Gus "R" Us

"Dustbowl Dance"

2011-03-01T21:32:00.002-05:00

This is my favorite cut from Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons' breakout album from last year. I'm kicking myself because even after hearing all of the buzz these Brits and their album were getting, I still I put off giving them a listen until the end of the year and missed the opportunity to catch them when they rolled through DC. If you watched the Grammys a few weeks ago, you may have seen them lead the back-to-back-to-back set with the Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan (I thought M&S blew the others away). Here's to hoping they schedule some more dates over here when they do the festival circuit this summer.

Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

2011-02-20T20:28:00.002-05:00

Acoustic, raw and beautiful...

This week's late night tv lineup

2011-02-07T21:25:00.002-05:00

Leno

Thurs - Nicki Minaj
Fri - The Black Keys

Daly

Mon - Interpol
Wed - Mini Mansions
Thurs - Alberta Cross

Letterman

Tues - Gang of Four
Wed - Elton John and Leon Russell
Fri - The Dears

Conan

Wed - Ray LaMontagne

New music

2011-02-07T21:22:00.002-05:00

Stream PJ Harvey's Let England Shake and Bright Eyes' The People's Key (among a few other albums) before their Feb 15th release over at NPR.

This week's late night tv lineup

2011-02-01T18:36:00.002-05:00

Leno

Tues - One Eskimo
Thurs - Bobby Long

Daly

Tues - Interpol
Wed - Screaming Females
Thurs - Off!
Fri - A Perfect Circle

Letterman

Tues - The National
Wed - Boxer Rebellion

Kimmel

Fri - Cold War Kids

Conan

Tues - Peter, Bjorn and John
Thurs - Interpol

Lopez

Tues - The Thermals

This week's late night tv lineup

2011-01-24T14:51:00.002-05:00

SNL - Nicki Minaj

Letterman

Mon - The Walkmen
Wed - Cage the Elephant
Fri - Gregg Allman

Leno

Tues - White Lies
Wed - Amos Lee

Daly

Mon - Menomena
Tues - Broken Bells
Wed - Two Door Cinema Club
Thurs - Fitz and the Tantrums
Fri - Tift Merritt

Kimmel

Wed - Cold War Kids
Thurs - Cage the Elephant

Conan

Mon - Iron and Wine

Lopez

Mon - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

This week's late night tv lineup

2011-01-18T21:50:00.002-05:00

Leno

Wed -Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Thurs - The Decemberists

Daly

Tues -Interpol
Wed - Alberta Cross
Fri - Janelle Monae

Conan

Thurs - Aloe Blacc

"MoneyGrabber" - Fitz & the Tantrums

2011-01-13T19:13:00.002-05:00

This is some catchy shit right here...

Fitz & the Tantrums' website

The official fruit of Minnesota is delicious

2011-01-04T21:48:00.003-05:00

[statesymbolsusa.org]

Best apples I've ever had. They're a bit pricey, but well worth it. Give them a whirl - you won't be disappointed. Mmmm, Honeycrisp apples....

This week's late night tv lineup

2011-01-04T21:43:00.002-05:00

SNL - The Black Keys

Letterman

Thurs - The Walkmen
Fri - No Age

Leno

Thurs - Los Lobos

Fallon

Fri - Iron and Wine

Conan

Tues - Neon Trees
Wed - Deerhunter

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-12-27T22:17:00.002-05:00

Leno

Wed - Robyn

Letterman

Wed - Florence + the Machine
Fri - Rihanna

Kimmel

Mon - The Temper Trap
Thurs - Crystal Castles

Conan

Thurs - The 88

Lopez

Thurs - KT Tunstall

Four-peat

2010-12-23T21:58:00.001-05:00

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-12-20T18:47:00.003-05:00

Leno

Tues - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

Daly

Tues - Alberta Cross
Wed - The Walkmen

Letterman

Wed - Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

Lopez

Thurs - Filter

Conan

Mon - Beach House
Thurs - Reggie Watts

"Holiday Road"

2010-12-14T21:22:00.008-05:00

Okay, so this isn't in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, but it makes me think of the National Lampoon's series (the good ones, at least) and Christmas Vacation is one of two my go-to movies during the time of year. And apparently it is for the Walkmen too, since they decided to cover it as part of A.V. Club's Holiday Undercover Series.

The Walkmen cover "Holiday Road"

Wondering what the other movie is? The Ref with Denis Leary. "Do you know what this family needs? A mute." Classic!

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-12-13T19:03:00.002-05:00

SNL - Eminem and Lil Wayne

Daly

Mon - Two Door Cinema Club
Tues - A Perfect Circle
Wed - Interpol
Thurs - School of Seven Bells
Fri - Fitz & the Tantrums

Letterman

Thurs - Florence and the Machine

Conan

Tues - Broken Bells
Wed - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Thurs - Jenny and Johnny

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-12-06T19:05:00.002-05:00

SNL - Paul McCartney

Lopez

Mon - Nicki Minaj
Thurs - The 88

Daly

Mon - Fanfarlo
Wed - Florence and The Machine
Thurs - Two Door Cinema Club
Fri - Delta Spirit

Letterman

Thurs - Phosphorescent

New music

2010-12-04T09:14:00.004-05:00

Let's kick this off with a cool video for the alternate version of "Terrible Love." I dig the way it's shot and edited and think the end does a pretty good job of capturing the energy of The National in concert (without actually being there, of course).

