd love to meet the actual people behind some of these blogs sometime...

I actually have Friday off work! Very weird. The reasons for this are: 1) My sister Victoria is coming in from LA this @#$ morning @ 5:15am, and I'm picking her up at the airport; 2) After that we're heading up to Fargo (yes, Fargo) for my cousin Melanie's wedding.

Speaking of the wedding. (Early) Congratulations to Melanie and Tom! In their honor here's the most beautiful love song of all time:

mp3: Motley Crue - 10 Seconds To Love

OK, just kiddin'

Here's something more romantic for them:

mp3: Stars - Calendar Girl (one of my fav's 2005) (another link here)

I'm off to Fargo on Friday, so no post this evening. I'm planning a "short DJ set" (about 15 minutes) at the wedding (dependent on how drunk the regular DJ is, or I am). Can you say "Arctic Monkeys"... I know you can. Let's hope I don't get thrown out of the festivities...

Ya'll have a great weekend!

P.S. Yes, you'd look good on the dancefloor!

The Frames / Sons and Daughters

Continuing with the "International theme" for the week, today it's music from the UK area. To be specific, two of my favorite countries, Scotland and Ireland. Both of these bands had a great year in 2005. Don't worry I won't give you any "2005 lists" anytime soon. I'm sick of lists as well...

The Frames

This band is huge in their native Ireland and the rest of Europe! Sadly, like Robbie Williams, they're mostly unheard of in the USA. A crying shame in my humble opinion. They were one of the bands who really stood out (blew me away) @ Austin City Limits. Take a break from listening to the Pogues and U2, and check it out:

mp3: The Frames - Finally
mp3: The Frames - Fake

Website: www.theframes.ie

Sons and Daughters



Luckily I've had a chance to catch this Scottish import live quite a few times over the past year and a half. They've really blown up since their latest album The Repulsion box hit the shelves, and deservedly so! For a change of pace from Travis and Franz Ferdinand, check these guys and gals out.

mp3: Sons And Daughters - Dance Me In
mp3: Sons And Daughters - Dance Me In (JD Twitch and The Truffle Club's Optimo Mix)

Website: www.sonsanddaughtersloveyou.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/sonsanddaughters

P.S. Maureen Dowd on Letterman Wednesday... priceless!

P.P.S. Don't forget, Jack & Meg are on TV Thursday and Friday... check your local listings!

Brazilian Girls & Boys

It's "International Day" here today on my blog! Some very diverse stuff I've been listening to lately. Today's post covers 2 artists, 1 from the US, and 1 from Brazil. It also includes mp3s in 4 different languages: English, French, German, and Portugese. I guess I'm going "global" today...

I love when the Current introduces me to new music... Case in point, Brazilian Girls, who've had their tune "Homme" in rotation (if you can call it that) over the past couple of weeks. I was immediately hooked and tracked down their self-titled record. The album is outstanding. A little background on the band... Brazilian Girls are not from Brazil (they actually hail from Brooklyn, NY), neither are they girls, except for the multi-cultural lead singer Sabina Sciubba. Sabina speaks around 5 different languages and her diverse backround is very evident in the band's music. Musically they're a mixture of house music, electronica, world music, samba, pop, etc., it goes on and on. They really don't fit well into any genre. All you fans of Thievery Corp and the Verve Remix Collections will definitely love this band! I know I do.

mp3: Brazilian Girls - Homme
mp3: Brazilian Girls - Don't Stop
mp3: Brazilian Girls - Pussy
mp3: Brazilian Girls - Die Gedanken Sind Frei (Thoughts Are Free)

Website: www.braziliangirls.info
MySpace: www.myspace.com/braziliangirls

Bonus mp3s:
Continuing with the Brazilian theme of the day. As promised here are a couple of tunes from the excellent The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Soundtrack...

mp3: Seu Jorge - Life On Mars (David Bowie Cover)
mp3: Sue Jorge - Rebel Rebel (David Bowie Cover)

Website: www.SeuJorge.com

Seu Jorge really deserves his own post in the near future...

Make sure you check out the hilarious quotes from the movie here (even if you haven't seen it)!

"Son of a bitch, I'm sick of these dolphins."

Weekend in review / misc...

