This is really late. apologies.

Went to the Phoenix/Passion Pit show in NYC in central park at the summerstage. Passion Pit opened. I love them so dearly. I saw them earlier this summer in DC at the black cat--the harlem shakes opened the show. Gotta say they were way better in DC. Maybe it was due to the fact that most of the audience was unfamiliar with them [whereas I was twirling in circles and screaming/singing at the top of my lungs like an idiot]. the vibe just wasn't right. I was one of a handful of people who knew any lyrics to any of the songs. nobody else even made that "oh this song sounds familiar" head nod. Tre sad.

It also may have been the fact that the show was at an outdoors venue. The sound was a bit off. The only other explanation [and maybe the most logical] is that the guys gravitated towards a softer, less electronica/dance music vibe. which bummed me out completely because i just wanted to get my groove on.

Overall, i love passion pit. they could have [and i've seen it] been better.

Phoenix, however, was incredible. they really delivered. I went on the second night and the park was just packed. it was insanity. everyone there was a true phoenix fan because anywhere you looked was a new face belting out the same lines.

The band had loads of energy and they sounded exactly like they do on their records [which is always nice to hear]. They opened with my FAVORITE song [or at least top 5] of theirs, lisztomania. it was pretty much epic.

The set was a little over an hour and a half, which is surprisingly long for a show like this. but i guess it makes sense. these guys have been around for quite some time so they have lots of material to keep the fans happy.

Thomas Mars, the singer, was brilliant. constantly dancing around the stage, engaging the audience in the show. he even went into the audience [shockingly deep in comparison to a lot of the superficial, show attempts by other artists] for a good solid minute.

The guys are all super nice and humble. They're all family dudes. I had backstage/trailer access thanks to a very good friend of mine and it was really sweet to see them with their tots, backstage eating vegetable sticks and chips as opposed to the typical sex, drugs, and rock & roll scene normally witnessed backstage at these events.

Passion pit will be back in NYC on January 8th, at Terminal 5. I recommend going to the show if you haven't seen them. They are a very good live show [particularly indoors].

Phoenix, unfortunately is heading back to Europe for a while. Hopefully they'll be back in the near future.

sad news

i'm sort of devastated to say that the harlem shakes have decided to disband as a group. they had a fantastic album drop this past year. i listen to it all the time. if you don't already have it, get it. they make feel good indie pop/rock and they make you want to just get up and dance.

look forward to new solo projects from various members of the band. the drummer, brent katz, is actually finishing up his first [hopefully of many] solo album. the keyboardist, kendrick, also has a project in the works, i believe. as does todd, the guitarist.

rock on

recent shows in the district

been realllllll lazy on the post front. law school will do that to you.

went to a few shows recently.

starting off with the hold steady. i gotta say i wasn't particularly impressed. it may have been the massive hangover holding me back [i went to the show sober as i couldn't stomach the idea of drinking again] but i just wasn't feeling the same excitement and energy that i normally would associate with an amazing show. the fans were pretty cool, though. it was a really eclectic mix of people and all sorts of ages, which is refreshing [but also expected considering how long the band has been around]. almost everyone seemed like a diehard fan, too. lots of people rocking out and singing along to every line.

the singer is pretty good, as is the rest of the band. i guess a part of what threw me off is that these guys are no spring chickens anymore. so it's a little weird to see some middle aged dudes jumping around on stage, raging, and singing about getting trashed and one night stands. on a side note, one of the guitarists was smokin hot. sorry, had to throw that in there. i'm only human.

i left a little early but they ended up putting on a pretty decent encore [from what i heard].

