a rock to wind a piece of string around

maybe_tonite @ 2008-12-31T18:01:00

2008-12-31T23:03:10Z

Here's my lists of my favorite things from 2008.

The Top 10 "Top 10" singles
(Songs that charted in the Billboard Top 10 some time this year)

10. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - Low
9. Lil Mama feat. Chris Brown and T-Pain - Shawty Get Loose
8. Kanye West - Love Lockdown
7. Katy Perry - Hot N Cold
6. Kanye West - Heartless
5. Britney Spears - Womanizer
4. Miley Cyrus - See You Again
3. P!nk - So What
2. Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
1. M.I.A. - Paper Planes

The Top 20 albums of 2008

20. Weezer - S/T (The Red Album)
19. She & Him - Volume 1
18. Conor Oberst - S/T
17. Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I - IV
16. Ben Folds - Way To Normal
15. The Presidents of the United States of America - These Are The Good Times, People
14. Fireman - Electric Arguments
13. Andrew W.K. - The Japan Covers
12. Fall Out Boy - Folie à Deux
11. Adam Green - Sixes and Sevens
10. The Streets - Everything Is Borrowed
9. Beck - Modern Guilt
8. They Might Be Giants - Here Come The 123's
7. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
6. Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
5. Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
4. The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
3. The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
2. The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
1. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals

My Most Played Music of 2008
According to my Last.fm

10. Adam Green
9. Ween
8. Weezer
7. Andrew W.K.
6. Naked City
5. Radiohead
4. The Mountain Goats
3. Girl Talk
2. They Might Be Giants
1. The Magnetic Fields

The Top 20 Movies of 2008

20. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
19. Hamlet 2
18. Frost/Nixon
17. Christmas on Mars
16. High School Musical 3: Senior Year
15. W.
14. Funny Games
13. Be Kind Rewind
12. The Promotion
11. Doubt
10. Man on Wire
9. Synecdoche, New York
8. Milk
7. Burn After Reading
6. The Dark Knight
5. Cloverfield
4. The Wrestler
3. Slumdog Millionaire
2. WALL·E
1. There Will Be Blood

The Top 20 Concerts I Attended in 2008

20. Dethklok @ Nokia Theatre (6/25/08)
19. Conor Oberst w/ Ben Kweller @ Terminal 5 (11/8/08)
18. Tegan and Sara @ Terminal 5 (10/5/08)
17. Jeffrey Lewis @ Mercury Lounge (1/30/08)
16. They Might Be Giants w/ Les Chauds Lapin @ (le) Poisson Rouge (9/27/08)
15. Daniel Johnston @ Highline Ballroom (2/21/08)
14. Sonic Youth w/ The Feelies @ Battery Park (7/4/08)
13. Ween @ McCarren Park Pool (7/25/08)
12. The Magnetic Fields @ Town Hall (2/22/08)
11. King Crimson @ Nokia Theatre (8/15/08)
10. Eels @ Highline Ballroom (4/2/08)
9. The Raconteurs @ Terminal 5 (5/31/08)
8. Andrew W.K. w/ Bomb The Music Industry! @ Crazy Donkey (8/31/08)
7. Sigur Rós @ United Palace Theatre (9/17/08)
6. Girl Talk @ Terminal 5 (11/16/08)
5. They Might Be Giants @ Beacon Theater (2/2/08)
4. Joanna Newsom @ BAM (1/31/08)
3. Wilco @ McCarren Park Pool (8/13/08)
2. The Magnetic Fields @ Iron Horse (2/11/08)
1. Radiohead @ Susquehanna Bank Center (8/12/08)

Happy New Year, you neglected LiveJournal, you.
matthew

RIP David Foster Wallace

2008-09-15T03:37:04Z

So I never really write in this thing anymore. But I just had to write something somewhere about this.

I found out on the way home from work today that David Foster Wallace, one of my all-time favorite authors, killed himself yesterday in his apartment. I am more devastated by this news than I could possibly convey here. Though I loved all of his writing, my favorite work of his are his essays, where he analyzes the ordinary with such intelligence and reflection that you couldn't help but feel like you were reading the words of an absolute genius. He could make you laugh out loud while simultaneously making you question the entire foundation of human activities such as luxury cruises, state fairs, lobster, pornography, and so much more.