(Photo, from left to right: Chester, Sigfried, Ringo (aka Rock 'n' Roll Dog)

For those of you in the US, I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed the long weekend! Unfortunately I had to work on Friday... sometimes (not very often though) it's not a good deal to work in the banking-bizzz. Here's what I was up to this weekend:

Friday, after work, I picked up my parent's dogs (Chester, Sigfried - pictured above) as my Mom was leaving for NYC and my Dad wasn't going to be home a lot due to a theatre production. Yes, I dog-sat from Friday through Sunday! Fun stuff, I tell you, three male territorial dogs... I actually did enjoy having them around my house though... After I picked up the dogs I headed over to Memory Lanes to try to win some free Spoon tickets (you can't buy tickets). Do you think I won anything? Of course not... I was pretty pissed off, and let the organizers of the event know (they only gave away 10 pairs of tickets in 2 hours), what a joke! After the "Spoon thing" I just returned home as to take care of the animals. We did sample some new music together though...

Hmmm, Saturday, did nothing too exciting. I thought about going to the Echo and the Bunnymen show, but decided not to. I cooked some Wiener Schnitzel, and watched a couple of movies instead on my cable: The Life Aquatic..., and The Aviator. I thought both were excellent. Martin Scorsese rules. Best thing about the Life Aquatic... the Portugese versions of David Bowie tunes! I absolutely loved it, watch the movie for more info...

Sunday, ate more Wiener Schnitzel (I made enough for an army). I cleaned my crib. Watched some football and HBO. My Dad picked up Sigfried and Chester. Not very exciting, huh? The weather sucked...

To finish up the post for today, let's have some fun, here's some great 80's mp3s I found while going though my CD collection! I'm still mp3ing all of my music and albums... I'm up to 40gigs and 3/4 done (I think), however my desk is still a complete mess. Here are some tunes, unless you're a big "80's head" you may not be familiar with, (they were really big in Europe, though, where I grew up):

mp3: Malcolm McLaren - Double Dutch
mp3: Mike Oldfield - Moonligh Shadow (Extended Version)
mp3: FR David - Words

Life Aquatic tunes to come tomorrow...

Rogue Wave / The Hopefuls - live @ Triple Rock 11/23/05

(Photo: Zach Rogue and myself after Rogue Wave's performance 11/23/05 @ Triple Rock)

All photos from the Rogue Wave / The Hopefuls gig here. Slideshow here.

For a change it's really easy to sum up a live show. 2 words, "absolutely brilliant"! A couple of random thoughts and observations on the evening:

• I've seen local band The Hopefuls live about 5 times now and they're still great. Their set consisted of about 1/3 new material, which sounded really (and I mean REALLY) good. They are definitely one of the top local bands. I believe they even had a bigger crowd than Rogue Wave!

• I ran into local music "guru" Mr. David de Young of HowWasTheShow.com. He was on his "9 live shows in one evening trek". Judging from his blog, looks like it's "mission accomplished"! Very nice guy and crew...

• Rogue Wave was fantastic! I also had a great time hangin' with the band after the show.

Sorry, I'm out of time. If I don't talk to you, have a great weekend! I'm off to score some free Spoon tickets and to dog-sit my parent's 2 dogs...

The Hopefuls



mp3: The Hopefuls - Let's Go (right click - "save target as")
mp3: The Hopefuls - Imaginary (right click - "save target as")
mp3: The Hopefuls - Holiday (right click - "save target as")
mp3: The Hopefuls - Motobike (right click - "save target as")
mp3: The Hopefuls - Drain the Sea

Band Website: www.thehopefulsmusic.com
My Space: www.myspace.com/thehopefulsmusic

Rogue Wave



mp3: Rogue Wave - Publish My Love (via La Blogothèque)
mp3: Rogue Wave - Love's Lost Guarantee (via La Blogothèque)
mp3: Rogue Wave - Everyday (Buddy Holly Cover) (via La Blogothèque)

You Ain't No Picasso has an mp3 of Rogue Wave covering Nirvana's "On a Plain".

Band Website: www.roguewavemusic.com
"Secret" My Space: www.myspace.com/rwshhh

Hard-Fi / Radio 4

Did we all watch the American Music Awards last night?! In case you didn't see it, you didn't miss much. The highlight of the show for me was the performance by the Eurythmics (they peformed a greatest hits medley of 3 songs)... Annie Lennox still has an amazing voice. Low-lights of the show were Lindsay Lohan (can't sing) and Hilary Duff (who I believe was lip-syncing and therefore probably can't sing either). Also, a message to the directors of all music awards shows: Can we please not "MTV" the live performances?!!! They don't have to look like a music video (visual effects etc.)... just watching the artists perform live is entertaining enough...