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next show i saw was THE dopeness. ghostland observatory is brilliant. gotta say i'm bummed cause i missed them at all points west so i could watch the black keys and mgmt [who, if you didn't already know, are wackkkkkk live].

again, went to the show sober. went with my girl, R, who was also sober. we were a little nervous cause these guys have heavy bass and a laser show that is timed to the songs. we figured we were gonna miss out by staying in the land of sobriety.

we were totally wrong. this was one of the best shows i've seen in dc, one of the best shows i've seen sober, and possibly just one of the best shows i've ever seen in my life.

homeboy to stage left, with the synthesizer rocked out in his usual cape. i think i'm in love.......meanwhile, my man on vocals with the long braids and shades was beyond brilliant. he was constantly on the move, constantly changing it up, everything he did i liked. white boys got flavor.

the lasers just added to the production. it was actually mesmerizing. i was sober but i felt like i was on something so i can only imagine what the other kiddies were feeling. everyone was dancing and jumping around and there was just lots of love all around between everyone. me and my girl were getting pushed in every direction by countless large, intoxicated dudes but we were honestly having the time of our lives.

if you get a chance to check them out, GO SEE GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY.

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Last show i saw recently was miike snow. i can't say much about them because i missed most of the show but i was definitely impressed. the crowd was fully feeling it, too [with the exception of a few chicks who were sort of wack]. even the slower jams they played were done so well that they were danceable.

i would definitely recommend seeing a miike snow show. they aren't ghostland, but who is? they're still fresh as hell. you know it's a good show when some of your friends who weren't really fans before the show immediately buy their records after.

i am SO behind in the times. forgive me. let me start off with a post for my friend, E.

Andrew W. K. has a new album coming out, entitled 55 Cadillac. It's apparently filled with spontaneous solo piano improvisations and is due out on my birthday, september 8th. he's going to tour with the calder quartet starting on september 29th, and he will be in nyc at Joe's Pub on october 2nd. not to be missed....

and no, i didn't get swine flu at all points west. i contracted it the tues/weds before the festival. the timing of my fever starting 2nd day into the festival was just a coincidence.

i apologize for not updating this. i have all sorts of things to say about all points west. and photos. plus other music news. unfortunately i have swine flu so give me a few more days and i will hit you with a bevy of new posts! enjoy the rest of your week!!

ok so i'm really on neon indian's situation right now. he dropped a new track entitled should have taken acid with you. it's exactly what it should sound like.

the vocals sound sort of like some 80s danceparty love song [think depeche mode i just can't get enough, or human league don't you want me baby]. and if you don't know this already, i LOVE 80s danceparties [except for journey. ew.]. his voice is very smooth, mellow, and pouty.
the beat is really intricate. the steady underlying beat makes me feel like i'm in a videogame. then there are sporadically thrown in horns and what sounds like a machine gun, as well as what sounds like an alien space ship landing, going off softly in every so often.
i've never done acid but this song makes me think i know what it would be like.

http://www.reactable.com/reactable/

sort of like how i see in my everyday life...

If you can find it, download the mixtape for the very best.

track 3 is called tengazako. it's to the MIA paperplanes beat. it's really hot.
track 5 is called cape cod kwassa kwassa [vampire weekend fans...]. it samples the beat from that track. i prefer the original, but this is a fun alternative!

i also really like track 13 dinosaur on the ark.

while were on the subject, check out the warm heart of africa remix by architecture in helsinki [another great band]. its really fun and danceworthy. it's heavy on the horns.

i am REALLY feeling neon indian.

check out:

deadbeat summer

local joke

"new" track from woolfy called odyssey. very cool, sort of laidback and subtly trippy.



album was released in 2007 but is being rereleased through dfa records [and james murphy-lcd soundsystem]. check out the track. check out the whole album, if you know what's good for ya! [no pun intended]

yay yay yay!! posted all points west set lists for the entire weekend on their website. for your convenience, i am posting them here as well:

personally, i am thrilled that two headliners, coldplay and mgmt, overlap. it weeds out the real fans from those who are just interested in seeing all the big name acts. more fun for me!

okay so not to capitalize on mca's misfortune but jay-z has replaced the beastie boys as a headliner at all points west. if [and since] i can't have the boys, jay's certainly one artist i'm not bummed about seeing instead.