His first essay collection, "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again" was recommended to me by the professor of my Writing the Essay class in NYU. I loved that book so much that I did my final paper analyzing his works. It was through David Foster Wallace that I found so many other authors I've come to love and respect, such as Chuck Klosterman, Dave Eggers, Sarah Vowell, Chuck Palahniuk... it all started with him. I owe him endless thanks for introducing me to a whole world of literature I wasn't aware of. Even though most of those authors don't resemble his writing style or subject matter at all, I would have never bothered to read them if not for the inspiration that came from his work.

I started reading his 1,000+ page novel "Infinite Jest" a few months ago and stalled because I found it such an overwhelming endeavor. But I'm gonna pick it up again now and give it the attention it deserves.

If you're curious, let me know and I'll loan you one of his books. He was a great writer, and his death barely cracking the news is insulting to me (though in the wake of hurricanes and economic disasters, I suppose it's understandable). He was a phenomenal, unique writer and an undeniably brilliant man. It's such a loss. If nothing else, read his essay, "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again," and you'll understand.

matthew

PS: Yes, I wrote this for MySpace and then just threw it up here. Just in case someone still looked at this and figured it out. Seriously though, I might start writing here again. I do have things to say. Or things I want to remember saying in the future. You know what I mean. Whoever you are.

My Favorites (Though Not Necessarily Best) of 2007

2008-01-01T21:19:20Z

Let's get right to it:

My Top 15 Singles (Charting in the Billboard Top 10) of 2007:
15. Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson - The Way I Are
14. Chris Brown feat. T-Pain - Kiss Kiss
13. Amy Winehouse - Rehab
12. Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around Comes Around
11. Fergie feat. Ludacris - Glamorous
10. Kanye West feat. T-Pain - Good Life
9. Fergie - Clumsy
8. High School Musical 2 Cast - What Time Is It?
7. Lil Mama - Lip Gloss
6. Rihanna feat. Jay-Z - Umbrella
5. Fall Out Boy - This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
4. Gwen Stefani feat. Akon - The Sweet Escape
3. My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade
2. Kanye West - Stronger
1. Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend

My Top 15 Songs of 2007 (not singles or did not chart high enough for previous list):
15. Ween - Learnin' To Love
14. Battles - Atlas
13. Tegan and Sara - Call It Off
12. The New Pornographers - Challengers
11. Miley Cyrus - See You Again
10. MIKA - Lollipop
9. M.I.A. - Paper Planes
8. Mandy Moore - Most of Me
7. Bright Eyes - I Must Belong Somewhere
6. Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat
5. High School Musical 2 - Bet On It
4. They Might Be Giants - Vestibule
3. Aly & AJ - Potential Breakup Song
2. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
1. Against Me! - Thrash Unreal

My Top 15 Concerts Attended in 2007
15. Rock The Bells festival feat. Rage Against The Machine, Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Talib Kweli, Mos Def Pharaoh Monch, etc.
7/29 - Randall's Island, NY

14. Ween
6/12 - Palace Theatre: Albany, NY

13. Ben Kweller w/ Tim Fite
7/30 - Southpaw: Brooklyn, NY

12. They Might Be Giants w/ Oppenheimer
10/18 - Toad's Place: New Haven, CT

11. The Polyphonic Spree w/ Jesca Hoop
7/1 - Warsaw: Brooklyn, NY

10. Junior Senior
8/12 - SoundFix Records: Brooklyn, NY

9. Mandy Moore
9/15 - Irving Plaza: Manhattan, NY

8. Dashboard Confessional (Solo, Acoustic) w/ Augustana
11/8 - The Crazy Donkey: Farmingdale, NY

7. The White Stripes w/ Grinderman, Porter Wagoner, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
7/24 - Madison Square Garden: Manhattan, NY

