Wednesday, October 31, 2007

COME AS ME

My intern Kerri dressed up as me for Halloween:



the money shot:



COME TO THIS TONIGHT!!!!

Monday, October 29, 2007

BRO, DON'T TASE ME BRO

Yesterday morning I read a sad article on boingboing about a Polish immigrant flying into Vancouver to be with his elderly mother who was randomly pulled from the security line, questioned in english (he only spoke polish) for ten hours, and then tasered to death after being questioned by other officials for only 23 SECONDS (apparnetly he grew extremely agitated after being detained for 10 hours and threw chairs and computer equiptment around and it took 3 officials to hold him down)! Meanwhile, his mother waited in baggage claim trying to find her son, she was told he wasn't there, she was confused, she went home, they called her to say they found him and then he was dead.

There are two things with this story that I've grown increasingly disturbed by (which leads to a third item... which I'll mention incase I ever become that kind of person and will need someone to send me this link so I don't become a douche):
1. Airport security is alarmingly hazardous to everyday people.
2. Tasers are being abused by security personnel at an alarming rate.
3. Wanna-be martyr celebrities that fly private jets several times a week are assholes.

1.
On friday I took a flight from Newark Airport. While waiting in the security line, one of the security guards just kept on fucking yelling like a manic person to everyone around her. She was yelling about one of the security guards telling her that she shouldn't yell at passengers.
"DON'T TELL ME THAT I SHOULDN'T YELL! HE WAS YELLING AT ME FIRST. DON'T TELL ME NOT TO YELL? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID I WAS YELLING!."
This is while the other security guard is 15 ft away in a busy airport, politely trying to help customers and doing his best to ignore his irate co-worker.

Two months ago, while at the check-in desk of an airline, an airport employee paid to assist passengers with luggage, tickets, seating, etc, was beyond rude to her customer because the man helping me wanted her to stay an extra half hour. She was yelling at the man saying he wasn't on the flight he was looking to check his luggage into. He repeated his name to her 3 times - all with her yelling at him - before I spoke up and said she wasn't listening and needed to relax and that his last name was andrews and not landers. She got mad at me, and told me to mind my own business. Meanwhile the man helping me found me a seat on the overbooked plane and a window seat! He was happy to help me just to spite the bitch.

Then, a couple weeks ago, a woman died in a security holding cell. Apparently she choked herself with her handcuffs. I'm not sure I belive that. I think that airport security took their aggression out on this woman who was probably confused and exhausted after a long flight. I will shut up from now on and just go about my business everytime I fly. This is why, when the irate security guard was yelling and screaming, I kept my mouth shut and didn't tell her that she's acting like a fucking asshole.

But this story about the Polish man is just completely terrible. I have the good fortune of having english as my primary language, and I'm fortunate to live in a world where english is spoken throughout the world. But what if I weren't so lucky? What if I was just like this poor man who had no way of defending himself verbally, and was confused after a long flight? What if my poor mom was waiting for me at baggage claim and couldn't understand why I was missing, only to be recovered dead. I put myself in their shoes and get depressed. There needs to be something done to help non-english speaking immigrants and tourists when they come to our continent. There HAS to be something done to regulate the airport security. Someone needs to police these assholes who give hard working individuals a bad name.

You know shit's outta hand when a British Muslim Minister who was in Washington DC as a keynote speaker at an event organised by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alongside the FBI and Muslim organisations, to talk about tackling extremism and defeating terrorism was detained FOR THE SECOND TIME at an United States Airport during the course of a year.

FOR SHAME! I hate to be rude and inconsiderate, but the people who work at airports are fucking morons sometimes.

2.
Any security officer using a taser should be tasered themselves FIRST before being allowed to have custody of the weapon. Some of these jerks use them like its a video game, tasering these poor college students. Pull out the water hose while you're at it. What the fuck is wrong with how security guards are being hired? Are they just hiring the ones with the worst case of ADD that can't appreciate protesting students, studying students, and confused individuals. FUCK JOHN KERRY for letting those security guards taser that student and for not telling them to stop. Sure he was making a mockery of the former presidential canidate, but what a fucking douchebag! I'm glad he lost the election. I'm just sad that Bush won.