listen to islands no you don't. very interesting subject-matter......i like the synthpop beat that's going on under everything.

big fan of beastie boys. big fan of nas. check out new track, too many rappers.


i been in the game since before you was born/i might still be MCing after you're gone.....

the very talented bon iver is performing a live score [teaming up with collection of colonies of bees chris rosenau] to the late great charlie chaplin's film the gold rush. it's going down at the new york guitar festival on january 21st 2010 at merkin hall.

another sideproject comes from Kyp Malone [tv on the radio--dude on the far right with the hair] with rain machine. new track entitled give blood. it's alright, not nearly as impressive as tv on the radio's stuff. but whatever floats your boat.

Monsters of Folk is a new and exciting project. it's masterminded by Conor Oberst [Bright Eyes], Jim James [My Morning Jacket], M. Ward [She & Him], and Mike Mojis {indie superproducer]. if you go to their website you can get their song "say please" for free

check out yellowfire. i like the track hellfire. reminds me of clap your hands but less weird. and prettier.

mgmt is the hotness. they're already making an appearance on the new flaming lips album [sooo excited for this--new track leaked recently..."Silver Trembling Hands"]. now jay-z has them lined up for his blueprint 3 album. should be very interesting. i'm curious [which, as an artist, is something you want to provoke from listeners]

if you're a fan of chromeo you should check out their show at irving plaza oct 16th. tickets just went on sale

speaking of vampire weekend, this new indie flick Blondes in the Jungle sounds pretty interesting and the soundtrack sounds even doper. it's got contributions from the guys in vw plus members of Aa, Asobi Seksu, and Survival.

The Very Best performed in NYC recently [some time last week, can't remember]. anyways, their song "Warm Heart of Africa" is dopeeeee. Ezra Koenig brings the Vampire Weekend flavor to the track.
it really is a warm lovefest of a song.

listen to Girls. my faves are Hellhole Ratrace and Solitude. Solitude for some reason reminds me of Love Hurts by Nazareth [takes you way back].

god i've never gotten sick of this video. or this song. she's got a great voice. real smooth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJHdT1j6hH8

i thought it was only appropriate and long overdue, given my obsession with steve nash, that i post him in all of his glory. no disrespect to his wife but i am really on his situation. for those of you who share my sentiments, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXoiEDs_a0E

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opYTM7f2Lv4

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pahqq-1hp0

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PKxSwsmUNY

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50VL_rGmjr8&feature=PlayList&p=3578B7D9F16B5261&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=42

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzqO5csAhhc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzyzP5upKMY

i love this song. its so light and airy and youthful and carefree. it makes me think of high school or college, being silly, and being in some tropical, breezy setting, all at once. which is really strange because the lyrics are very obviously not about any of those things. except for maybe the young part.

anyways, i think jason schwartzman is a pretty brilliant and talented guy. and hugely underrated.

i hate you west coast!

http://www.treasureislandfestival.com/index.php

i'm just bitter

so the hood internet is basically a hit or miss operation. no offense or anything but most of their creations are not for me. they sound like nails on a chalkboard to be perfectly blunt.

once in a while i find a rare gem, though. the first one i recently found was "good ol' fashioned rump shaker" which was a mixup of matt & kim's "good ol' fashioned nightmare" with beastie boys classic "shake your rump"....it really is my feel good hit of the summer [that is until i started listening to discovery].

yesterday/couple days ago i found another terrific track. the best part is the hood mixed up discovery's [yes!!!!] "osaka loop line" with oj da juiceman's "make the trap say ay"....to be entirely honest i have no idea who oj da juiceman is but his rhymes over this beat [which was hot to begin with] is simply fantastic.

go check it out please! you can download it for free at thehoodinternet.com

or just email me and i can send it your way.