The National, "Wake Up Your Saints," High Violet expanded editions (out now), Troubled Souls Unite
The Low Anthem, "Ghost Woman Blues," Smart Flesh (Feb 22nd), TwentyFourBit
PJ Harvey, "Written on the Forehead," Let England Shake (Feb 14th), The Sky Report
Noah and the Whale, "Wild Thing," Last Night on Earth (March 2011), TwentyFourBit
The Dears, "Blood," Degeneration Street (Feb 15th), Quick Before It Melts

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-11-29T18:36:00.002-05:00

Fallon

Wed - Bruce Stringteen

Daly

Mon - Kate Nash
Tues - Broken Bells
Thurs - School of Seven Bells
Fri - Built to Spill

Kimmel

Mon - Nicki Minaj
Fri - Metric

Letterman

Wed - Nicki Minaj

Ferguson

Thurs - Norah Jones

Be thankful for free music!

2010-11-24T15:50:00.004-05:00

Get in the holiday spirit by clicking on Turkey for a coupon code that gets you a $3 Amazon.com MP3 credit from LogicBUY (through Nov 29th). Thanks to Jude for the K.

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-11-22T18:20:00.002-05:00

Daly

Mon - Villagers
Tues - Off!
Wed - City and Colour
Fri - She & Him

Conan

Wed - Neon Trees

Ferguson

Mon - The Very Best

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-11-15T22:24:00.002-05:00

Kimmel

Fri - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Fallon

Mon - Grinderman
Thurs - The Frames
Fri - Sufjan Stevens

Daly

Mon - Kate Nash
Tues - Japandroids
Wed - Broken Bells
Thurs - Menomena
Fri - Fitz and The Tantrums

Letterman

Thurs - Nicki Minaj
Fri - The Secret Sisters

Conan

Mon - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Thurs - The Decemberists

"Woman Friend"

2010-11-08T21:28:00.005-05:00

Not sure why it took me six years to discover this gem off of Chromeo's She's in Control, but I am just thankful that I finally did. Come home one night from work and crank this sucker for your best lady... you won't be sorry, I promise.

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-11-08T10:38:00.002-05:00

Leno

Wed - Old 97's

Daly

Tues - The Walkmen
Wed - Alberta Cross
Fri - A Perfect Circle

Letterman

Mon - Cee Lo Green

Kimmel

Thurs - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

400 congrats, JoePa

2010-11-07T09:42:00.002-05:00

New music

2010-11-04T22:18:00.005-04:00

Cee Lo Green, full album stream of The Lady Killer (Nov 9th), NPR
Tapes 'n Tapes, "Freak Out," Outside (Jan 11th), the Pop Sucker
The Decemberists, "Down By the Water," The King Is Dead (Jan 2011), I am fuel
Amy Winehouse, "It's My Party" (Lesley Gore cover), Q: Soul Train Bossa Nostra (Nov 9th), TwentyFourBit

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-11-01T22:20:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Thurs - Paul Weller

Letterman

Mon - Elvis Costello
Fri - The Secret Sisters

Leno

Wed - Far East Movement

Daly

Mon - School of Seven Bells
Tues - Alberta Cross
Wed - Built to Spill
Fri - Two Door Cinema Club

"The Wanting Comes in Waves"

2010-10-25T21:55:00.003-04:00

I saw this on Palladia or one of those other music channels months ago and was finally able to find it online. The song is my favorite from The Hazards of Love and this live version from ACL (maybe two years ago) ignites a fire in my belly. The sound, the theatrics, the harshness and beauty all rolled into one. Oh yeah, and the pipes on Shara Worden... goddamn!

The Decemberists - New Music - More Music Videos

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-10-25T21:45:00.002-04:00

Daly

Tues - She & Him
Wed - Interpol
Thurs - Villagers
Fri - Ra Ra Riot

Letterman

Mon - Kings of Leon
Wed - Michael Franti & Spearhead

Kimmel

Mon - K'naan
Tues - Donavon Frankenreiter
Wed - A Perfect Circle

"Let 'em have it"

2010-10-23T16:07:00.004-04:00

I don't know if Philly fans need any encouragement, but this is still a great sound bite from JRoll. Wish I could be at Citizens Bank Park tonight for the game. Go Phils!

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-10-19T21:38:00.002-04:00

SNL - Kings of Leon

Kimmel

Tues - Mumford & Sons
Wed - Die Antwoord

Letterman

Tues - Gorillaz
Wed - Jamey Johnson

Leno

Tues - David Gray

Daly

Tues - Menomena
Wed - The Morning Benders
Thurs - Japandroids
Fri - Los Campesinos!

The Black Keys = Rodney Dangerfield

2010-10-16T14:39:00.004-04:00

[The Black Keys' Facebook photos]

Wonder if the brainiac in charge of the plaques on the VMAs this year still has a job. Priceless...

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-10-11T15:27:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Mon - The xx
Wed - Mark Ronson
Thurs - Nas & Damien Marley

Letterman

Mon - Mark Ronson
Tues - My Morning Jacket

Leno

Wed - M.I.A.
Thurs - Pete Yorn
Fri - John Legend

Daly

Mon - The Walkmen
Tues - Broken Bells
Thurs - City and Colour

The Story of Stuff

2010-10-05T21:19:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, I finished reading The Story of Stuff. It was referenced during a professional development event at work and peaked my interest - specifically, the speaker threw out one stat from the book that it took 34 gallons of water to make 1 cup of coffee. Impossible, I thought! Apparently not...