3.
Fuck all those wanna-be-martyr celebrities who try to get people to pay attention to global issues, yet fly weekly/daily with a gas-guzzling private jet. I love Brangelina for adopting their kids and feeding starving kids, but fuck them for being hypocrites. Your stupid plane eats up so much gas and adds to the pollution problem that we're plagued with. More pollution means higher temps, means we're running out of places to grow food, means food is more expensive, means your starving vanity projects get less food in their mouths.
Wanna make a REAL difference Brangelina? Fly commercial like the rest of us assholes. Protect the enviornment. While you're at it, why don't you sublet apartments in the cities you're in instead of spending tens-of-thousands of dollars on hotel rooms. I get not taking a vow of poverty, but give me a fucking break! That one night at the plaza could've fed Maddox's entire orphanage for a month!

Would it kill them to fly in a private jet only once a month?

If i ever turn into a private-jet-flying-everyweek-while-preaching-about-world-hunger-celebrity/rich-douchebag, tell me. I know i'm a douche bag already... but i'm talking about that specific type of douchebaggery.

INTERNPARTYSYSTEM



Thanks to the blog postings/myspace postings/ap.net postings, stolen transmission got a shit ton of interns this semester. On fridays we have at least 6 of them, so we've been sticking them in various rooms together to work so they can talk and have a good time while working.

One friday, they decided to start their own crew: InternPartySystem, named after the ST band InnerPartySystem of course. Their goal, i think, is to grow their network of people that want to help out Stolen Transmission for love and prizes... and gain internpartysystem members all over the globe. They already have nearly 1000 in their friends on myspace. It's pretty awesome that the girls were industrious enough to do this on their own.

They made these two videos as sort of introductions. I sat here lolzing my head off, and you might as well.

Meet InternPartySystem:


And if your Josh or Joel, you might like this... Lifestyles of the InternPartySystem:


Thursday, October 25, 2007

INNERPARTYSYSTEM

This is entertainment. Lies are entertainment.

I love InnerPartySystem so much. We put out an ep very quietly a couple weeks ago, and the response has been amazing -- and all offline. Like, people are actually going to stores and picking up their EP. I can appreciate that.

They're a trip. When they played the ST CMJ show it was like NIN meets the Chemical Brothers. Their light show was over the top and I felt a wash of lights all around me and total bliss.

Here, you can have a song for free: Innerpartysystem - "Don't Stop" (right click/save as)

More on their Myspace (where you can find a list of stores carrying their EP)

And tourdates:
26 October - Boston, MA - Harper’s Ferry (Paper Party)
30 November 2007 M Room Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5 December 2007 The Orchard NYC New York, New York
12 December 2007 Piano’s New York, New York
20 December 2007 Legend’s Reading

and check out this psychedelic video:
innerpartysystem

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CHEAP AMERICAN LABOR

A friend of mine works for a music studio. He said that a lot of their business is coming from oversears because they can pay whatever the full price of the studio is, and for them it's a bargain. The next day, a UK manager came into our office and said that he's been sending his bands over here to record because even at full price -- with hotel costs, studio costs, and perdiem -- it's all a lot cheaper than they would pay in England.

This is when I realized that America, at least the music industry, is now offering cheap labor to everyone else. It's like how we go to China and Mexico for labor because it's cheap, and think we're gettingn a bargain... but then everyone says we're taking advantage of the less privilaged. That's us. That's what we've become to other nations.

It's weird to me.

I'm hoping that this sort of thing will help our economy in some weird way. We're in peril. We used to be too expensive for everyone. The Canadian dollar is basically equal to the American dollar. The British pound is twice (if not more) the american dollar. It's probably going to get worse.