en garde, i'll let you try my wutang style

go see method man/redman/ghostface in nyc july 30th for the all points west kick off show at the nokia theatre. oh. my. god. i'm so excited for THAT show. i saw them [well, wutang + surprise guest, redman] during the odb tribute tour in nyc a couple of years back. one of the best concerts i've ever been to, barnone.


get tickets fast before it sells out [and i guarantee you it will]. $35 each as of last night.

i really love elliott smith. he was such a beautiful musician. difficult to listen to at times; so moving.

portland seems to spawn some incredible musicians/artists...

okay so the sound is very different from what is normally blasting out of my ipod but i just listened to some music by slow club. my initial response is that it reminds me a little of the music from the movie juno. i don't think that gives their sound justice, though.

gotta run to work but i'll update this post later when i have the time! suffice it to say that slow club is worthy of a listen or two, or more.

if you're not me [aka busy during those dates], i expect you should be making every effort to taken in lollapalooza's festival this summer. dates are august 7-9. i'm really really jealous of anyone who is going.

http://2009.lollapalooza.com

this isn't the most relevant post but the album has been out for over a month and i'm still obsessed. if you aren't already into it, get into bitte orca by the dirty projectors. it's unlike anything else out there right now and it's brilliant.

ahhhh i can't wait for the new flaming lips double album, embryonic!!

"We have MGMT doing a song with us and we have Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs doing a couple songs with us," said the Wayner. "For the Karen O tracks, I just called her up in her hotel room and we just did it right over the telephone. It's pretty absurd."

one of my favorite bands in high school was built to spill. still think they're great. so jealous of anyone who can go catch their show july 18th at puzzle's bar in brooklyn or on july 19th at maxwells in hoboken. unfortunately i will be working my last 2 days as a server [hopefully for the rest of my life].

this is probably going to be fantastic. not as incredible as all points west, but great in its own nonetheless. i have yet to see the flaming lips live [rumor has it, they are one of the best shows ever]. if you're in [or have the motivation to travel to] monticello, ny from sept 11-13, check out the festival. i can't make any guarantees but i bet you won't be disappointed.

http://www.atpfestival.com/Events/ATPNewYork2009.php

its about that time again!!! restaurant week in nyc can be your best friend [if you're like me and you love food]. it's really a fantastic way to sample the cuisine at a restaurant that's normally too expensive or too overbooked, or somewhere you're on the fence/curious about dining at. check out the participating restaurants and take advantage if you have the time and funds.

http://nycgo.com/restaurantweek

if you are going to buy music ever again, do it here.

http://amiestreet.com/

you're welcome

for my friend who hates on electronica

listen to gui boratto. it makes you feel the way this album cover looks.

Celebrate Brooklyn! Benefit Concerts Presents TV on the Radio

http://www.prospectpark.org/calendar/event/515334

if i ever release an album, i'm calling it spread the love not your legs

update on the straw situation.

because clearly you care.

i think they're onto me. or just annoyed.

i can't even step foot in the store in time to order food before they shout from behind the counter that the soda fountain is still broken. and before i have time to ask how long they shout, "for a long time."

how rude.

i like to think that the new discovery album is basically the soundtrack to this blog. and maybe my life. although i guess i could say the same thing about the shakes album. discovery is the side project of vampire weekend's rostam batmanglij and ra ra riot's wes miles.

i like orange shirt. but they're all great tracks. eerily great timing with the 'i want you back (in discovery)' cover of jackson 5's massive hit.

pick it up please!

ooooooooohhh the shakes. they're fantastic. check them out.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=090mOkciRp0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Figuessimfloating%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded

i've been secretly stealing [or, as i would like to call it, quietly taking possession of] these amazing neon colored straws from the pizza place down the street from my serving job. it came about because i went in there one day to grab a slice and a large fountain soda to scarf down before work, only to be disappointed upon the finding that their fountain soda machine was out of order. i asked how long they expected it to be in disrepair. the man behind the counter responded quite simply, "i don't know." i asked the helpful man how long it had been broken and was met once again with a simple, "i don't know."