I'm a bit short on time today, therefore just a brief post. Continuing on with my "best of 2005":

Hard-Fi



Hard-Fi's debut album Stars of CcTV crossed my desk in late July of this year. They hail from Middlesex, England. For me the album went largely unnoticed until a couple of months ago when one my my buddies sent me an email stating to "re-explore" the CD. I'm very glad I did, now I can't stop listening to it. They sound a bit like the Happy Mondays meet Daft Punk meet The Specials meet The Clash.

This song is definitely going on my "best of 2005 mix-cd". It's hard not to get up and dance to it (and I don't really "dance")...

mp3: Hard Fi - Cash Machine

Radio 4



Since we're on the topic of danceable rock n roll music. One of the most infectious tunes this summer came from NYC's Radio 4. Again, it's going on my 2005 mix CD. Ahhhh, I miss summer!

mp3: Radio 4 - Absolute Affirmation

From the album: Stealing of a Nation

OK, I think that's it for today. Make sure you check out the top Canadian bands as voted on by Canada's top bloggers!

I'm taking the rest of Wednesday and Thursday off from any computer work. Can't wait for the Rogue Wave / Hopefuls show this evening.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! I shall return Friday.

Weekend in Review / Interpol - Remixes

People always assume my weekends are crazy?! Yet, my last weekend was very uneventful and filled with just meeting up with family and friends. Unfortunately I didn't make it to any of the shows I meant to. Rogue Wave on Wednesday is definitely one I'm counting on though...

One of my favorite albums from 2004 was Interpol's Antics. Well, guess what, now they're bundling a 2005 re-mix album with the CD. Here's a tune from the album:

mp3: Interpol - Not Even Jail (daniel kessler remix) (follow link)


Bonus mp3s of the day:

mp3: Pet Shop Boys - Someday (from "West Side Story")
mp3: Pet Shop Boys - London (Genuine Piano Mix)

This weekend

(Photo: Detroit Cobras)

Here's what's up this weekend:

Friday: Lots of good stuff going on. Detroit Cobras @ Triple Rock. The Clientele @ 400 Bar. Spoon Ticket Giveaway @ Big V's. Hmmm, haven't decided yet what I'm doing... Right now it's between the Cobras and The Clientele...

mp3: Detroit Cobras - Last Nite (Strokes Cover)

Saturday: Vicious Vicious @ Turf Club.

Sunday: I should probably get back to this project! Then again this is going on @ Minneapolis Convention Center...

Have a great weekend!

Johnny Cash

Since his movie is opening today, and I love Johnny (I've posted this one before I think):

mp3: Johnny Cash - In My Life

RIP in my friend... "We'll see you all in hell, damn your eyes"...

My trip to LA

Classic! These guys and gals look like they belong in a bad hip-hop video!

All photos on Flickr here. Slideshow here.

I love LA! I have to say I had a great time in the City of Angels. Here's what happened. My sister Victoria lives there. My friend Tommy, who I grew up with in Vienna joined us there with his girlfriend Veronika. Can 4 people get along like that? The answer, yes!! Here's what we did (in chronological order):