This is why I havent visited the UK in sometime and declared to many of my britisih friends "I hate the UK." It's not that I hate the UK, it's just that I hate that I can't afford it. I can afford mexico, i think. I can afford the midwest, i'm pretty sure, but what fun is Cleveland? Everything is catching up to us. It's embarssing. The only benefit that I'm feeling right now is that when my british friends come to town, I dont feel bad about them paying for things for me -- lunch, brunch, drinks, dinner -- i really dont mind.

Of course the war has a lot to do with this. As does 9/11. As does Katrina. As will the fires in California. So what do we do? I'm seriously asking -- what do we do? Obviously, this blog is not a political one of any sorts... it's just a spot for me to muse about things, and right now it's 5am and I'm unable to sleep because of this issue.

We've become pathetic. We used to be such a great nation that was prosperous and comepeditive and now we're just the place people go when they want to save a dollar.

A way it's close to home for me is that Stolen Transmission cant even think about signing a UK artist. Even if offering the most that we can offer, it'd still be an embarassing offer to anyone over there... but meanwhile, our oil prices are intense and to keep our bands on the road has become ridiculously unprofitable for everyone but Exxon. They make a meager amount playing shows and spend whatever earnings they make on gas money. I've been trying to get my bands to switch to grease-not-gas, but they all have regular gas vans that, when attempted to be sold would never come close to helping them afford a diesel van that could be converted to this amazingly helpful and in the long run, profitable process. It's so hard and painful to watch and hear my managers call and say "we just need to afford gas" and not knowing how to help them. I don't know what to do.

I'm sorry, i'm just venting. I can't sleep. I'm scared and worried about what our future holds. It makes me so depressed and left with a feeling of helplessness.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

SCHOOLYARD HEROES HAVE A NEW VIDEO

I must warn you of the gruesomeness of this video.
Watch at your own risk.

Schoolyard Heroes' "Dude, Where's My Skin?"
http://www.bamboozletv.com/

Seriously, it's fucking fucked up.

Monday, October 22, 2007

O CANADA!



I just wanted to let you all know that Stolen Transmission bands' music is now available in CANADA on iTunes!!!!!

That's right, the land of Degrassi, Arcade Fire, and socialized health care, has now become a whole lot more awesome with the entire Stolen Transmission roster now available in their country with a click of a button.

HORAY!

BRIAN MOLKO

Last night I had a dream that Brian Molko and I were hanging out and we kept on looking at each other via a mirror because I guess looking at each other straight on would've been a bit too overwhelming (since we look alike).

He was quite nice in my dream and when we saw each other I said to him "hey brian, i'm the girl that everyone always says looks like you."

Lawrence -- dont say that i always say that guys in bands i like look like me because this is legit. i've been hearing this one for like 8 years, and i've even heard it from people from his label and he totally looks like an Amiga/Lewitinn.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

STOLEN TRANSMISSION SHOWCASE!

The Killers are in town shooting their video for "Tranquilize" with Lou Reed. When I read my blog and go back three years ago -- as i do quite often these days -- this fact makes me laugh. On top of this, as many of you probably know, the Killers are also on the soundtrack for Control... which is also funny because I remember talking to their old manager a few years ago, asking him if Brandon Flowers was cute (cus i had yet to meet him in person), and his response was "people say he looks like ian curtis" and i fell in love.

Ian Curtis was in love with Lou Reed and David Bowie (another fan of the killers). He died 13 months before Brandon was born, and sometimes I like to think that he was reincarnated into a Mormon in the states. I also think i might be losing my mind.

Anyway, we have some amazing bands playing our CMJ showcase. Please come and check them out

The Photo Atlas (for lovers of bloc party and fugazi! oh shit!)
InnerPartySystem! (for lovers of depeche mode and the faint and ministry during their industrial phase)
Plus Move (if you like daftpunk or justice, you'll LOVE them)
AND A SPECIAL GUEST!

I'll also be DJing (DJ Ultragrrrl... NYC's #1 biggest hack CDJ! Hollur!) and the WOLD FAMOUS Merlin Bronques from LASTNIGHTSPARTY!

Oh, and free Bass Ale from 10-11pm.
So yeah...
Stolen Transmission's CMJ Showcase
At the Annex on Orchard Street
with the Photo Atlas, InnerPartySystem, the Plus Move and Hull.