at that i raised an eyebrow and, with a slight sneer, i thanked him for my slice, handed over my cash and waited for my change. it was then that i noticed the beautiful neon straws, all alone and crammed together in an old coca cola cup from the stupid soda machine. while the man was buried with his head in the cash register extracting my change, i reached into that cup and took one of every color straw, placing them carefully into my bag.

since then it has become my little rebellion to take possession of a handful of those pretty little things every time i go into said pizza place for a slice and a large fountain soda and am faced with the grave news that the machine is broken. only now there is no disappointment, just slight glee when i spot those neon brights.

at least until the day they catch on and i am left with no soda and no pretty straws.

check it out--always be prepared

as the boy scouts motto goes, always be prepared. i may have just made that up but whatever. this website will tell you whether you need to wear a jacket outside whereever you are. it's pretty convenient.

http://www.doineedajacket.com/

random note-not so hot stuff

one day not too long ago i had just stepped out of a hair salon. new color, new cut, newly straightened. i thought i looked good. i still think i looked good. only it was short lived. as i was crossing the street, with my full cup of scalding hot tea in my left hand and my cell phone in my right hand, cemented to my right ear, gabbing away with my mother, i stepped up onto the curb of the sidewalk. unaware of the metal plating on the curb's edge, i picked my backfoot up out of the street and that was it for me.

my tea went nowhere but up and unfortunately, gravity being my dear friend, came quickly back down. meanwhile, my cell phone, defying physics, flew out of my other hand [evidently not secured to my right ear] and disappeared into thin air. as for me, i can only say that i must have looked like those comedic characters straight out of old movies where they slip on a banana peel and their feet come out from under, landing them on their back. so there i was sprawled in the middle of the street, doused in hot tea, my hair--and the rest of me--in a state that i had not remotely envisioned upon exiting the salon.

a young couple attempted to help me out, in between their muffled snickers. i was a lost cause, though. i proceeded to pick myself up off the ground, hastily search about for my phone [discovering that the battery had fallen down a drain], and walked away as quickly as possible. whereas i had walked out of that salon with a strut, i walked away from the street corner with my tail between my legs, leaving behind that cell phone battery, in the company of my dignity.

random note-ughhh

2 nights in a row i had dreams about wacktressing recently. i'm disgusting and pathetic.

gibberish

i walked away with what dignity remained....which, unfortunately, was very little

random note--room please

okay this is not south america. this is not europe. this is the us. you should not be engaging in foreplay in public. ever. not as a teenager, not as a young adult, and certainly not as a straight up grown ass man/woman. i don't even know what to say about the adults who are guilty of this. yes we're a very liberal and socially relaxed society in many ways but that's not the point.

in other countries, it's quite common to see pda all over the place. i was in argentina with matty cf and there were kids/young couples straight lying in the grass on top of one another going at it. going at it in the clubs. going at it on the bus. everywhere. it was kinda shocking at first. the truth is, kids live with their parents till much later in other countries [ahem, living at home during the summer when you're in your mid-twenties does not count]. so they don't really have anywhere to go to be alone with their boo. anyways, it's pretty much a social norm for everyone to make out everywhere in other countries.

also, people in other countries don't tend to have the available space/multitude of rooms that we do in our private homes. so they can't just hide out in the living room or in the basement, or in that bathroom that the rest of your family rarely uses.

that's not the case here. go rent a room by the hour. go back to your place. or their place. just go somewhere. i don't want to see your hands roving all over at like 4 in the afternoon on the streets of new york. especially when you're middle-aged. that's just ridiculous. you cannot blame it on being drunk. i mean i guess you can but that opens up a whole new can of worms and issues to look into.

i'm all for lovey-dovey crap but for real just show some discretion.

gibberish

if i could write you off i would

check it out--the wackness

go and watch the wackness. it'll take you back. well, if you grew up in manhattan in the 90s. and sold pot. whatever, it's great film. one of my favorites.