The book spawned from a 2007 short-film of the same title and tackles America's obsession with all sorts of material things (referred to as "stuff") and the cycle of life of this stuff. Each stage of the cycle has it's own chapter - extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. While it's extremely informative, the facts and figures can be overwhelming (there are probably between 80-100 citations per chapter) and the environmental, economic and social issues seem damn near impossible to reverse. There were many times I found myself wondering, "well where the hell do we start?"

There are many thoughts and ideas I came away with, but I'm not posting this to hop up on my soapbox and preach. But what I will do is pass along what I believe is an informative and useful site that I think will, if nothing else, make you a more informed consumer - GoodGuide. Referenced numerous times in The Story of Stuff, GoodGuide rates over 65,000 products based on health, environmental and social factors. Hell, they even have an iPhone app. Here's a bit more on the ratings from the site:

GoodGuide ratings range from 0 to 10 and indicate how a product performs on a comprehensive set of health, environmental and social metrics. The higher the score, the better the product. If you are looking to switch to a better product, GoodGuide’s summary rating can be used to easily identify the best products in a category.

Pretty nifty if you ask me. Plug in a few of the products you use on a regular basis and I bet you'll be surprise. Oh yeah, and if you decide to read The Story of Stuff, save a tree and get it from the library.

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-10-04T22:00:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Tues - Phoenix
Wed - Band of Horses

Letterman

Tues - Mavis Staples with Jeff Tweedy
Thurs - Gorillaz
Fri - Antony and The Johnsons

Daly

Mon - Janelle Monae
Wed - Weezer

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-09-27T21:47:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Wed - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

Letterman

Thurs - Tired Pony

Leno

Thurs -Rodrigo y Gabriela

Daly

Tues - Menomeno
Wed - The Morning Benders
Thurs - Japandroids
Fri - Los Campesinos!

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-09-20T21:14:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Mon - Phoenix
Tues - Band of Horses
Thurs - Trombone Shorty

Letterman

Mon - Chromeo
Tues - Maroon 5
Wed - Tom Jones
Fri - Jimmy Eat World

Ferguson

Fri - Willie Nelson

Leno

Thurs - Brian Wilson

Daly

Mon - The Walkmen
Tue - Nas & Damien Marley
Wed - Alberta Cross
Thurs - Janelle Monae
Fri - La Roux

The summer of hip-hop

2010-09-18T13:53:00.005-04:00

It only took 33+ years, but with my first rap/hip-hop concert finally under my belt, I got to thinking how much of that goodness I listened to this summer. Even with quality releases from The Black Keys, the National, Arcade Fire, Ray LaMontagne and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, I still found myself listening to more and more rap and hip-hop. And it was hard not to, with Eminem, the Roots, Big Boi, Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek) and Janelle Monae dropping some serious bombs this summer. My favorite cuts? Start with a litle "No Love" by Eminem and Lil' Wayne, add a dash of Big Boi's "Tangerine"(featuring T.I. & Khujo Goodie) with a twist of Janelle Monae & Big Boi's "Tightrope" and you have the beginning of a sweet ass good time.

Big Boi - 9:30 Club (9/8/10)

2010-09-14T20:38:00.003-04:00

Phenomenal show! Big Boi and his crew of 2 packed over 20 songs into just over an hour, keeping the tempo high and the crowd moving. With the buzz Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty has been getting, I was shocked that the concert didn't sell out when tickets first went on sale a few months ago - and even more so that the 9:30 Club was only about 3/4 full. It was probably better though, because Big Boi's energy had damn near everyone in the crowd (even me) bee bopping for much of the concert. Sweet ass!

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-09-13T22:26:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Mon - Green Day
Tues - Brandon Flowers (of the Killers)

Letterman

Wed - Nas and Damien Marley
Fri - V.V. Brown

Leno

Mon - Brandon Flowers
Wed - Weezer

Fallon

Mon - Roberts Plant

Daly

Mon - Janelle Monae
Tues - Black Lips
Wed - Surfer Blood

New music

2010-09-11T12:45:00.004-04:00

Lots of albums being released next week and apparently, it even has a name - Super Tuesday. NPR has an article on why so many albums are released this week every year and is streaming 14 albums until Tuesday, including Robert Plant, of Montreal, Chromeo, the Walkmen, Junip (side project of José González), the Bad Plus and Superchunk to name a few (okay, more than a few). Others you can give a test spin before you decide whether or not to buy them include...

Grinderman, full album stream of Grinderman 2 (Sept. 14th), Pfork
Black Mountain, full album stream of Wilderness Heart (Sept. 14th), Pfork
The Black Angels, full album stream of Phosphene Dream (Sept. 14th), Pfork

Time's a wasting, so get to listening!

Calling all guitarists

2010-09-07T21:05:00.003-04:00

Here's a pretty cool little idea Jimmy Fallon and Pavement came up with. Deadline for video submittions is tomorrow and the appearance is Sept. 23rd. Another reason why I'm kicking myself for choosing the clarinet over the guitar - that's JV right there...

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-09-07T20:56:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Wed - Interpol
Thurs - Ray LaMontagne

Letterman

Wed - The Black Angels
Thurs - Jamey Johnson

Ferguson

Fri - Norah Jones

Leno

Wed - Ray LaMontagne
Thurs - David Gray

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-08-30T20:28:00.002-04:00

Leno

Tues - Norah Jones
Thurs - Herbie Hancock

Letterman

Fri - Spoon

Ferguson

Mon - Chief

Kimmel

Mon - The Swell Season
Thurs - T.I.