WAS SNEAKER PIMPS NOW IAMX

When I was 18 or 19, my mom answered my wishes and prayers and took me to London (as well as Paris to visit family). I was so appreciative, you have no idea. We went to tourist attractions and I met up with Marti Zimlin and Paul Adams at pubs and made new friends. My mom and I went shopping and I enjoyed pre-2001 exchange rates purchasing much needed new clothes from TopShop.

What I loved almost as much as the culture I had been idealizing since I was 8, was MTV! I used to ONLY listen to british music. It was almost a joke. If it came from the states I probably missed the boat on it, but I knew about everything going on with Daphne & Celeste and would read the muse message boards (this is 1999, btw), to find out about new bands like JJ72 and Coldplay.

There's this one moment I remember really well. It was in the early evening and I turned on MTV and caught the second half of this video:



I stayed glued to the TV so that I wouldnt miss the end when I could see who the song way by so I could go to Virgin the next day and buy it. I was so surprised to see that it was the Sneaker Pimps. They had a girl singer before, and this was them:



They were like, the sugarary pop of the triphop sound, and now they had this amazing dude singing for them!

So I bought their EP and album and listened to it pretty religiously. I kept it my little secret, sharing it occasionally with friends. I still listen to them when I need to unwind.

A couple months ago, my friend told me that he had just seen this band called IAMX and thought I'd like them. "Oh, and by the way, it's got some dude from the sneaker pimps in it."

NO WAY!

Yes way.

I went to see them during CMJ at Misshapes and was in love.

Here is one of my favorite songs from the new album. It's called "President" and contains a line i love "For all you lonely boys, I will be president."

IAMX "President"

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I just got an email in my inbox saying that IAMX are on tour of the states again. BUT I MISSED THEIR NYC SHOW... UGHHHHH!

I dont want you to miss their show if it hits your area, so here are tour dates:
Oct 15. PHILADELPIA, NORTH STAR BAR (ALL AGES)
Oct 16. BROOKLYN, MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG
Oct 18. BOSTON, GREAT SCOTT
Oct 19. MONTREAL, PETIT CAMPUS
Oct 20. TORONTO, THE MOD CLUB (19+)
Oct 22. DETROIT, MAGIC STICK (ALL AGES)
Oct 23. CHICAGO, DOUBLE DOOR (21+)
Oct 24. MINNEAPOLIS, 7TH STREET ENTRY
Oct 26. DENVER, BLUEBIRD THEATRE (16+)
Oct 27. SALT LAKE CITY, THE URBAN LOUNGE (21+)
Oct 29. VANCOUVER, PLAZA CLUB (19+)
Oct 30. PORTLAND, DOUG FIR LOUNGE (21+)
Oct 31. SEATTLE, CHOP SUEY (ALL AGES)
Nov 02. SAN FRANCISCO, BOTTOM OF THE HILL (ALL AGES)
Nov 03. LOS ANGELES, EL REY THEATRE (ALL AGES)
Nov 06. DALLAS, CLUB DADA
Nov 07. HOUSTON, ENGINE ROOM
Nov 09. ORLANDO, THE SOCIAL
Nov 10. ATLANTA, VINYL
Nov 11. CHAPEL HILL, CAT'S CRADLE
Nov 13. WASHINGTON DC, BLACK CAT
Nov 14. NEW YORK CITY, BOWERY BALLROOM

I REALLY LOVE THE OOHLAS

Ollie and Mark just took me with them on their entertaining commute from their home in Hollywood to their studio where they're recording demos for their next album (which is going to come out on island. whoa!)

This is really fucking funny and if you dont love Ollie after watching this, then I question your sense of humor.

Also, on Friday I was listening to some of Best, Stop, Pop, and realized that Ollie is like the Morrissey of Hollywood. Just like Moz, she paints the most vivid pictures of slumming it in LA (verses his slumming it in Manchester). Both artists sing about the heartache and the memories of love in the same whimsical and confused manner. Being as big of a Smiths fan as I am, I'm surprised I never noticed this. I mentioned this to my friend Dave, who lives in LA, and was surprised that he agreed and didnt tell me I was nuts.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

AUDREY AND ADAM GOT MARRIED!