• Checked out Queenvick's apartment. Very interesting...
• Went to Hollywood Boulevard, looked at the "Stars", and bought souveniers. (In the rain on the first day).
• We scored free tickets to the "Craig Ferguson" show. Amazing how Hollywood shows are made... even better, My Morning Jacket was the band we saw... amazing...Went to a Hollywood "Meet and Greet". For a Michigan Horror Movie Producer/Director... very interesting to say the least.
• Sang Karaoke (spelling?) at the Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood. The ladies sang "99 Luftballoons (in German), and Tommy and I sang Stevie Wonder's "I just called to say I love you" (see mp3 earlier post). Classic! The crowd was diggin' it (I think???).
• Drove up to the Hollywood hills and acted like we belong there! Even though we were in a Honda Prelude...
• Had some "Crepes" in Santa Monica.
• Bought "cheap tourist wear hoodies".
• Went to "The Grove" (which is right by @#$! Farmer's Market). Tommy bought an iPod. I'm still very jelaous!
• Took a trip to Universal Studios. I highly recommend "Shrek - 4D"!
• Went hiking in Griffith Park, which was amazing! Got some great shots of the "Hollywood" sign!
• Spent some time and had a really great meal at Venice Beach.
• Saw Jeremy in "Frazzle" @ the Victory Theatre. Great show!
• Had a few drinks at "Encounter" at LAX.
• Tried to go to Brendan Benson @ Spaceland. Unfortunately by the time we got there it was sold out. Bummer...
• Toured Melrose Avenue (great shopping!) and had a great lunch @ the Vienna Cafe( Wiener Schnitzel for breakfast is good!).
• Walked a mile or two, then took a tour of the Beverly Hills and Belle Aire Mansions.
• Witnessed a "real live" Hollywood premiere @ the AFI film festival. Yes, I saw famous people!
• Went to Amoeba records! I could spend a day in this store...

"Thanks" go out to the following people:

• My lovely sister Victoria for putting us up and for just being her!
• Tommy and Veronika for being just the way they are... We'll definitely have to get together somewhere in the world in '06!
• Jeremy (thanks for putting us up the last night), Nate, Hal, Greg, Will, and Victoria's roommate Cassy...

One of the best vacations I ever took...

Even though I love LA, I think I'm still moving to NYC next year!

I just thought of one thing... Victoria, we never went to Cher's house as you promised?! Pretty disappointing, ...sniff!?...

Well, here's an mp3 for everybody to make up for it:

mp3: Cher - Just Like Jesse James

P.S. Inside joke: "Beverllllllllllllly"!!! And where's the "Korean chick"? "She's not that hot"!???

What I'm listening to

A few weeks back I got rid of my "What I'm listening to" links list in my right side-bar. Reason is, I don't have time to update this list every day, and I listen to way too much music. So, since a couple of people have asked me about this, here's my list of what I'm currently sampling; I'm serious, these are all the "new" albums sitting on the desktop of my PC (sorry there are not in alphabetecial order and are missing hyperlinks, there's just too many):

Editors -The Back Room
Ashlee Simpson - Autobiography
Ashlee Simpson - I Am Me
Athlete - Tourist
Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Robbie Williams-Intensive Care
Sugababes - Taller In More Ways
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Starsailor - On The Outside
Babyshambles- Down In Albion
Pulp - Hits
Danger Mouse - Grey Album
The Prodigy - Their Law-The Singles
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
Roy Orbison - All time greatest
Bee Gees - Number Ones
UB40 - The Very Best Of 1980-2000
Madness - Divine Madness
Beck - Guero
Ben Folds - Songs For Silverman
Natalie Imbruglia - Counting Down the Days
Edith Piaf - The very best of
Robbie Williams - Live At Knebworth
Eurythmics - Greatest Hits
Dwight Yoakam - The Very Best Of Dwight Yoakam
Roxy Music - The Best Of
Eminem - Dont call me Marshall
The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me
Arctic Monkeys - 17 Tracks
Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations
Morrisey - You Are The Quarry
Johhny Cash - American IV - The Man Comes Around
Bright Eyes - Fevers And Mirrors
Tegan & Sara - So Jealous
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
John Lennon - Working Class Hero
Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
Metric - Live It Out
Blink 182 - Greatest Hits
Neil Diamond - 12 Songs
Supergrass - Road to Rouen
My Morning Jacket - Z
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Kanye West - Late Registration
We Are Scientists - With Love And Squalor
The Rapture - Echoes
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
The Frames - Burn The Maps
Ladytron - Light & Magic
The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone
Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
Nina Simone - The Best Of The Colpix Years
Simply Red - Very Best Of
Simply Red - Simplified
Liz Phair - Liz Phair
Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle
Hot Hot Heat - Make Up The Breakdown
Cat Power - You Are Free
Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Elbow - A Cast of Thousands
Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only
The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
Aqueduct - I Sold Gold
Nina Simone- Anthology
Goldfrapp - Supernature
Elbow - Leaders of the Free World
Bob Mould - Body of Song
Atomic Kitten - Greatest Hits
Underworld - Lovely Broken Things
Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm
Sia - Healing Is Difficult
Abba - Gold
Of Montreal - Sunlandic Twins
Deerhoof - The Runners Four
The American Analog Set - Set Free
Dire Straights - Private Investigations - Best Of
The Fiery Furnaces - Rehearsing My Choir
Brendan Benson - The Alternative To Love
Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
DangerDoom - The Mouse & The Mask
The National - Alligator
Brian Wilson - Smile
Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness
Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
New Order - Singles
Annie - Anniemal
Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take Them On, On Your Own
The Cribs - The New Fellas
Hard-Fi - Stars Of CCTV
Kate Bush - Aerial
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
The Fray - Reason
22-20's - 22-20's
The Wrens - The Meadowlands
The Paddingtons - First Comes First