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-08-23T20:52:00.003-04:00

Letterman

Mon - Big Boi
Thurs - The Specials

Ferguson

Tues - Wlico

Leno

Tues - Sharon Jones
Thurs - Robert Cray

Fallon

Mon - Big Boi
Thurs - Titus Andronicus

New music

2010-08-18T22:28:00.002-04:00

My Morning Jacket, "Circuital," TBD, You Ain't No Picasso
Klaxons, "Echoes" and "Flashover," Surfing the Void (Aug 23rd), Stereogum
The National, "You Were a Kindness," Live on MPR's the Current

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-08-16T21:05:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Wed - T.I.

Letterman

Tues - Interpol
Wed - Steel Train
Thurs - Alejandro Escovedo
Fri - Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Ferguson

Fri - Mumford & Sons

Fallon

Thurs - Of Montreal
Fri - Green Day

This week's late night tv lineup

2010-08-09T21:19:00.003-04:00

Leno

Thurs - The Whigs

Fallon

Mon - Menomena
Thurs - The Walkmen

Letterman

Wed - Jay-Z and Eminem
Thurs - The Dead Weather

Ferguson

Mon - Vampire Weekend

Here come the wolfman

2010-08-03T20:58:00.003-04:00

Here is my favorite of the handful of trailers out there propping Grinderman 2 (Sep. 13th). Seven days earlier, Grinderman will release "Heathen Child" on vinyl and for download (listen to it now here). Details, to include tour dates, are at their website. I've got a feeling Nick Cave & Co. will kick of the fall season just right.

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-08-02T21:30:00.002-04:00

Letterman

Mon - Nas and Damian Marley
Wed - The Dead Weather
Thurs - VV Brown

Leno

Tues - The Black Crowes

Fallon

Tues - Spoon
Thurs - Titus Andronicus

If only I could stream music at work

2010-07-26T21:50:00.007-04:00

It's probably better though - who knows where my mind would wander off to if I listened to either of these two stations during the day. And with one out of Charm City (Towson University to be exact) and the other out of L.A., we've got sea to shining sea covered.

Thanks to Jude and Biggie for the tips. Top notch... top notch!!

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-07-26T21:42:00.002-04:00

Letterman

Thurs - Interpol

Ferguson

Mon - She & Him
Tues - The Black Keys

Leno

Thurs - Stone Temple Pilots

Fallon

Fri - Green Day

You had me at Pavement

2010-07-21T21:55:00.003-04:00

Virgin Mobile is sticking it to the man again this year. Not a bad lineup, and less than 15 minutes from the house. Tickets go on "sale" this Saturday.

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-07-19T19:11:00.003-04:00

Kimmel

Thurs - Keane

Craig Ferguson

Fri - MGMT

Leno

Tues - The Black Keys
Wed - Metric
Fri - The Gaslight Anthem

Fallon

Mon - Widespread Panic
Fri - Rick Ross

Letterman

Wed - Alejandro Escovedo

Ever heard of Scala & Kolacny Brothers?

2010-07-15T21:11:00.006-04:00

Maybe I missed the boat on this, but I sure haven't... until today. S&K Bros. are a Belgian girls' choir that's been around since '96 and belt out covers of bands such as U2, Nirvana, Depeche Mode, Muse, David Bowie, Alanis Morissette, Marilyn Manson, the Cure and... Radiohead. Which is how I found out about these ladies with angelic yet eerie pipes. In '02, they covered "Creep" and it's being used as the soundtrack to the upcoming movie about the founding/creation of Facebook, The Social Network (Oct 1st). And after you're done watching that, click over to S&K's website and to hear the ladies giving Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" a whirl.

If you're in the DC area...

2010-07-14T21:09:00.003-04:00

check out the free Norman Rockwell exhibit, Telling Stories, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum until January 2nd. And if you're not a fan of Rockwell's work, well then I hate to tell you, but you don't have a soul.

Rockwell was a masterful storyteller who could distill a narrative into a single frame. His pictures tell stories about the adventure of growing up, of individuals rising up to face personal challenges, the glamour of Hollywood and the importance of tolerance in American life. He created his pictures with strategies similar to those used by filmmakers.

The pieces in the exhibit are from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's personal collections. It's pretty amazing how many Rockwell's they own between the two of them. Ah, to be rich...

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-07-12T19:10:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Mon - Sublime w/Rome

Leno

Thurs - Grace Potter
Fri - Swell Season

Fallon

Mon - Big Boi
Wed - M.I.A.

Carson

Fri - Nas & Damien Marley

Letterman

Mon - Steel Train
Tues - M.I.A.

Believe the hype...

2010-07-11T20:27:00.005-04:00

Wonder just how much tinkering Big Boi did with Sir Lucious Left Foot for the few years he's been trying to get this thing released. Give him the award for sticktoitiveness... and possibly album of the summer.

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-07-05T22:11:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Mon - Broken Bells
Tues - The Specials

Letterman

Mon - The National
Wed - The Black Keys
Thurs - Willie Nelson

Craig Ferguson

Wed - The Hold Steady

Leno

Wed - Big Boi

Fallon

Mon - Phish
Wed - Stars
Thurs - Blitzen Trappen
Fri - Eminem

New music

2010-06-28T22:22:00.004-04:00

Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and David Lynch, full album stream of Dark Night of the Soul (July 13th), NPR
Of Montreal, “Coquet Coquette,” False Priest (Sept 14th), TwentyFourBit
Punch Brothers, “Packt Like Sardines In a Crush’d Tin Box” (Radiohead cover), bonus track from Antifogmatic (out now), TwentyFourBit
Cloud Cult, "Running with the Wolves," Light Chasers (Sept. 14th), Knox Road
Brandon Flowers (of the Killers), "Crossfire," Flamingos (TBD), Product Shop NYC
Jenny and Johnny, "Scissor Runner," We're Having Fun Now (Aug 31st), Hailing the Photon Gods

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-06-28T21:50:00.002-04:00

Leno

Fri - Punch Brothers

Fallon

Wed - Mumford & Sons
Thurs - Kings OF Convenience

Carson

Mon - Fanfarlo
Tues - The Ravonettes
Thurs - Los Campesinos!
Fri - Phoenix

Letterman

Mon - Tokyo Police Club
Wed - The New Pornographers

Craig Ferguson

Tues - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Fri - Dr. Dog

New Radiohead by year's end??

