Those sitting at home, pacing the room, deciding whether or not to attend tonight's After the Jump CMJ showcase at the Music Hall of Williamsburg behold a bill sampling and man up:

A Place to Bury Strangers - "To Fix the Gash in Your Head"

Foals - "Mathletics"

Yeasayer - "2080"
(Brixton, UK August 14th, 2007, amateur vid)

Cadence Weapon - "Black Hand"

Door at 7, show at 8.

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 05:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So tomorrow is the big day as the New York Times told you, but the festivities actually start tonight. those of you with the ability to be in the greater Williamsburg region are invited to drink free beer on a roof, listen to (even more) bands for free, and celebrate awesomeness in general.

Ah but wait, a smattering of things to look at before you go fast into this good night:

- Disconap interviews Bling Kong

- Riot in Belgium talk to ProductShopNYC

- Subinev on Goes Cube

- the Music Snobbery talks to Jukebox the Ghost and lays down an absurd number of potential raffle prizes

- the Modern Age chats with the Teenage Prayers

- Pop Tarts Suck Toasted with the Virgins

- Earfarm on Locksley and Spacemen 3/ Spectrum

- Punk Photo with a verbal snapshot of Free Blood

- Music Slut takes on both Spectrum and Soulico

- Slap You in Public gets down with Apache Beat

- Bumpershine takes a liking to DJ David Bruno

- I Rock, I Roll summons the Golem

and

- Yeti Does Not Dance with Ra Ra Riot

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 05:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Next Saturday, the 25th of August, will be the inaugural edition of the blogger run and organized After the Jump Festival in Greenpoint, Brooklyn to which I've most shadily alluded in the past. All day from 2 o' clock on at Studio B we will be throwing 9 bands at you on two stages for a whopping zero dollars. For non math majors, that comes down to nothing per band. Headlining our little extravanganza will be Spectrum, also known as Sonic Boom of the legendary 80's drone titans, the Spacemen 3. Also appearing will be energetic and courageous local favorites Ra Ra Riot, former Neon Lights stars Apache Beat, the air tight Beatlesesque songsmiths of Locksley, New York City pop workhorses the Teenage Prayers, gypsy superfreaks Golem, numerical minded thrashers Goes Cube, witty indie rockers Jukebox the Ghost, and the multi drummered madness that is Bling Kong. The day will be hosted by Sara Schaefer, host of the DL Show on AOL's Spinner.com.

It all promises to be very eclectic, and very wonderfully strange.

A less scattershot, and much more helpful, guide to next Saturday's set times:

Metro Mix Main Stage

2:00 The Teenage Prayers

3:00 Locksley

4:00 Golem

5:00 Ra Ra Riot

6:00 Spectrum

CONCERT.TV Side Stage

2:30 Jukebox the Ghost

3:30 Bling Kong

4:30 Goes Cube

5:30 Apache Beat

At this point you'll likely convince yourself that you've been rocked enough, and goddamnit you need to eat some food and fucking dance. Oh, but there'll be no need to hop on a train or carry yourself off to boroughs unknown, because we're also prepared to bring the dance party (also, there'll be food). To get you to fancy dancing, we've got Strokesy charmers the Virgins, Isreali party rockers Soulico, feted !!! offshoot Free Blood, and insane dance magnates Riot in Belgium.

Metro Mix Late night line-up:

10:00 The Virgins

11:00 Soulico

Midnight Free Blood

1:00 Riot In Belgium

This one will cost you, but modestly and with fine purpose. Your twelve dollar ticket, which can be purchased right now on Ticketweb here , will not only let you furiously get down. All proceeds will not be funding a sad addiction to import 7" singles, but will instead be going to fund elementary school music programs in the Bronx via the wonderful charity organization, Donors Choose. You'll hear much more about these fine fellows and the things they do in this space next week.

As this event is being held in the world and not some beautiful marshmallow puppy land it does cost a bit to put on, so I'd be remiss to neglect our fine sponsors.

Cellfish Media: Cellfish Media creates digital content for mobile phones and is helping to revolutionize the blogging community.

MetroMix.com: MetroMix is your one-stop local entertainment guide on where to go and what to do, from the hottest restaurants and bars, to the latest in events, music, movies, and more.

CONCERT.TV Concert.TV he first television channel dedicated to live music by offering both cutting edge shows and past favorites.

Indaba Music: Indaba Music is an international community of musicians, music professionals, and fans exploring the creative possibilities of making music with people in different places.

Imeem: Imeem is an online community where artists, fans & friends can promote their content, share their tastes, and discover new blogs, photos, music and video. Visit After the Jump on Imeem.

CMJ: CMJ Network connects music fans and music industry professionals with the best in new music through interactive media, live events and print.

Xanga: Xanga is a community of online diaries and journals.

Colt 45: For over 4 decades, Colt 45 Premium Malt Liquor has been the "class of all malt liquor brands". With its smooth and distinct flavor and historic affiliation with Billy Dee Williams, it has become an urban American icon.

Studio B: Simply put, a night club in Brooklyn but really, a Greenpoint phenomenon.

...and that's how a bill becomes law.