"i just look at the dopeness. but you, it's like you just look at the wackness"

how poignant is that?!?

random note--practicing my o-face

does anyone else feel like most people they know have a job or a career path, and then they have aspirations and what they'd actually like to be doing?

often times it seems like the choice between a profession and a passion.

like a lawyer who wants to be a writer, or a doctor who wants to be a dancer.

how wack is that? is there even a way to reconcile the two?

any suggestions are more than welcome

check it out--negro y blanco

it's actually called black and white. it's really fun. if you know dc9, it's got a similar vibe, but MUCH smaller. and real hipsters. hah. anyways, it's really fun. it's a block from my house so i know it well. i don't know anyone who doesn't love being there.

just make sure you have a real id [if you are underage] or an id period because they almost always card and are strict about it [they can afford to be]. have fun!



ps i read somewhere recently that the dreamy robert pattinson [edward cullen from twilight] was there getting sloshed. so that's sort of cool i guess.

check it out--the new beauty bar

so there's a beauty bar in manhattan on east 14th street. it's alright. it's pseudo trendy/hipster. it's very much a scene. to be honest, it's kind of played out. omg like so four years ago!

however, they just had the grand opening for a new beauty bar in brooklyn. its at 921 broadway. you can take the j/m/z trains to myrtle-broadway and it's right there.

there's actually a pretty chill party throwing down there tonight. a couple buddies will be djing. i believe there is no cover which is pretty dope.

check it out. shake it. drink up. have fun.

check it out--bomb the system

for real. watch this movie. it's so dope. mark webber does some pretty legit acting in it. first thing i ever saw him in was "you drive me crazy" [the melissa joan hart teenybopper bubblegum pop chick flick which also starred a certain adrien grenier], then mr. webber followed up with a starring role in nickelodeon's "snow day." needless to say, i did not have very high expectations of him or this film. i was pleasantly surprised. turns out the kid was homeless, living in a car/on the street with his mom for a while and isn't as cookie cutter as i assumed he was [you know what they say about assuming things...]. also, there's a serious hottie with a body in this film that even the ladies gotta appreciate. she's just that good.

here's a link in case you don't feel like renting it at blockbuster or whatever:

http://quicksilverscreen.com/watch?video=35826

enjoy.

random note

forgive me for not sharing anything deeply personal--thoughts, opinions, feelings, states of being. i am simply uncomfortable with showcasing such substantive summations and ultimately i don't feel this is an appropriate forum.

check it out--passion pit and others remixed

a certain matthew c.f. sent me a remix of sleepyhead by passion pit so i went and looked it up online and came upon this website that has tons of other remixes of other songs. so check it:

http://iguessimfloating.blogspot.com/2008/12/mp3-passion-pit-sleepyhead-wallpaper_16.html

this is my happy place

for the fellas-hot vid

check out this zzzzexy rendition of single ladies......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP-KFnYg6Hw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjustjared%2Ebuzznet%2Ecom%2Fpage%2F5%2F&feature=player_embedded

for real though, i cried i laughed so hard watching this. if you can, watch it side by side with beyonce's video. it's hard to believe but it's even better.

for the ladies-bags on the cheap

i was in court all day, which means i took the train to and from the canal street stop [not a stop i generally frequent]. anyways, it reminded me. if you are looking to buy knock-offs [primarily bags, but i'm sure there are other goodies], head to canal street for stuff on the cheap.

dope food-dolce e bella

go to la lanterna on macdougal off of washington square park south. order the tiramisu and a hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream......yes, even in the summer. you'll thank me later.

check it out--dining decisions made easy

hey so if you are in nyc and need to narrow down the endless possibilities of food, check out this sick website:

http://www.alwayshungryny.com/

it's really a great new search engine with a very different angle.