2010-06-23T21:39:00.002-04:00

Read it for yourself here.

New music

2010-06-21T22:21:00.002-04:00

The Roots, full album stream of How I Got Over (June 22nd), Pfork
James Mercer (of the Shins and Broken Bells), "Journey Through the Past" (Neil Young cover), 180° South soundtrack (out today), Pfork
Amanda Palmer (of the Dresden Dolls), "Idioteque" (Radiohead cover), Amanda Palmer performs the popular hits of Radiohead with her magical ukulele (July), I am fuel
Black Lips, "Before You Judge Me," from the Adult Swim Singles Program, Pfork

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-06-21T20:41:00.001-04:00

Letterman

Fri - Jay-Z and Eminem

Kimmel

Fri - Sublime w/Rome

Leno

Thurs - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

Fallon

Tues - Herbie Hancock
Thurs - MGMT

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-06-14T14:14:00.004-04:00

Kimmel

Thurs - Broken Bells

Leno

Mon - Cee Lo
Wed - Matisyahu
Thurs - Punch Brothers

Fallon

Tues - Broken Social Scene
Wed - The Gaslight Anthem
Thurs - Blitzen Trappen
Fri - The Roots featuring Yim Yames (aka Jim James of My Morning Jacket)

Carson

Mon - Citizen Cope
Tues - La Roux
Thurs - She & Him
Fri - The xx

Letterman

Thurs - Deer Tick

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-06-08T12:29:00.002-04:00

SNL - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Kimmel

Wed - Massive Attack

Leno

Fri - Against Me!

Fallon

Tues - Circa Survive
Wed - Phish

Carson

Tues - Surfer Blood
Wed - The Living Sisters
Fri - Circa Survive

Craig Ferguson

Thurs - Damian Marley & Nas

The National - Electric Factory (6/4/10)

2010-06-07T11:11:00.004-04:00

Even under less than ideal conditions, the National still impressed in concert. It wasn't an easy night though...

Traffic - The combination of it being a Friday afternoon with both the Flyers and Phillies having home games made the traffic in Philly pretty much miserable.
Venue - My first time at this venue, which is basically a warehouse. Those who want to enjoy a show with an adult beverage in hand are limited to the upstairs (with very few views of the stage) or the right-side of the stage downstairs (with sub-par acoustics). Not sure if that's by design or because of some silly ABC law, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to herd those willing to hand over more of their $$ into two undesirable areas of the venue.
Crowd - Somehow, we ended up surrounded by a bunch of ass hats who were more interested in boozing and talking than the concert itself. Essentially, they paid a $25-35 cover to get into the Electric Factory bar with the National providing the background music. Another reason to refrain from the over-21 areas next time.

Enough of being Debbie Downer. The band was much more engaging (with each other and the crowd) than the other times I've seen them. Singer Matt Berninger puts so much of himself into some songs that he looks like he's on the verge of a full-blown seizure - I honestly don't know how he does it on a nightly basis and is still sane. The setlist was a solid 22 songs - I believe all but one ("Cherry Tree") being from Alligator, Boxer or High Violet. It looked like "Fake Empire" was supposed to close the main set, but Berninger called an audible of sorts as the rest of the band was putting down their instruments and they instead closed with "Mr. November." I'd assume that this was meant to be their encore closer, because "About Today" ended the show kinda awkwardly.

All things considered it was a good night of music (with the Flyers and Phils chalking up W's to boot). LBJ scored a pair of free tickets to the Saturday show in a radio station raffle too, which by his account was a more pleasurable experience than Friday. Oh well, you can't with them all...

I'll do what I want but irresponsibly

2010-06-04T09:49:00.003-04:00

From last year's Austin City Limits concert/taping, but they replayed it a few weeks ago. Not only are these guys great musicians, they're bad-ass performers too. Watching this fires me up...

Saw PJ and Band of Horses at the ridiculously named Jiffy Lube Live (formerly Nissan Pavilion) last month with the LOML. Chalk up another fantastic concert by Pearl Jam.

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-06-01T20:09:00.002-04:00

SNL - Alicia Keys

Kimmel

Tues - Stone Temple Pilots

Leno

Thurs - Snoop Dogg
Fri - Nas and Damien Marley

Fallon

Thurs - Phish

Carson Daly

Wed - Black Lips
Fri - Doves

Letterman

Tues - Band of Horses
Fri - Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-05-17T18:49:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Fri - Massive Attack