EDIT: Of cource, I forgot a couple:

Gorillaz - G-Sides
Spacemokys vs Gorillaz
Groove Armade - 5 albums
Thievery Corporation - 8 albums (Merci Adam)
Amusement Parks on Fire - Amusement Parks on Fire ( I love this CD!)
The Sopranos - Music From The Original Series
The Sopranos - Peppers & Eggs (2CDs)

This is NOT my best of 2005 list (as some of these are older). A couple of brief notes:

If I had to chose 5 albums from this list to recommend (to the random music listener) it would be these:

1) Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
2) We Are Scientists - With Love And Squalor
3) Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll
4) The Cribs - The New Fellas
5) Hard-Fi - Stars Of CCTV

Wolf Parade will probably go down as my "favorite show" of 2005. Their gig @ First Avenue 7th Street Entry was simply amazing. Here's a tune for you which almost gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it; yes, it's that good, and it will definitely wind up in my top tunes from 2005 (probably in the top 5):

mp3: Wolf Parade - I'll Believe In Anything

Most of the other albums are pretty amazing as well. Yes, you can tell I have a "sweetspot" for cheesy pop music. Cum on, you know one of my favorite bands of all time is The Pet Shop Boys, right (and I'm straight)!?

Also, make sure you check out the "Top bands in America 2005 list" as compiled by the top mp3 bloggers. "The National" at No. 2? No White Stripes? Voice your opinion on the site! Ahhhhh, I love lists...

If you have any questions on the albums let me know and I'll respond in the comments!

Back from LA

I've made it back in one piece from one of my best vacations ever, L.A., California! I'm still unpacking, here's a tune that brings back memories from my trip:

mp3: Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You

Way more stuff to come...

World Leader Pretend live @ Quest Ascot Room 11/7/05

My buddy Brody was kind enough to hook me up with a ticket for last night's World Leader Pretend show @ Quest Ascot Room. Amazing show, to say the least! Think of a band that sounds like Starsailor meets U2 meets Coldplay meets Spoon. They're about the nicest guys from New Orleans...

But don't take just my word for it. You can read way more about them here via the "power mp3 blog" You Ain't No Picasso. He's also got a couple of mp3 for you which are well worth your time.

Is it more photos and/or even slide show you want?! Yes, I have that as well for you here! These turned out really well for a change (in my opinion)...

I'm off to the LA tomorrow (actually later today). I'll be back next week... I should perhaps start packing now!

mp3: The Raveonettes - Ode to L.A. (follow link)

Locals: Have fun @ the Shout Out Louds and Magic Numbers gigs this week! I'm sure you'll miss me?!

The scoop today...

First off, let's comment on the picture above. I'm really into Liz Phair at the moment! No, don't worry, not the music. Yeah, I know, once again I have a problem... It's good to see a picture of a sexy young lady on my blog for a change. You can check out more on her site (or Google her name). Damn, very hot... arguably the sexiest woman in rock 'n' roll, Stellastarr*'s bassist comes close though.

Local band, Tapes 'n Tapes, has created quite a buzz on the mp3 blogs. Amazing, considering their new album "The Loon" just came out last week. You can read all about the band and download some of their mp3s at the official site, MfR, and GvB. "Insistor" is a really great tune. HowWasTheShow has a review of their CD release party @ Turf Club from last Friday. Unfortunately I missed the event as I was @ The Go! Team show and the Revolver Modele show @ Varsity Theater. One thing is for sure, they'll have a great crowd for their next gig, 12/17/05, @ 400 Bar with Vicious Vicious.