My favorite Sephardic Morraccan and My favorite Pizzabagel got hitched!

Congratulations Audrey Levy and Adam Nuestadter on your marriage!!!

The two met at the Stolen Transmission party at the Orchard Bar 2 years ago and it was basically love at first sight. They're like the Linda and Paul of the scene and i couldnt be happier to be included on their wedding night as DJ! And in complete Orchard Bar fashion, the amp for the speakers overheated at the least inopportune moments.

It was like the good ol' days.

Anyway, they had this photo booth set up where ppl could take photos of themselves for an album for Audrey and Adam. It turned out so cute and amazing, I just had to share it!

Click here.

And if you get a chance, check out Audrey's French Pop podcast:

Thursday, October 11, 2007

CMJ SHOWCASE

CLEVELAND PHOTO ATLAS FANS - FREE SHOW!

The Agora Ballroom and The Photo Atlas LOVE YOU and want you to come to a show on us!

Add both The Agora Ballroom and The Photo Atlas to your top friends on your myspace account, print out the page, bring it to the box office Friday, October 12 and receive a FREE ticket to the show…it’s that easy!

See you at the show, and if not, you’re not at THE place to be on a Friday night.

Monday, October 8, 2007

FTW!

I created some new Stolen Transmission T-Shirts that I'll have for sale temporarily on CafePress. I think I'll have this design up for about two weeks, so nerds, buy them while you can.

Here is the design:


Here are some select designs you can pick up:










LOLBIBLE

On my sidekick newsroom, i've subscribed to the following RSS feeds:
Yahoo!News
Yahoo!Science News
PerezHilton.com
CNN.com (though, i might unsubscribe to that since it only give 2 sentences and that's it! i cant even click on a link to go to a story!)
BoingBoing.net

BoingBoing is amazing. it's so random and ridiculous and right up my alley. It was via Boingx2 that i found out about LOLBible. Oh wonderful world! I can now has genessus?

Genesis 18
From LOLCat Bible Translation Project
Jump to: navigation, search

1 Noaw Abraham waz chillin and TEH D00D waz liek "Oh Hai"

2 But wen Abraham waz 2 liek "Oh hai" ther waz 3 doodz and he waz leik "WTF" n he pwned hisself

3 He sed "D00d, Srsly, hang out

4 You can has water and rest

5 And you can haz cheezburgr." And 3 doodz sed "thas coo"

6 K so Abraham went to Sarah and waz liek "Maek som cookies!"

7 And he went to hiz cows and made teh best one teh ded 4 to eat

8 And he sed to 3 doodz "here, you can has"

9 N tehy wer liek "Wher ur woman?" And Abraham sed "ovar ther"

10 N sed "Srsly, when we com bak she gonna be teh preggers" Adn Sarah herd this

11 BTW: Abraham n Sarah wer teh OLD, Srsly, and Sarah waz to old 4 teh babyz

12 And Sarah LOLed and waz liek "WTF!? NO WAI! WE R TEH OLD!!11 LOL"

13 And TEH D00D sed 2 Abraham "WTF, Y she LOLed?

14 Nothin iz inposbell 4 TEH D00D, srsly, she gon be teh preggers!"

15 And Sarah waz liek "I no LOLed" Ann he waz liek "yea u did"

Friday, October 5, 2007

OH KATE I LOVE YOU

Kate Moss shows Britney how it's done in an oldie but goodie video for the White Stripes.

ONE LAST TIME! DONT JUDGE !

This will probably be the last Oohlas show until 2008 cos they're busy writing/recording their Island Records Debut!

Holla. My first band is upstreamed!



Check out Mark from the Oohlas getting fucking drunk... he's fucking hilarious. I'm dying watching this. This is pretty surreal. For more videos go to The Oohlas Love You.