Fallon

Mon - Public Image Ltd.
Wed - Mumford & Sons

Carson Daly

Mon - 311

Letterman

Wed - Stone Temple Pilots
Thurs - Band of Horses

Craig Ferguson

Thurs - The Hold Steady

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-05-10T21:46:00.002-04:00

SNL - Tom Petty

Jimmy Kimmel

Thurs - Dirty Heads
Fri - Dr. Dog

Letterman

Tues - MGMT
Thurs -The National

Craig Ferguson

Mon - Wilco
Tues - Jonsi

Fallon

Mon - Green Day
Thurs - Phish
Fri - Rolling Stones

New music

2010-05-07T10:17:00.003-04:00

Stream the National's High Violet (May 11th), the Dead Weather's Sea of Cowards (May 11th) and Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma (out now) on NPR
Tokyo Police Club, "Wait Up (Boots of Danger)," Champ (Jun 8th), MFR
Wolf Parade, "What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)" and "Ghost Pressure," Expo 86 (Jun 29th), Tympanogram
Pains of Being Pure at Heart, "Say No to Love," Say No to Love 7" (Jun 8th), Pfork

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-05-03T15:54:00.002-04:00

SNL - Jay-Z

Kimmel

Mon - Two Door Cinema Club

Fallon

Wed - The New Pornographers

Letterman

Tues - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
Wed -Willie Nelson
Fri - Wale

Hump Day Humor

2010-04-28T20:32:00.002-04:00

A little late, but funny nonetheless.

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-04-26T14:04:00.002-04:00

SNL - Vampire Weekend

Leno

Wed - Aqualung

Jimmy Fallon

Tues - The Whigs
Wed - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Carson Daly

Tues - Citizen Cope

Letterman

Tues - Hole
Fri - The Hold Steady

Jimmy Kimmel

Tues - Civil Twilight
Wed - Dr. Dog
Thurs - Hole

New music

2010-04-26T13:07:00.004-04:00

The National, full album stream of High Violet (May 11th), Brooklyn Vegan
The New Pornographers, full album stream of Together (May 4th), NPR
Junip, "Rope and Summit," EP title and date TBD, Their Bated Breath
M.I.A, "Born Free," (video is NOT safe for work due to violence) LP title and date TBD, MOKB
The Dead Weather, "Gasoline," Sea of Cowards (May 11th), Stereogum

New music

2010-04-19T21:27:00.004-04:00

The Hold Steady, full stream of Heaven is Whenever (May 4th), NPR
Broken Social Scene, full stream of Forgiveness Rock Record (May 4th), NPR
Blur, "Fool's Day," single released for Record Store Day, Blur website

UPDATE

Band of Horses, "Factory," Infinite Arms (May 18th), band's website
Rolling Stones, "Plundered My Soul," Exile on Main Street deluxe reissue (May 18th), TwentyFourBit

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-04-19T14:40:00.002-04:00

Jimmy Kimmel

Mon -Cypress Hill featuring Tom Morello
Wed - Rob Zombie

Letterman

Thurs - Broken Social Scene

Jimmy Fallon

Wed - Silversun Pickups

Carson Daly

Mon - Weezer
Thurs - David Gray

Leno

Mon - Phoenix
Tues - Smashing Pumpkins
Wed - Natalie Merchant

Drive-By Truckers - Recher Theatre (4/14/10)

2010-04-19T08:49:00.002-04:00

A good old fashioned, balls out rock and roll concert… that pretty much sums up the Drive-By Truckers live. Other than getting the thumbs-up from RatBat Bear, who saw them with the Hold Steady at the end of ’08, I didn’t really know what to expect from this show. What I and about 700 people got was 27 songs of sweet southern rock goodness.

A few things of note… first, DBT has a hell of a fan base. I was initially surprised by this, but by the end of the night it was pretty clear why. While a crowd of 700 doesn’t seem like much, the energy kicked the shit out of some of the tepid crowds I’ve been a part of that were over 2x the size. The show was sold out and tickets were abnormally scarce on Craigslist. I waited outside for about 10 minutes before someone offered up and extra ticket. I walked in as DBT were taking the stage and the place was pretty much packed (unheard of for DC-area concerts). Lots of singing, grooving and Natty Boh drinking. This was most likely the effects of the other thing I noticed…

DBT genuinely seemed to be having a good time - something that probably can’t be said about a lot of other bands… especially when they’re on tour. This was pretty evident from their interactions with each other and the crowd. Maybe the Jack Daniels they were passing around (2 bottles) had something to do with it, but I doubt it. These guys have been around awhile – they’re a well-oiled machine and they play off of each other extremely well.

I’d consider myself a casual DBT fan. I have a few of their albums which I like - but for whatever reason, their music doesn’t hold my attention or interest for an entire album. Same goes for their latest, The Big To-Do. And while I’d definitely recommend seeing them in concert, I don’t think the experience will make me want to listen to their albums more – I’ll just anxiously await their next tour and bring a few friends with me to share the experience.

New music

2010-04-13T22:00:00.003-04:00

The National, "Afraid of Everyone," High Violet (May 10th), Pfork
Band of Horses, "Laredo," Infinite Arms (May 18th), Pfork
Deer Tick, "Twenty Miles," Black Dirt Sessions (Jun 8th)

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-04-12T21:41:00.002-04:00

Letterman

Mon - Spoon

Jimmy Kimmel

Mon & Tues - Them Crooked Vultures
Thurs - Spoon

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-04-05T14:53:00.002-04:00

Jimmy Kimmel

Mon - She & Him
Thurs - Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights

Jimmy Fallon

Tues - Dr. Dog

Carson Daly

Mon - Arctic Monkeys
Tues - The Living Sisters

Letterman

Mon - The Swell Season

Farewell #5

2010-04-05T14:44:00.007-04:00

Well, it was a hell of a ride - 6 Pro Bowls, 5 NFC Championship games and 1 Super Bowl appearance. While I sit here pondering whether or not it was the right move to trade him to a division rival, I can't help but feel relieved for McNabb... he's taken more crap from Philly fans since day 1 than he deserved (although he did deserve some of it). Hopefully he'll find some peace down in DC.