6. Bright Eyes w/ McCarthy Trenching, Company
3/3 - Bowery Ballroom: Manhattan, NY

5. Girl Talk w/ Dan Deacon, White Williams
9/15 - Bowery Ballroom: Manhattan, NY

4. The Frames
9/10 - Webster Hall: Manhattan, NY

3. Jandek
4/14 - Abrons Arts Center: Manhattan, NY

2. They Might Be Giants w/ The Last Car
8/1 - Bowery Ballroom: Manhattan, NY

1. The White Stripes w/ The Citizens Band
6/19 - Irving Plaza: Manhattan, NY

My Top 5 (Because I Hate Most Movies) Movies of 2007
5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

(This list only covers theatrical movies and does not include the greatest movie of all time, High School Musical 2)

My Top 15 Albums of 2007
15. Jeffrey Lewis - 12 Crass Songs

14. Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High

13. M.I.A. - Kala

12. MIKA - Life In Cartoon Motion

11. Camera-Head Shark - Oh, You

10. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga

9. The White Stripes - Icky Thump

8. Dashboard Confessional - The Shade of Poison Trees

7. Tegan and Sara - The Con

6. Northern State - Can I Keep This Pen?

5. Mandy Moore - Wild Hope

4. Kanye West - Graduation

3. They Might Be Giants - The Else

2. High School Musical 2 (Soundtrack)

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows

maybe_tonite @ 2007-12-23T05:50:00

2007-12-23T10:50:40Z

So I've been watching a lot of random shit on YouTube in lieu of sleep. Here are some great videos I've found through my new interest in Later w/ Jools Holland.

Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla

Thom Yorke - The Clock

Battles - Atlas

Devendra Banhart - Sight To Behold

Grinderman - No Pussy Blues

R.E.M. - Nightswimming

Radiohead - Idioteque

Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm

Yeh. Just a couple there I really love. I'm really into music. And obviously not sleep. But I'm gonna try to anyway. Later.

whaaaa?

2007-12-18T08:29:09Z

You ever have a really weird dream about someone you know? And then the next time you see them... whenever you look at them you associate them with that dream you had? Which completely warps your perception of them... potentially forever???

Yeah... dreams are weird like that.

How are we to know that dreams just aren't another part of reality anyway? If someone does something in a dream, who are we to say that it really did or didn't happen? I remember certain dreams as vividly as I remember waking memories... so what makes one more real than the other? We assume it's not real because it's our mind's creation and not what someone physically did to us. But everything we see anyone do is nothing more than our own perception of that event... whether we're awake or not. Our perception of someone, created by us in our mind through information we've received from the eyes, is all we really have... so who's to say the dream perception is any more or less real than the waking perception?

I'm gonna stick with that mentality... even if it does mean I occasionally hook up with unlikely individuals. Makes life more interesting...

maybe_tonite @ 2007-12-13T02:43:00

2007-12-13T07:43:38Z

I am one lucky mother fucker.

That's all.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-12-10T01:54:00

2007-12-10T06:54:14Z

Man Factory have reminded me once again that your true favorite music is probably something you'll never get to hear.

This band is far too good to be so obscure. If you're reading this, check them out and download their (free) new EP. Which is Part 1 of 3 of their Street Fighter II rock opera.

Truly amazing.

I'm pretty angry at music lately. Which has made it hard to make a Christmas list AND my Best of '07 list. But I'll finish both soon enough.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-11-26T16:55:00

2007-11-26T21:55:21Z

The Wheatus show at the Luna Lounge Saturday night might have been my favorite Wheatus show yet.

And that includes playing in front of thousands in London.

Thanks to everyone who came. It was such a great night.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-11-07T15:29:00

2007-11-07T20:29:07Z

On his new album, Jay-Z samples the Beastie Boys.