LOLBRITNEY

It's Britney's video, Bitch.... and in the spirit on the much-better LOLhan, EricaAreI and I present: LOLBritney!

Thursday, October 4, 2007

NEW KILLERS

old song.

I just finished reading the Ian Curtis bio "Touching From a Distance" by Deborah Curtis, which I think I read in 1997 or 1998 (when my brother found a copy in some indie bookstore and brought it home for me), but totally forgot the contents of it after ten years. I mean, i knew the story, but the story didn't hit home the same way then as it does for me now. Lawrence suggested I pick it up again to read and gave me his old copy that he lent me 10 years ago. I was able to read this from several different perspective this time around. The life experiences I've had in the past ten years all sort of came flooding back into my memory. I appreciate these memories. When the time comes, I wonder if I'll be able to bring them all back up to put down on paper. The Life of a Midget, by Sarah Lewitinn.

The Killers would have their own chapter in there, probably. I mean, there was this amazing adventure I took with Karen in 2003 when we flew to England because the Killers were playing a string of dates there, and we wanted to be there for them all. I was also still trying to persuade a British boy named tom that i was in love with him and that he was in love with me (no success!!!), and at the same time flirting it up with this teenager named barry (success!). Read about it here.

YOU HAVE TO SEE THESE PHOTOS! OH MY GOD!

Anyway, the Killers did this amazing cover of "Shadowplay" by Joy Division. It's pretty fucking amazing. They were asked to do it by Mr. Corbijn himself!

FRIDAY NIGHT

So tomorrow night, it's gonna be pretty crazy at Angels & Kings. I'm djing there from 8:30 - 4am. Nightmare of You's Brandon Reilly will be helping me out.

But here's the important info:

DELL LOUNGE IS SPONSORING AN OPEN BAR OF BEER AND WELL DRINKS FROM 830 - 11PM!!!

fuck yeah. Everyone that comes will get one or two drink tickets. holla!



I went to AK on tuesday for the Cartel afterparty... which turned out to be a fuck load of fun thanks to Trainwreck Tuesdays.

As i walked up to the bar, i was greeted by Josh Madden (aka the vicar for old school readers). We were talking for a while when we were moved to the corner of the block by the security guard cause naturally, Chris Black was laughing too loud and causing a disturbance.

While we were standing there, Nick Stern, Clap Your Hands' manager came walking around the corner. "Hey Nick! Long time no see! how are you?"
"Is Angels and Kings here?"
"Yeah. You coming in?"
That's when nick went into how he was given the wrong directions from Tom from Blink... and couldnt wait to greet them at the corner to laugh at his group for going the wrong way.

I didnt get what he meant by "Tom from Blink"... but then Tom DeLong walked up and i was like "oooohhhhhh blink182." he was with his new band Angels and Airwaves and coincidently my old buddy Simon White who manages Bloc Party and discovered this band called Black Kids. I obviously took this opportunity to yell out "I love Black Kids!"

One of the dudes in A&A, David, was talking to Josh cos i guess they knew each other through Josh's brother's band. I gave josh a huge hug (it's been awhile since i've seen my old friend) and walked off, but instantly turned around and decided to spend more time talking to josh. I walked into a conversation josh was having with David where he was trying to help him jog his memory of why i might look familiar. Finally David goes "oooooh! didnt you guys used to make out?"

Haha.

About that moment, Brian Battjer and Matt Rubano walked up from behind after seeing Darjeeling Limited... and of course matt knew david. so it was me, josh, matt, and brian and david who is a giant looked like a dad talking to school kids. Gabe Seporta took Polaroids of us like some creepy photo blogger. I'm expecting to see that shit on buzznet or something.

Brian pulled out of his backpack a fun cupcake, which i nommed on. It was delicious and an hour later I was delighted. Once I finally decided to walk into AK, i went over to say hi to Jeff Lett from Cartel to thank him for letting me sleep in his bed while he was on tour and i was in Atlanta and apologized for possibly making his pillows smell like hair... jeff is bald. it seemed funny to me. I have a bad sense of humor.