[Isportacus]

Wilco - The Strathmore (3/30/10)

2010-04-02T09:16:00.007-04:00

Wow... on many levels. The Strathmore is an absolutely phenomenal place to see a concert. Top-notch acoustics, beautiful design (both inside and out), comfortable seats and easy access (by car and mass transit). If you ever get a chance to see a show there, I highly recommend that you take advantage.

And then there was Wilco - 37 songs over almost 3 hours... you can't ask much more from a band than that. After coming out blazing, they pulled back on the throttle in the middle of their set, moving to the front of the stage, closer together and playing about a dozen songs, not full-out acoustically, but pretty darn close to it. Then back to their main instruments they went, and closed out the set with a "Jesus, etc" crowd singalong (which wasn't all that great, according to Jeff Tweedy), "Heavy Metal Drummer," "I'm the Man Who Loves You," and some other faves.

All-in-all it was a great concert, but it had bit of a different, more laid-back feel than the other two times I saw them. Maybe it was the classiness of the venue, maybe the attendance of Rahm Emanuel had something to do with it, maybe it was because it was on a Tuesday night in the 'burbs. When you get that many songs with near-perfect acoustics, it's hard to complain too much. All I know is that it's better than seeing them in a stadium or from the back of the lawn at a pavilion, which is probably where they're headed next go-around.

New music

2010-04-02T08:29:00.005-04:00

The Hold Steady, "Rock Problems," Heaven is Whenever (May 4th), Vulture
Band of Horses, "Compliments," Infinite Arms (May 18th), Pfork
Tokyo Police Club, "Breakneck Speed," Champ (June 8th), Pigeon Post
Broken Social Scene, "Forced to Love," "All to All" and "Love Sick," Forgiveness Rock Record (May 4th), Songs to Save
The Black Keys, "Tighten Up" and "Next Girl," Brothers (May 18th), I am fuel

Spoon & Deerhunter - 9:30 Club (3/23/10)

2010-03-29T21:03:00.003-04:00

While Spoon's latest, Transference, isn't my favorite, I couldn't pass this one up - especially at the bargain price of $25. I don't think I've ever read anything bad about Spoon in concert, but have read a fair amount of lukewarm reviews from years past which surprised me. Interestingly enough though, those from this tour are much more favorable, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Throw Deerhunter into the mix and who knows what the hell this night would bring.

Deerhunter was... well, intense. And lead singer Bradford Cox is... well, different. In between songs he would ramble on about nothing in particular and many times seemed to just string words together without much concern for whether or not they made any sense. But then he would introduce a song, the band would start playing and it was like a switch turned on (or off) in his brain and everything became right in the world. Deerhunter played a hell of a set and the place was packed for them (it actually seemed to be more so than for Spoon). Their performance took me by surprise, but in a good way - at the end I felt like they had chewed me up and spit me out. I was relieved that it was over yet still wanted more. It was a strange feeling.

By the time Spoon came on, it was after 10pm and I was almost 18 hours into my day so I was starting to drag some serious ass. But they did a hell of a job of picking me up, dusting me off and giving me a swift kick in said ass. They blasted through their setlist, hitting all parts of their catalog and even covering a song by The Damned (“Love Song” maybe?). The only really low point for me was “The Underdog.” Substituting the horns for a piano seemed karaoke-ish. It’s all good though, I just used the opportunity to hit the head.

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-03-29T13:25:00.002-04:00

Kimmel

Tues - Erykah Badu
Wed - Matisyahu

Letterman

Wed - The Whigs
Fri - She & Him

Craig Ferguson

Fri - Joss Stone

Leno

Mon - Joss Stone

Jimmy Fallon

Mon - Julian Casablancas
Wed - Drive-By Truckers

New music (UPDATED)

2010-03-25T11:27:00.005-04:00

The National, "Bloodbuzz Ohio," High Violet (May 11th), Pfork
Beck, St. Vincent, Liars, and Os Mutantes, “Guns in the Sky" (INXS cover), Record Club (Beck’s cover album series, Record Club), TwentyFourBit
The Gaslight Anthem, "American Slang," American Slang (Jun 15th), TwentyFourBit
Phoenix, free download of Live in Sydney, Ultra8201
MGMT, full stream of Congratulations (Apr 13th), Product Shop NYC
LCD Soundsystem, "Drunk Girls," untiled as of now (May 18th), Pfork

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-03-22T17:35:00.002-04:00

Jimmy Kimmel

Tues - Neon Trees

Leno

Tues - Rodrigo y Gabriela
Fri - Ludacris

Jimmy Fallon

Mon - Rogue Wave
Tues - The Besnard Lakes
Wed - Clientele
Thurs - Robert Randolph & Sacred Steel

Carson

Mon - Grizzly Bear
Wed - The Ravonettes
Fri - Black Lips

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-03-15T21:29:00.002-04:00

Jimmy Kimmel

Mon -Galactic with Allen Toussaint

Jimmy Fallon

Wed - The xx
Fri - Air

Carson Daly

Mon - Phoenix
Wed - Metric
Thurs - Wild Light
Fri - 311

Letterman

Wed - Free Energy
Thurs - Fanfarlo

The more you read, the better it gets

2010-03-13T10:12:00.003-05:00

This week a woman in Florida rear-ended a truck. Not too exciting of a story, right? You couldn't be more wrong.