Anyway, this is quite a lot of overwhelming and exciting information, I know. I've not even touched on the opportunities to win more free stuff from this free show, including two all access pass to the CMJ Music Festival this Fall (details at Music Snobbery). You'll hear more about it throughout the week, but for now just plan on making a Brooklyn run next Saturday and clear your cluttered minds.

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 06:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In memory of a great songwriter, we give you his best known track. On the first ballot for the sixties' oddest hit...

Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra - "Some Velvet Morning"

For some terrible reason that defies logic (and in light of the man's passing will likely be soon corrected) all copies of the video have been purged from You Tube. In substitution, we have "Hey Cowboy" from the charming Cowboy in Sweden album. Herein, see Lee fly his horse to Sweden, and use his superhuman hat tossing skills to pick up stewardesses. Let's hope his current locale is just as ideal...

Lee Hazlewood - "Hey Cowboy"

And also, a favorite of mine from the excellently titled Requiem for an Almost Lady LP.

Lee Hazlewood - "Little Miss Sunshine (Little Miss Rain)"

Previously: Retrohump Day: Lee Hazlewood

Full Obituary on Idolator

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 02:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since today is registered the country over as weekend, we will stay in our preferred off-day more vids, less chat mode. This time however, we make a minimal effort to be thematic by offering a couple of eighties classics with a vague military bent.

New Order - "Love Vigilantes"
(Tokyo, 1985)

New Order - "Love Vigilantes"

Gang of Four - "I Love a Man in a Uniform"
(Dance Fever 1982)

This lip sync-tastic Gang of Four clip from the internet show "Post Punk Junk", segues into the less appropriate and less compelling footage of Yellow Magic Orchestra. You can go AWOL at that point, or you can soldier through.

Sorry.

Gang of Four - "I Love a Man in a Uniform"

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I guess I'm not quite as confident as Bowie was in his "DJ" lyrics that I have a legitimate rooting section, but, as I stated previously, I will be DJ'ing tonight at the Lotus Lounge on the corner of Clinton and Stanton Streets on the Lower East Side. From roughly 10 - late. If you're keen to power through the slightly discouraging weather with concentrated doses of beer and music, please join me there. If not, you're not the readership I thought you were.

The last shameless plug had some bribery mp3's on it, which still exist. I offer you no bribe now but the possibility of a fine time.

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 04:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey, all. As I've said, tonight I will be DJ'ing at the Lotus Lounge in Manhattan. There is a big, crappy, famous Eurotrash club called Lotus in Manhattan, but this is not it. This one's address is 35 Clinton Street, located on the corner of Clinton and Stanton, on the Lower East Side. I'm pretty sure the nearest subway stop is Delancey. It is a bar. A perfectly reasonable bar at that.

I'll be doing my solemn duty from roughly 10 to 2 AM. You should come.

Here is a song about my plight:

Love is All - "Spinning and Scratching"

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Legendary film composer Ennio Morricone will be honored tonight with an honorary Academy Award. Despite five nominations for original score (only 5?) the maestro has never won. In other news, the Oscars are a total sham.

Expect to hear this one early and often in the montage.

Ennio Morricone - "the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"
(Munich, Germany 2005)

Posted by Jeff Klingman at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Image taken on March 11, 2002 from Brooklyn, NY.

Tags: September 11

Posted by Merry Swankster at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

25 years ago today John Lennon was killed. Apropos, the first song I heard today on the radio:

Watching the Wheels

People say I'm crazy doing what I'm doing,
Well they give me all kinds of warnings to save me from ruin,
When I say that I'm o.k. they look at me kind of strange,
Surely your not happy now you no longer play the game,

People say I'm lazy dreaming my life away,
Well they give me all kinds of advice designed to enlighten me,
When I tell that I'm doing Fine watching shadows on the wall,
Don't you miss the big time boy you're no longer on the ball?

I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round,
I really love to watch them roll,
No longer riding on the merry-go-round,
I just had to let it go,

People asking questions lost in confusion,
Well I tell them there's no problem,
Only solutions,
Well they shake their heads and they look at me as if I've lost my mind,
I tell them there's no hurry...
I'm just sitting here doing time,

I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round,
I really love to watch them roll,
No longer riding on the merry-go-round,
I just had to let it go.

(Picture from Strawberry Fields, Central Park - New York, NY)

Tags: John Lennon

Posted by Merry Swankster at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This Thursday will mark the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death. John Lennon was murdered in front of his Dakota building apartment in New York City on December 8, 1980. The NY Post has a fascinating piece of first person accounts of the final moments of Lennon's life. Chilling details of futile live saving efforts, the police response and how the press informed the world of the shocking news are revealed by the people who were there.

Bob Gruen, John's personal photographer, sums up the entire event:

My first thought was that maybe he'd been mugged, because that's what happened once in a while if you had bad luck. It didn't occur to me that someone would travel across the world to shoot him on purpose. It just didn't. It still doesn't make sense. It will never make sense.

Read the rest, link (free subscription required).

Tags: John Lennon

Posted by Merry Swankster at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

George Harrison
2/25/43 - 11/29/01

"Still my guitar gently weeps"

Tags: George Harrison

Posted by Merry Swankster at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)