It's not too often this happens. One mp3 that "blew my socks off" today, Metric "Poster of a Girl"! Wow, I guess it must be the French lyrics in the background. I have the album, quite good I have to say. Yet another show I missed during "Rocktober"... Here's the track:

mp3: Metric - Poster of a Girl (via Veritas Lux Mea) - highly recommended!

While I'm at it, here's three other great mp3s:

mp3: The Go! Team - Ice Storm (via tmwsiy*)
mp3: The Go! Team - We Listen Everyday (via tmwsiy*)
mp3: Spoon - Everything Hits At Once (via The Bubble Death) (follow link)

I started experimenting with posting my concert photos via Flickr. Check it out, you can find pictures of The Go! Team here, and the opening bands that evening here. Not the greatest pictures of all time. I think I have to take a course in "Rock n roll photography" next! Check out these... I'm so jelaous, those are so good. Then again, that's one of the top mp3 blogs on the planet; perhaps I just need a better camera...

In personal news I conveniently forgot to mention yesterday... Yeah, the "quitting smoking" isn't going so well; actually it's not going at all. I started again about a month ago. Me bad, I know. I'll plan to quit again soon; perhaps "quitting number 4" will be the lucky one. We'll see... be nice to me on the comments, ok?!

I'll be making some changes to the site this weekend. If it looks all different, hopefully in a better way, don't worry, still good old me... updates to come soon!

Have a great Friday ya'll!

P.S. I have 58 new albums on my desktop which I'm trying to check out while posting this... crazy, I tell you! I'll post what I'm listening to soon.

P.P.S. One more great mp3 for you, from one of my favorite bands of all time... Did you hear?!Jarvis Cocker is going solo (I'm so excited):

mp3: Pulp - Razzmatazz

OK, one more, I think (maybe) I have her out of my system now:

Here's what's up...

Photo: Myself and good friend Vieng checking out The Go! Team from the First Avenue balcony, 10/28/05.

Ok, personal update time; I haven't done this for a while as my schedule has been "hectic" to say the least. Here's what's new and a few other "ramblings", in no particular order (at all):

• I'm heading to sunny and warm L.A., California, next week to visit my sister Victoria (Queenvick), and to meet up with good friends Tommy (Indiana Tom) and Veronika. Can't wait... unfortunately I'll be a week early for the Arctic Monkeys' gig, however, I'm sure we'll find lots of other great things to do. I probably won't blog from there as a vacation from looking at a computer screen may be in order for me...

• As mentioned above I've been really busy at work; it's been like that since October of 2004, actually! It's all good though... working with new technologies and doing new things keeps me happy (for the most part).

• As you can tell from my blog and previous posts... I'm seriously into music; yeah, to the point that some people would almost consider it a "problem" or an "addiction"! It's all good though... looks like the fall/autumn concert season of great shows is almost over. I'll have more time to devote to this site instead soon! Has anybody downloaded any of the mp3s I put out there? They're good stuff...

• I'm listening to Johnny Cash's "American IV - The Man Comes Around" album right now. I highly recommend this album; can't wait for the movie to come out in a couple of weeks...

• My dog Ringo, aka Rock 'n' Roll dog, just turned 2 years old last month. You'd think he would have mellowed out a bit. Fat chance! Still good old Ringo... he's doing really well, however, he really needs a haircut! He looks like a little "hippie dog"; then again I need a haircut as well...

• I'm still "mp3ing" my whole music collection. I think this has been taking me a month now! Between CDs, mp3CDs, and mp3s... I can't tell you, it's sooooo out of hand! I'm finally getting there, though. By the end of November my music collection should be all digitized and ready for an mp3-device (such as an iPod for example). I still can't believe I don't have an iPod! Crazy, huh?!

• Are you using Bittorrent yet? If not, you're missing out... Thanks Adam!

• Are you using a) the Firefox browser, or b) a "Blogroll" yet? If not, you should! I use Bloglines... I love it; however there are many other similar products available. Trust me, it will change the way you surf the web (and perhaps turn you into an "internet addict" like me).

• I can't believe it... I'm going to be an uncle in about 2 months! My sister-in-law and brother are having a baby in two months. Everything is going well... it's going to be a girl. That reminds me I should check to see if they've decided on a name yet... Personally I like "Sinéad"...

• In other "family news"... My cousin Melanie is getting married to Tom one month from tomorrow, 12/3/05! I'm looking forward to the festivities in Fargo... Now if I could just get my shit together and mail back the RSVP!