The woman told police she was shaving her pubes when the accident happened (the police used the term "landscaping" when describing the incident). Apparently, she was meeting her boyfriend and wanted to be ready for the impending party in her pants. Even better was that her ex-husband was in the passenger seat steering the car. And just one day prior, the woman was convicted of DUI and was driving with a suspended license.

Natural selection is a beautiful thing...

New music - The National

2010-03-11T21:03:00.002-05:00

"Terrible Love" from High Violet (May 11th)

New music

2010-03-09T21:21:00.005-05:00

Plants and Animals, "Tom Cruz," La La Land (Apr 20th), Oceans Never Listen
MGMT, "Flash Delirium," Congratulations (Apr 13th), Indie Blog Heaven
Grizzly Bear ft. Intuition, "Two Weeks," I Ruined These Songs For You (TBD), Potholes in My Blog
Dr. Dog, "Stranger," Shame, Shame (Apr 6th), Everybody Taste

Not yet... but it's getting close!

2010-03-09T20:19:00.006-05:00

The most heartening time of year in the northern climes is when the earth nods toward the sun, the temperature spikes, and the streets fill with women sprung from the prison of bulky winter clothes. Ignore the calendar; the appearance of the sundress marks the first day of summer. The little black dress, the miniskirt, the belly shirt all deserve praise. But the sundress - so strappy, so revealing, so sexy - fairly sings of warmth and possibility. The ladies enjoy it too. "Women jump at the first chance to put one on," says my fiancee, who looks both tart and sweet in the lemony yellows she prefers. "They've been waiting and waiting all winter." As have we. Gentlemen, the wait is over.

- Larry Smith, Men's Health

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-03-08T21:29:00.002-05:00

SNL - Pearl Jam

Leno

Mon - Ben Harper

Fallon

Mon - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Tues - The Allman Brothers Band
Wed - The National
Thurs - Broken Bells
Fri - Vampire Weekend

Caron Daly

Tues - Weezer
Thurs - David Gray

Letterman

Tues - Broken Bells
Fri - Drive-By Truckers

Jimmy Kimmel

Wed - Manchester Orchestra

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-03-01T14:53:00.002-05:00

SNL - Vampire Weekend

Jimmy Kimmel

Thurs - Galactic w/Allen Toussaint

Carson Daly

Tues - Phoenix
Thurs - Fanfarlo

Jimmy Fallon

Tues - Ludacris
Wed - Erykah Badu
Thurs - Silversun Pickups
Fri - Joannna Newsome

Letterman

Mon - Ludacris
Thurs - Spoon

Craig Ferguson

Fri - Regina Spektor

The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Black Cat (2/18/10)

2010-02-28T22:09:00.003-05:00

This was a tremendous show - and unexpected, which makes it even better. I had heard of The Soundtrack of Our Lives before, but honestly had never paid much attention to them. Led by their big, sweaty, unpredictable teddy bear-esque frontman Ebbot Lundberg, the Swedes sure do know how to bring it. And the pair of blonde firecrackers that scooted their way in front of us added to the entertainment by shaking their moneymakers and whipping their hair all about. A quality night all around.

Check out their website, scroll towards the bottom and click on "Enter the TSOOL Dimension" - whoa.

New music

2010-02-26T14:20:00.002-05:00

Thom Yorke, "The Daily Mail," Mouse Dog Bird" and"Give Up the Ghost," video from a Green Party benefit in Cambridge on Feb 25th, NPR
Prince, "Cause and Effect," Minnesota Public Radio exclusive via NPR
She & Him, "Thieves," Volume Two (Mar 23rd), Pfork
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, "Good Enough," Mojo (this Spring), Metro D
The Morning Benders, "Excuses" and "Promises," Big Echo (Mar 9th), Aquarium Drunkard
Rogue Wave, "Solitary Gun," Permalight (Mar 2nd), I am Fuel

This week's late night TV lineup

2010-02-22T20:35:00.002-05:00

Kimmel

Mon - Mayer Hawthorne

Letterman

Mon - Ben Harper and Relentless7
Fri - The Blind Boys Of Alabama With Lou Reed

I get lost even in the places that I know...

2010-02-19T12:18:00.006-05:00

There's nothing like finding good music by accident... okay, maybe that' s overshooting it a bit, but you catch my drift. I originally recorded Austin City Limits a few weeks ago to check out the Avett Brothers and see what all of the fuss was about. After a few songs, I was still trying to figure it out. In my state of disappointment, I almost deleted the episode before giving the Heartless Bastards a listen. That would've been a gross error in judgment.

Right out of the gate, "Hold Your Head High" blew me away - so much so that I rewound it a few times before moving onto the rest of their set. Five songs later, I sat there pleasantly surprised and want more. I downloaded their latest release, The Mountain and it's been getting some frequent play on my iPod. It's nothing revolutionary, not mind-altering either - but I like their old-school sound and the stank of Erika Wennerstrom's voice sure is addicting. Unfortunately, they just finished touring with Wolfmother so who knows when I'll get a chance to catch them live. Until then, do me a favor and give "Hold Your Head High" a whirl, by clicking here and starting just after the 30 minute mark of the video.

New music

2010-02-15T22:15:00.003-05:00

Muse, "Prague," b-side to "Resistance" (and a Mega City Four cover), NME
Dr. Dog, "Shadow People," Shame, Shame (Apr 6th), Aquarium Drunkard
Clem Snide, free stream of The Meat of Life (Feb 23rd), NPR
Josh Ritter, "Change of Time," So Runs the World Away (May 4th), I am fuel
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, "I Learned the Hard Way," I Learned the Hard Way (Apr 6th), MOKB