I hope I'm not the only person who thinks that's fucking incredbile.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-11-05T13:55:00

2007-11-05T18:55:23Z

So I've been in Wheatus for almost 2 years. And yet there's still things I'm learning and picking up on. For example, I just learned the lyrics to the bridge (or middle section? it's not really a bridge) of This Island. And they might be the best lyrics that Brendan has ever written. And here they are:

Yeah, I thought that I knew who I was.
What did I know? Of nothing or all the above?
Did I mention those hip new ideas that I got from you last week?
They sucked all the life out of life in a heartbeat.
And ripped mine right out of my chest, and the kids saw right through.
But you already knew that was true,
Since you tried it the first time in 1989 when you were the one in my shoes,
And some asshole like you told you what you should do when you do what you do.
And you had to do it how he wanted you to.
Have you learned how to live with regret yet?
I can't keep these things in my head.
If I turn out like you, I will wish I was dead.

That's all.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-11-03T03:43:00

2007-11-03T07:43:46Z

I feel like I've spent a lot of time defending and (as a direct result) questioning some of my life decisions lately.

And I'm writing here, now, just to remind myself that dropping out of NYU was the single best decision I ever made in my entire life. And if the whole band thing ended tomorrow, or if I got kicked out of my house, or if I wind up broke and jobless and without health insurance in a few years... that fact will NOT change. I know it.

So fuck off. And also I love you and I understand that you only want what's best for me. But having said that, fuck off. I know what I'm doing... believe it or not.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-10-22T02:59:00

2007-10-22T06:59:03Z

I haven't written in this in a long time but that's okay.

I just wanted to share that I was in Brooklyn today and I went to Permanent Records and bought a couple vinyl records to hang up in my room. But since I don't have the frames yet, I sat down and listened a bit. And in the world we currently live in with iPods and Last.fm and millions of songs available at any given moment, it doesn't seem worth it to really sit down and listen to a vinyl LP.

But it really is worth it. It's such a satisfying experience and it makes you appreciate the music you're listening to so much more. I'm gonna start doing this much more often. I need my own record player.

For reference... here's what I got today:
Rush - Moving Pictures
Crass - The Feeding of the 5000
Bright Eyes - Lifted
Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender
King Crimson - Discipline
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

I'm gonna get album frames and hang them up in my room. But I'm gonna take them down and listen... all the time. Bet on it.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-09-09T02:30:00

2007-09-09T06:30:53Z

Tonight involved a hot tub and McFly.
That made me happy.

I'm seeing The Frames on Monday and that's exciting. But I'm actually starting to freak out about seeing Mandy Moore a week from today. I'm gonna get there early and be right up front and shit. That is a legit dream come true. The only thing that could make that better would be getting to meet her... but let's take it one dream at a time.

Oh man. I'm so excited. Oh man.

PS: I leave in 9 days.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-09-08T22:17:00

2007-09-09T02:17:57Z

It's really quite amazing how it seems like right before ANY tour I go on, something happens that makes me REALLY want to just go immediately.

Don't get it twisted. I love my friends and I love my family and I love my life at home. But sometimes it's necessary to get away from it. Very necessary.

I think most of us can relate.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-09-02T23:54:00

2007-09-03T03:54:11Z

Tonight, Joey, Kelli, Missy, MC Lars, and myself all played WarioWare. It was great.

There's lots of fun to be had in this world.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-08-30T21:07:00

2007-08-31T01:07:31Z

So today. August 30th, 2007, Looney Tunes caught fire, pretty much destroying the entire inside. They say they'll rebuild ASAP, but who knows when that'll be.

How's that for a sad image? I took that this afternoon... there were a few other people around, checking it out almost as if it were a memorial. Really incredible.

AND the Higbie Lane 7-Eleven has a broken Coke Slurpee dispenser.

It feels like a huge chunk of my life is missing.

Mad updates.

2007-08-23T00:15:04Z

So for the first time in a very long time, I'm home, alone, with nothing to do. I was briefly at Sarah Galbavy's party, but decided that I'd rather be home alone for a little while for a change. So here I am. Now let's update... I've got my iCal up and running and everything.

I went and saw the White Stripes with my father on July 24th. At Madison Square Garden. I had seen them at Irving earlier this summer and I was afraid this show would have to be disappointing in comparison. Not the case. They absolutely owned the place and I loved the whole thing. Really quite an impressive performance. I paid $60 to see them there, $30 to see them at Irving... and I'd see either again in a heartbeat.