who let the dogs out

soooo i was doing wacktress thing saturday night. i was one of two girls in the entire downstairs restaurant and i was the only girl in the back party rooms. i was surrounded by male staff [servers, runners, bussers, bartenders, barbacks, and management]. my only female companions were 5 bachelorette parties that i had the privilege of servicing.

i want to be a quiet observer at as many bachelorette parties as i can in my life.

i watched one lady grab a male server to make out with him. i watched another rip open a different male server's shirt. i saw one of the poor bussers, a teenage 6'5'' african boy, being backed into a corner by ten drunk and excited women. and i watched as two of my co-workers thought it was funny to drag another server, an adorable 20 year old boy, into a party room and leave him alone with a bunch of these women and a large penis balloon.

all of this, and the women kept a rousing chorus of 'who let the dogs out' up for the entire night. the whole restaurant was privy to the 'fun' that everyone in the party rooms was having.

check it out--harlem shakes

if you're in nyc july 1st check out the harlem shakes show. they are fun pop/dance/indie rock band who released technicolor health in march. i've seen them several times, they always put on a great show.

they're playing at the bowery ballroom at 8pm. see you there.

http://www.boweryballroom.com/event/2977

dope food-this little piggy went to market......

soooo, spotted pig. pretty well known restaurant/pub. i guess it's technically considered a gastropub [whatever the heck that means...too lazy to google]. it's in the west village. jay-z is a part owner. it's super trendy, fairly small, dimly lit, and very noisy. it's very fun, particularly with large parties [but you gotta have a reservation for that]. this place is basically always crowded with beautiful people, glittering famed ones, and the pseudo a-listers, spending lots of paper and hip by default. there's a nice dichotomy, though, because it's also a very laid back establishment.

as far as my memory serves me, they only take cash so make sure to go to an atm before you settle in for a drink or some food.

so i know i said that the BEST fries were at pommes frites. still true....however, i'd like to give a tip of the hat to the shoestring fries that they serve up at the spotted pig. really long, super thin fries. and LOTS of them. they are sooooo tasty--albeit a little bit salty.

another dish i'd recommend is the sheep's ricotta gnudi with brown butter & sage. it's pretty good. but again, kinda heavy on the salt.

i can't give my personal opinion on it cause i don't eat red meat but they're known for their chargrilled burger. so i'd definitely give that a try.

overall i'd say go here if you are looking for a scene, not if you're looking to be well-fed or to make your stomach blissfully satisfied. otherwise, skip it and go to cowgirl hall of fame for a good burger and some real food [i'll post on this restaurant at some point soon].

i'm not even posting a link. go find it yourself

check it out--sartorialist

if you think fashion is art, like i do, then you should already be an avid follower of the sartorialist. if you aren't, shame on you. anyways, check it out.

breathtaking.

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

check it out-all points west

i just got an email saying that my tickets to all points west were being printed and mailed to me. if you are in the new york area the last day of july/first weekend of august, you HAVE to go to this festival. it's 3 days [friday, saturday, sunday], from noon to i think eleven pm. it's at liberty state park which is super easy to get to by the path train.

the line-up is DOPE: on friday we've got beastie boys yeah yeah yeahs and vampire weekend headlining [with some sick opening acts including ra ra riot, fleet foxes, mstrkrft, q-tip, and the pharcyde], on saturday the headliners are tool [not really my cup of tea] my bloody valentine [no clue who they are] and gogol bordello [again no clue]. okay so i have no interest in the main acts for saturday, but the opening acts are terrific: arctic monkeys, ting tings, crystal castles, tokyo police club, cool kids, chairlift. finally, on sunday we have some major headliners with coldplay, echo & the bunnymen and mgmt [!!!!]. Openers [super dope] include black keys, ghostland observatory, and lykke li.

it's just a super fun, laid back 3 day music fest and i highly recommend checking it out. wear your hipster finest kids.