• Thanks to my buddies/co-workers Anglopheliac and Dan for providing with me with so much new music!

• Have you checked out The Current's blog yet? It's brilliant... the DJ's leave a post everyday. Even my long-lost-friend Brian left a comment today. Yeah, he's the guy responsible for getting me into the Libertines and the Strokes, in addition to so many other great bands. Matt, don't worry, you're still "The Oasis Guy"!

• I'm sorry but I just can't get into Sufjan Stevens or My Morning Jacket! Am I missing something here??? I have both of their albums, but just don't get it. Do I need to be under a controlled substance (like Floyd) to properly enjoy this? They're both decent... however, I know both will wind up in the top critics' lists for 2005 (Sufjan will be No#1 on many). Let me know... I'll take the Arctic Monkeys over both any time (I'm fueling the hype once again)!

• Are you bored reading this yet? Yeah, so am I. I'm going to post some mp3s instead. Thanks for reading my blog! As always, don't be affraid to comment! Bloggers like that... trust me, it gives us feedback... So if there's anything on you mind please let me know.

MP3s:

Johnny Cash - In My Life (Beatles Cover)
Notes: Simply amazing!

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Notes: You like the Libertines, right? You like the Strokes, right? If you're only going to download one song ever from this blog, this is the one! Trust me... it was the number 1 single in the UK last week...

Arctic Monkeys - Scummy
Notes: Their next single in the UK...

M.I.A. vs New Order - Bucky Monday
Notes: Just for you Brian and Mia!

JayZ + DJ Danger Mouse - What More Can I Say
Notes: From the Grey Album. Just for you Metalfan! Awesome (you shall like the whole album)...

Have a great day! Don't take life too seriously, ok! "It's all just a game we play"...

C.Y.H.S.Y.Steve.Out.

One more great picture! Did you know they make Corona in a can? Yes, they do. My buddy Matt demonstrates:

Can't lose

Photo: Constantines joined by Broken Social Scene & Thunderbirds Are Now! 10/30/05, First Avenue.

No, I didn't get trampled at a show, I'm still alive! Wow, what a weekend, unfortuntately I don't have time to summarize these last few days at the moment. So, I'll just give you this post for now, way more stuff to come later.

Last weekend was amazing. Here's the live bands I saw: Melodious Owl, The Grates, The Go! Team, The Deaths, Revolver Modele, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Constantines (& Broken Social Scene), The Hold Steady. And that's just Friday and Sunday! I didn't even go to Broken Social Scene on Saturday night... luckily the band showed up and guest-performed during their Toronto buddies' Constantines' set Sunday...

I have to sort through my 300 or so pictures... In the meanwhile, sit tight...

mp3: We Are Scientists - Can't Lose

P.S. Two great shows I missed this weekend (in addition to Broken Social Scene): Marah, My Morning Jacket. Did any of your readers go? Lemmeknow...

Happy Nationalfeiertag 2005!

OK, better late than never, I can't believe I forgot about this 'till today. On Wednesday, 10/26/05, my native country of Austria celebrated its national holiday "Nationalfeiertag 2005"! Congratulations!

A couple of Austrian tunes for you:

mp3: Wolfgang Ambros - Es lebe der Zentralfriedhof (live)
mp3: Reinhard Fendrich - Strada Del Sole

Schöne Grüsse an die Familie und Freunde in Österreich!!!

OK, I'm out of here... Just about to put on my Cheerleading outfit and then it's off to First Avenue to watch The Go! Team. Tschüss, "Bussi", bis nechste Woche!

P.S. Yes, I'll be attending The Hold Steady and Broken Social Scene shows this weekend as well. 3 nights in a row @ First Avenue... we'll see if I can pull it off. Perhaps I should rent out the VIP room and just make it into my new loft!?

Spoon @ 400 Bar 12/8/05 ticket info

As promised, here's the info on how to attend the Spoon show @ 400 Bar, 12/8/05. Free tickets and beers for a dollar... I think I'll be there!

Nina / Felix

Check out Queenvick's Blog, she's updated her site, and is back from the wilderness! Horses, pigs, spiders, family members, it's all there...