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground / When I Hear My Name / Jolene / Hotel Yorba / Cannon / Icky Thump / Do / Death Letter / In The Cold, Cold Night / A Martyr For My Love For You / I'm Slowly Turning Into You / I Think I Smell A Rat / Wasting My Time / 300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues / You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) / Fell In Love With A Girl / Ball and Biscuit // Blue Orchid / I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself / Little Ghost / We're Going To Be Friends / Little Bird / Catch Hell Blues / My Doorbell / Seven Nation Army / Boll Weevil

Little Ghost alone was worth the ticket price. And Jolene was so well performed I cried a little bit. SIDE NOTE: I've begun getting emotional at shows for the first time ever. Don't know why.

-----------

The next night was TMBG at the Bowery again. Night 2 of 4. Phil Mazzullo was the TMBG virgin of the night. We waited on line a lot of the day and I bought pizza for everyone. This night was 90's themed... let's take a look:

How Can I Sing Like A Girl? / The Cap'm / James K. Polk / We Live In A Dump / Upside Down Frown / Dig My Grave / I Palindrome I / I'm Impressed / Take Out The Trash / Spider / Snail Shell / Phone Calls from the Dead (Frank Bogart from Columbia Records) / Why Did You Grow A Beard? / Careful What You Pack / Dead / XTC vs. Adam Ant / Withered Hope / Letterbox / The End of the Tour / Damn Good Times / Minimum Wage / Destination Moon / Whistling In The Dark / Put Your Hand On The Computer / Fingertips // Birdhouse In Your Soul / They Got Lost // Twisting / The Mesopotamians

1st time ever hearing How Can I Sing, Dig My Grave, Spider, XTC, Whistling. This wound up being the only night of the 4-week run without any horns. Didn't detract from the show at all... kicked just as much ass as always. Opening with How Can I Sing Like A Girl? was a total shock.

----------

So this is turning into a run-down of shows... as always. Whatever.

I stopped writing at this point and now I'm starting again at a later date. Sue me.

--------------

We saw They Might Be Giants AGAIN on Saturday, July 28th at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. It was free and since I'm always willing to drive, off we went. It was PACKED there and we were sorta close to not getting in... but we did, as we always do. We sat way off to stage left, almost behind Linnell, which was strange. They weren't as loud as usual because of the casino on all sides of them. Here's a setlist:

I'm Impressed / Take Out The Trash / Alphabet of Nations / Damn Good Times / Asbury Park / Upside Down Frown / Upside Down Frown / XTC vs. Adam Ant / Phone Calls from the Dead (Eleanor Roosevelt) / Snail Shell / Birdhouse / New York City / Withered Hope / Spider / The Cap'm / Meet James Ensor / The Famous Polka / Letterbox / Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head / Istanbul / Mesopotamians // Experimental Film / Computer / Twisting // Doctor Worm

Chelsea Graham's 1st TMBG show. Hooray for her. Craig and Monsen came as well. On the way home we stopped at Denny's and the PEZ factory... officially making it the best trip ever. Super great time.