A bunch of kids were requesting the worst music from jeff. sometimes i dont get why people request the songs they request... but whatever. Erica Are I got drinks and danced in our seats. Tom DeLong danced, which was cute to see cos i've always thought he was adorable even though i've never been the biggest blink182 fan.

By the end of the night... 3:30 (what the fuck was i doing there so late?), Ryland Cobra and I got a great view of Jeff Lett and a girl making out on some couch. I took a picture of them and they didnt notice even though i was a foot away. So we just sat there cheering them on like fucking immature turds. At times I thought that Jeff could see us and was putting on a show, but last night he didnt even remember any of that happening. I think he appreciated the photo i sent his manager.

Anyway... that was a TUESDAY night without free booze. think about what a friday night will be WITH free booze? crazy shit.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

NIGHTMARE OF YOU IN NYC!

Nightmare of You is playing a show tomorrow night at Bowery Ballroom. You can still get tickets. The show will be amazing. they havent played in NYC in like a year and they just released their new EP called Bang on Sept 11. COME!

SAVE THE PUPPIES!

My friend sent me this email.
PLEASE HELP! i cant believe how sweet and cute these pups are Here's the email. The person's name is Sarah.

Please help these little guys!!!! If you know of anyone who would like a puppy please forward this to them. Call me with any questions – 917.952.6071

Scott rescued 6 black lab (mix) puppies out of the middle of the road on Saturday. PLEASE help me find them homes - otherwise, it's Animal Control - which means they only have 5 days. We've bathed them, sprayed them for fleas and wormed them....but we can't keep them. They are currently in a kennel in my basement since I don't have a fence. I've lost count of the number of rescue groups that I've contacted, only to be turned down due to no room. Please check with every dog person you know to see if they need a puppy.

Monday, October 1, 2007

LOOK AT WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO US

So I've been hesitating from saying anything about this because I didnt want to add fuel to the fire... and while all of me believes in the 1st amendment right to say whatever you want -- positive or negative -- about whatever you want, I didn't want to give gawker, or whomever, fodder for their relentless criticism that's always misdirected.

But anyway... here it is: There are these parents in this country who are trying to get Schoolyard Heroes banned. WTF!? is that even possible anymore? There's like 5 pages of signatures! I just can't believe it. Tipper Gore is too busy for this BS, right?

The only time my parents ever got upset with something i was listening to was "Closer" by nine inch nails... and that was because it came on the radio in the middle of a fight my mom and i were having over the fact that i cut off all my hair and dyed it black -- save for a tragic skunk strip in the front -- when i was 15. When the song came on the radio my mom couldnt believe what i was listening to. That happened exactly at the moment Trent said "I wanna ugh you like an animalllllll."

Anyway, these people think that my little bubs in Schoolyard Heroes are trying to spread Satan's message. Are you kidding?!

But then, there was a clip of their next video that i saw for "Dude, where's my skin?" and i'm kinda worried that that label will just continue to stick with them. it was this incredibly disturbing sequence involving Ryann the singer and every time i watch it, it's like the equivelent of touching a wound even thought you know it'll hurt you. It was like smelling something that you know stinks. You can't stop doing it even though you know you should. And then i keep on wanting other people to experience this with me, so i call them into my office, and as if i'm sharing my snuff porn collection with them, i show them the minute long clip and then they look at me with this look of disturbance and disgust and want to watch it again. The band's publicist, Adesina, who is black, actually turned white. I couldnt believe it. She screamed and said she had to stop watching it and ran out of my office. I felt almost guilty.

So i'm stuck with a dilemma. Do i pull the plug on this video? I mean, there are people who work with the band who cant watch it without getting ill and threatening to puke. I, myself, have seen this clip about 20 times and still turn pale and have to put my head down for a moment everytime I see it. My friends whom i say "this will disturb you are you sure you want to see this?" chastise me for not warning them ahead of time. I watched this video so many times that I had to promise myself not to watch it again until the finished video was delivered at the end of this week because the last time i watched it i got the idea to pull the scissors from my desk and bring it to my skin to see blood, turning numb to the pain. That shit is fucked up, right?