I'm still "mp3ing" my whole CD/MP3 collection. Man, this has been taking ages! Very time-consuming process to say the least. However, it has its rewards... I found a couple of tunes which Anglopheliac gave me today which you might dig...

Funny thing, I was listening to a new CD I got by Felix da Housecat, I ran across this tune called "Nina"... then I started thinking, hmmmm, I know somebody with that name (right, Jan?). Anyway, here we go, some mp3s which relate to "Nina" which are really cool:

mp3: Felix Da Housecat - Nina
mp3: Felix Da Housecat - Sinnerman (Nina Simone Mix)
mp3: Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You
mp3: Nina Simone - Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair (Verve Remix)

Nina Simone is sooooo great I could probably devote my whole blog to her, now that I think of it...!

I know there's way more tunes with "Nina" in it... anyway, Mr. & Mrs. BronxByNight enjoy...

Congrat's to the Chicago White Sox who just won the World Series! They came out of a good division...

Have a great day! Greetings to Braunschweig, Deutschland!!!

Whoops, almost forgot! Here's what Bill Maher had to say about the Minnesota Vikings scandal last Friday:

New Rule: Let Vikings be Vikings. Yes, there's outrage that some Minnesota Vikings may have gone on a party cruise and then...partied. Excuse me, but what's the point of getting your ribs crushed every week if you can't occasionally get blown on a boat? Besides, these are the Minnesota Vikings. They can't always be the ones doing the sucking.

'Nuff said...

Girls.Boys.Arts.Pleasure.Paninaro.Steve.Out.

Spoon / Longwave / The Cribs live update

Breaking news from More Cowbell! Spoon will be playing in Minneapolis @ 400 Bar, 12/8/05. More news on how to attend the show to come tomorrow... I'm pretty excited, as I'm a Spoon addict...

Also, just in case you haven't heard... The whole Longwave/The Cribs tour has been cancelled. Very unfortunate to say the least, I was really looking forward to seeing The Cribs (and Longwave). Poor Longwave, their last tour with Embrace got cancelled as well...

Cool stuff to check out:

Spoon
Website: www.spoontheband.com
mp3: Spoon Sister Jack (follow link)
My related posts: Austin City Limits - Day 1 - 9/23/05

Longwave
Website: www.longwavetheband.com
mp3: Longwave We're Not Gonna Crack (follow link)
My related posts: Weekend Rewind - Longwave

The Cribs
Website: www.thecribs.com
mp3: The Cribs The New Fellas (follow link)
My related posts: Up and running again (for the most part)

Embrace
Website: www.embrace.co.uk
mp3: Embrace Gravity (follow link)

Bonus "new" mp3 of the day
Band: The Strokes
Website: www.thestrokes.com
mp3: The Strokes - You Only Live Once (follow link). From the forth-coming album "First Impressions On Earth".
My related posts: Up and running again (for the most part)

Bonus "old" mp3 of the day
Band: The White Stripes
Website: www.whitestripes.com
mp3: The White Stripes - Astro (follow link). After all, the Houston "Astros" are in the World Series for the first time...

P.S. I'm trying a new mp3 download service which I found via Rock Snob ("Merci Beacoup" once again!). Seems to be working quite well, it doesn't make you wait a 1/2 hour to download your file (unlike some others). All mp3's I publish are highly recommended!

I win!

Congratulations to me! This morning I won 2 tickets from 89.3 The Current to The Go! Team's show Friday @ First Avenue. I still can't believe it... Now I just have to figure out who to take. Hmmmm...

Update: My buddy Vieng will be attending the show with me. "Sorry" to all my other local friends and family! Hope to still see you there...

Website: www.thegoteam.co.uk
My Space: www.myspace.com/thegoteam
mp3: The Go! Team We Just Won't Be Defeated

Stream live Death Cab for Cutie

For all you DCfC fans who either missed them on tour or would like to listen to an encore performance:

• NPR presents a live webcast: Death Cab for Cutie, 10/24/05, from Washington DC, beginning ~ 8:45pm CST. You can also find other great performances on NPR's website, including My Morning Jacket, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, The Secret Machines, The Decemberists, Bloc Party, and many more.

Did anybody get a chance to download and listen to the new "leaked" Strokes or Babyshambles tracks? Personally so far, I like the new Strokes tunes; I'm a bit underwhelmed by Babyshamles' new material. However, it's actually better than I expected... Any thoughts?