http://www.apwfestival.com/index.php

dope food-spice market

so i'm a wacktress part time. at this trendy restaurant under chef jean georges [dude's really famous, wikipedia him]. it's called spice market. it's in the meatpacking district. i worked their about a year ago for 6 months. i'm back there on weekends for the summer cause ejf is not enough money.

i'm on my break right now [i'm a double shift today], so i thought i'd write a little bit about the restaurant.

gotta give it up to them for the decor. this guy jaques garcia was the designer [i believe]; he's pretty prominent in his line of work. it's really quite a show to dine inside this restaurant. i can't even describe it for you because i wouldn't do it justice. the server uniforms are also pretty dope if you happen to be a customer [and not a server, or at least not a female server]. we have the privilege of wearing backless aprons with pants. that's not the best description but it pretty much sums it up.

the cuisine is a southeast asian blend. i've never been a huge fan of the food but last night i had the striped bass. it was pretty dope. not gonna lie. REALLY spicy...and i love spice. it's got wok fried napa cabbage, waterchestnut and cucumber.

i would also say go for the spiced chicken samosas. maybe the best thing on the menu [in my opinion]. the black pepper shrimp is pretty tasty too, although some customers have described it as too salty [not sure that i agree with them....and i'm not generally a fan of the salt].

hands down, their desserts are the best part of the meal. you can't go wrong with a single one [i mean i guess don't order the fruit basket....as far as fruit baskets go it's awesome, but in general i'd say they are pretty boring].

there's awesome specialty cocktails at the bar. i'd recommend the pineapple mojito [it's a seasonal drink, interchanged with a kumquat mojito]. people also rave about the ginger margarita.

ps i just looked through the official employee manual which says that spice market "may monitor" employee blogs. i hope everything i said was pc....

whatever you order i can guarantee you will enjoy dining at this restaurant.

http://www.spicemarketnewyork.com/index.cfm

dope food-like fries?

so i'm not much of a french fries girl BUT hands down the illest fries in the world are at pommes frites. some people might argue pastis but i'm gonna put my foot down on this one. pommes frites is on 2nd and 7th streetish [not sure the exact cross street just walk down 2nd ave]. anyways, it's been around for as long as i can remember. it's dope. the fries are twice fried so they're pretty crispy and very tasty. i would warn that they are slightly greasy. but that's never really a bad thing, is it?

in addition to the traditional ketchup topping, they have at least 25 others. i like the peanut satay [don't hate, it's delicious].

the sizes come in regular large and double. i kind of think the regular is large enough--and i like to eat. you might die if you consume an entire double order by yourself.

http://www.pommesfrites.ws/default.htm

enjoy!

i love the citizens of my city

was rollerblading to the gym [yeah i blade, no big deal] and my trip was put on hold momentarily due to a raucous scuffle that broke out in the middle of the street. two asian and two black chicks were not very fond of one another, it seems. the icing on this cake was watching their boyfriends, bewildered and slightly awed, scramble to break it up/pull their girls apart.

i also had a guy offer to buy me groceries in exchange for my sunglasses. i politely declined. everyone knows how i feel about my shades...

only in new york.

dope food-italian style

next trip to nyc. good italian. go to lil' frankies. 1st and 1st.

took my boy PJ there for a belated birthday dinner [his request]. ill homemade gnocci, great pizza. chill atmosphere: young, interesting patrons. eclectic vibe; hipsters, pseudo intellectuals, lovey dovey couples. ran into mutual friend mg having dinner with her friends. service was alright [attentive but bordered on harassment]. good wine. beer selection was alright. prices are reasonable.

note: they don't take reservations and they only take cash.

http://www.lilfrankies.com/

shout out

gotta give it up to kendra for posting the ridiculous photo which sparked gracie's comment, inspiring this blog. stacey for using her room. oh and roseanne for being proactive haha. so thanks mamas