All weekend long, I kept on hearing their lyrics run through my mind ("You're so dead to me /I want to see you suffering for me" and "Take off your skin and dance with me / cut out your tongue and sing for me") and i'm thinking that I've been duped and maybe these parents are right and maybe I'm going to be somewhat directly responsible for someone having the same ideas as me. But then I call the band to get an update on how their tour is going and they're on their way to the modern art museum in chicago and they're the sweetest hearts of sweet. God, I love them.

PS. Their album is now available in CANADA -- along with ALL stolen transmission releases!!!!

CARNIVAL FUN

I'm watching Weeds right now -- cos Mary-Kate is on it, of course -- and ManMan were just played on the show.

HERE WE GO

This was the Twilight Sad yesterday:

NOT GAY NOT STRAIGHT JUST STOKED







So as you may or may not know, Radiohead are blowing minds again... this time without a single recording. They're doing what every giant band in their position should do (by the way, i mean that in that radiohead will probably never have a "radio single" again, so their fan base is basically similar to a jam-band fanbase that gives birth to a litter of puppies when they see/hear them live... i am one of those people): they're releasing their album for any price on the web.

Basically, you can buy their album for a low as the processing fee of, i think 80 cents.... you can also buy an amazing music set thing which will consist of: the new album, In Rainbows, on CD and on 2 x 12 inch heavyweight vinyl records. A second, enhanced CD contains more new songs, along with digital photographs and artwork. The discbox also includes artwork and lyric booklets. All are encased in a hardback book and slipcase.

Yes. Please. Thank you. Go here for not so much info. and here for more info.

HAY BAY BAY

Permanent ME took my video camera and instead of losing it like i thought they would, they actually did a tour video diary. THEY ARE SO FUCKING CUTE I WANT TO EAT THEIR FACES!

Please watch it:

fall tour blog one

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THE SUNSHINE HAPPY

Oh my god.
OH MY GOD!

I'm just fucking walking on sunshine. Imagine witnessing something that you feel is one of the best things you're eyes could've witnessed in an evening. Like, something you want burned in your memory forever so that in times when you're lost or upset you can just return to that moment in time when you felt like nothing else mattered in this world. I had this happen to me tonight. It was this loud primal event. A wall of sound knocking me over. A spectical. I feel like I've fallen in love again.

I went to see the Twilight Sad, whom despite their horribly misguiding name, are not a cutter's band. Rather, they're a Scottish band comprised of four ... boys? men? they looked so young to me... they looked like they met via school paper ad where someone was looking to start a band with people whose major influences were Idlewild, Joy Division, Nirvana, and Mogwai. They sound like they clumsily stumbled upon a group dynamic and sound whose inexperience almost resembles a Boy-era U2. Which is to say that this is all still quite new to them and therefore they havent learned or accepted the boring rules of rock'n'roll.

Every member was a stand out partner in this group. From their drummer's apparent adoration of his bass drum and tom, to the guitarist's mogwai-influenced wall of sound, to the bassist's thoughtful bass lines that were more akin to Peter than Carlos. Then there is the singer.

I think that a big part of what makes a band stand out is the way the singer can be a protagonist for the songs. It's not so much about understanding what they're about or decifering their message as much as it's about opening up a piece of their soul so that you can be invited into the moment when they felt a certain way, and being allowed to re-experience that moment with them. The singer of the Twilight Sad did that. He did it and a rush went through my body as if i was going through it all myself. A scream that's energy is strong enough to carry over the sounds of the instruments even when the microphone is 5 feet away, and still never get heard... seeing him do that, something i've been wanting to do for a couple months, made me feel fufilled. I think i might be in love.... but i said that already. I just can't believe how amazing they are.

Oh, and I'd be doing everyone a huge disservice by not mentioning the fact that the singer could've played Ian Curtis / could've been Ian Curtis in a former life. Replace epileptic fits with rolling his eyes to the back of his head and you've got it.