YOU CAN'T SPELL STAR WITH OUT ST
There's a really good reason why i haven't been posting lately: On Tuesday I officially started up Stolen Transmission Records. The proper label that will release full length albums from bands. I never thought in a million years that I would love a job as much as I do, but only 4 days in and I'm smiling from ear to ear all day long. From the moment I wake up til the moment I drop (which has been in the DJ booth a couple of nights). Our offices are located in Island/Def Jam so today I passed by Jay-Z and we said hello to each other. Last night at our holiday party, JayZ and LA Reid gave my partner, Rob Stevenson, a super awesome shout out. He is, after all, the best of the best in the rock world. Even
New York Magazine thinks so! I just simply cant believe that I get to learn from and work with someone as extraordinary as Rob, and if I were to ever break the rules and get a tattoo, it would say "learn from rob."
Last weekend I went to California to visit the oohlas to check out the songs they've been working on for ST. There were moments when I sat there in their studio yelling at them. Yelling shit like "FUCK YOU GUYS FOR NOT PLAYING THIS SONG FOR ME EARLIER!" and "HOLY FUCKING SHIT." i'm so excited and proud of this band. They're making a record that I believe in 110%. They're doing something I can't help but flip the fuck out for. I can't wait til i can post some MP3s.
Apart from listening to new Oohlas music, Friday night I went with Ollie to see Cave-In. This was after having a muffin that ollie buttered for me... with some funny butter. Towards the end of the night GregOohlas decided that it looked like I needed to go home so he put me in his car and we drove around Hollywood listening to the Oohlas and I dont think I've felt so perfect in my life. I didn't want the car ride to ever stop. Ever. But once it did, i nested myself (filled with del Taco) on Ollie's couch and slept til the next morning.
Saturday me and the Oohlas went to the KROQ Almost Acoustic Xmas. Two of the bands that Rob signed were playing and so we got there pretty early to see them. Thankfully we got there early enough to witness the hilarity of Avenge Sevenfold. Ollie said it best when she said that they're so bad that they go full circle and are awesome again. Somewhere there is a void that Kid Rock left open and they feel the need to fill it, and fill it they will. I wouldn't be surprised if they become huge. Am I a fan? No. Do I think it will be huge? Yes. And I'm sure the girls in Santa themed bikinis dancing on stage think so too. Next up was Thrice. The singer of Thrice sings like this: ROOOOOOOOOOOOAR. No, wait, he sings like this: ROOAAAAAAAAAAAR. They sounded killer until the sound dude fucked up during a song they were supposed to play with a string quartet and Dustin ended up singing a capella. Lucky for him, he sounded great. Then Chino from the Deftones joined him for a song.
Then Gurj's favorite band, Fallout Boy took the stage. Call me biased, but I'm buying whatever brand of emo they're selling. Tough crowd for them to take on. Dudes were screaming for Korn (or KOOOOOOOOOORN). Pete W handled the situation well and promised the crowd that they would be off the stage shortly... meanwhile i screamed for them to play "Dance Dance."
I watched the rest of the show from backstage until Nine Inch Nails came on. Ollie and our internerd friend Riley jumped into the audience and danced and sang. We were those people. "Those People" that you dont want to stand next to because they're singing too loud and dancing a bit too much. Once NIN were over we momentarily loitered and then hopped onto a bus that took us to the Renassaince Hotel to drink at the bar. We all got shit faced. Said embarassing things. Called it a night.
I managed to crawl out of bed on sunday to rejoin Rob for day 2 of the KROQ show. Sunday's show was probably more up to all of your speed: Death Cab, Bravery, Coldplay, White Stripes, and Depeche Mode. The White Stripes are unreal. They are consistantly a fucking amazing band. Jack continues to appear like a complete pscyhopath genius. Meg continues to appear to be a 5 year old with a killer rack banging on drums in hopes that her ex-husband doesnt yell at her up afterwards cause she fucked up.
Coldplay was pretty great as well. They're pretty much always sweet on stage. They're like the peanut butter of rock: satisfying.
When Depeche Mode came on, either I was exhausted from a few hard nights and completely hung over, or the energy on stage was completely gone. I ended up falling asleep at my seat. Rob's friend Lucy Walsh woke me up and said it was time to leave. DM were still on, but I beelined it to a cab so i could fall asleep. Which I did at Ollie's while watching a show on the Disocvery channel about a 750 lb man. He died.
Monday Riley came to hang with me and Ollie. We nerded out about people from message boards that we met each other on. Who is dating who. Who's met whom in real life. What they're like. A mini-board meet-up of sorts.
At the end of the night I hopped on a plane and returned to NYC, took a 2 hour nap and went to my first day of work. (I just need to interject and say that Alex Shenitsky is the best. He just brought me a bellini. apparently we drink bellini's up in this piece on fridays). My first day of work was eventful and fun and it was followed by a marathon DJ evening for the Tarts of Pleasure. First we DJed from 7-12 at the Fuse holiday party (VJ Steven Smith joined us for the last hour and killed it... he's a fucking great DJ), and then we cabbed it to the Dark Room to DJ our Modern Art party. That went on til about 4am. So that was about 8 and half hours of DJing. By the end I was passing out and being served Jagerbombs by the bartenders in an effort to keep me awake.
Wednesdeay I had a showcase at Fat Baby with Permanent Me (formeally Yes, Virginia as of this morning), Her Daily Obsession, Foriegn Islands, and Monty. Permanent Me is a new band on ST. They make me want to be 16 again and ruling the halls of the mall with my boyfriend. Their songs are undeniably catchy and I feel so fucking blessed to have them in my life.
Her Daily Obsession played their 4th show ever. Sarah's sounded stunning and I think that she's got my favorite voice of all the Madden kids. Lawrence is a huge fan of theirs, and I'm just happy that he got to finally see them.
Foreign Islands is, without a doubt, my favorite live New York City band. Seeing them reminded me of seeing Franz for the first time at Pianos a million years ago. Go see them if you ever get the chance.
Monty, like Foreign Islands, is another band you need to see live. They fall into a genre called Action Rock. They're kind of like a Bert McCracken fronted Muse with horns. Nobody at the showcase knew what to expect, but when i turned around everyone's face was lit up with a massive smile. Alex attempted to start a circle pit consisting of just me and him. He's much stronger than me (and he was much drunker) so it took the man power of myself and Permanent Me Joe to stop his attemps. It was HILARIOUS.
Last night I/DJ had a holiday party... which brings us back to where I started.
Maybe now you all get why I haven't updated in a while.
Come to the orchard bar tonight to see me and Karen DJ. For only 3 hours this time. Flirt with our coatcheck girl, Gurj. Maybe James from Foreign Islands will be bartending and you can ask him for a CD.
But first, listen to this AMAZING new song from Elefant. I think it's the best song they've done yet.
Elefant - "The Clown"