--------------

The next day was Rock The Bells festival at Randall's Island with Monsen. This show started off being one of the absolute worst concert experiences of my life. Let me explain. It was drizzling a little when we arrived, I didn't bring a poncho and they were not allowing umbrellas inside. So I thought a little rain wouldn't be too bad. I was wrong. We walked in and went straight to the main stage to see Pharaoh Monch and then Talib Kweli. By the end of Talib's set, I was so freezing cold that I couldn't stand it. I was soaked straight through all my clothes and it was just the worst feeling ever. I should also point out that for some reason the main stage area of this festival was separated from the rest using barricades that allowed single-file movement from the main stage area to the main festival area. You can imagine the backups of people this created. It was unreal. So I left the main area with Monsen (who was quite dry under his poncho) looking to buy a poncho or umbrella and a new shirt. But there were no ponchos or umbrellas to buy. NOTHING. And I didn't want to buy a shirt unless I was sure I could keep it dry, so I didn't bother. I found a tree that protected me from the rain a little, and just stood underneath it with my arms crossed for over an hour. I missed Mos Def because of this, which was really lame, but survival became priority. My tree had me positioned in front of the Paid Dues stage, where I saw Brother Ali instead, who was quite good. Eventually the rain stopped and I moved away from under the tree. Thank god the rain stopped when it did, because I was VERY close to abandoning the whole thing and just waiting in Monsen's car for the show to be over. It was so miserable. But it got better. I got some food and then went back to the main stage during Cypress Hill's set. They were TRULY one of the worst things ever... but we got through it. Then came Public Enemy who were very good, but their band was a little weird. Then came Wu-Tang Clan. At this point we got REAL close to the stage, and watching them from there was quite amazing. They did I Like It Raw in memory of ODB and Method Man and Ghostface did a rendition of Da Rockwilder. Crazy awesome. Last of course was Rage Against The Machine, who most of the crowd were obviously there to see. There were some real hip-hop fans in attendance, but I'd say at least 75% of the crowd were white guys who only cared about Rage. Kinda sad. But the RATM set was nothing short of amazing. I had heard great things, but they really blew me away. I don't have an exact setlist, but I know they played Bombtrack, Killing In the Name, Bulls On Parade, Testify, Guerilla Radio, Calm Like A Bomb, Sleep Now In the Fire, People of the Sun, Bullet In The Head, Freedom, and more.

After their set, they STILL hadn't moved the barricade. In fact, there was no security to be seen. So what do a whole bunch of angry RATM fans do? They rip down the fences and run through. It was scary and intense being herded through that crowd... felt a lot like that part of War of the Worlds where everyone's trying to get on the ferry. Really horrifying. Eventually, we made it outta there. Weird day.

-----------------

Then comes Ben Kweller!!! At Southpaw!!! Sha Sha night!!! The next day!!!

I drove in with Craig, Keith, and Chelsea, and we got there mad early. 1st ones there. Lots of waiting that day. Monsen and Kelli and Diana arrived later. This show does not require much description. It was amazing. It was my 2nd time seeing BK and he was MUCH better than the 1st time. All of Sha Sha and then he encored with On My Way, Sundress, and Penny on the Train Track. On My Way was Craig's request. Amazing. And I should point out that the opener, Tim Fite, put on an awkward and relatively unimpressive show. But I've listened to his music since the show, and I'm now quite a big fan. Tim Fite all the way. Maybe not live though. It was more disappointing because the other 2 BK full album shows had Adam Green and Jeffrey Lewis opening. So I was a little annoyed that I was seeing this weird guy.

I also recall that between Tim Fite and Ben Kweller they played the self-titled Violent Femmes album almost entirely through (they cut at the end of Gone Daddy Gone). It was the most fun I've ever had waiting for an act to go on. Craig and Keith and I sang those songs like we came to hear them.
----------------

The next show was (surprise!) TMBG. August 1st. This was the horn extravaganza show. And it definitely was quite the extravaganza.

Mr. Me / Dirt Bike / Metal Detector / Working Undercover For The Man / Museum of Idiots / She's Actual Size / Whistling In The Dark / Doctor Worm / In The Middle (w/ Robin) / Doctor Evil (w/ Robin) / Bee of Bird of Moth / Phone Calls From The Dead / Snail Shell / Spider / James K. Polk / Istanbul / Take Out The Trash / Withered Hope / With The Dark / Turn Around / Ant / Put Your Hand On The Computer / Birdhouse / Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed / Spy / Mr. Tambourine Man / Purple Toupee / Maybe I Know (John & John only) / She's An Angel

Truly one of the best shows ever. And I have the mp3 recording to remember it by. Really reminiscent of the 1st Irving show I saw. Good memories. She's An Angel as the closer made me cry. Just a brilliant, brilliant show. Except for The Last Car opening... that was a little crappy.

-------------

According to my calendar, Kaitlin had a party on the 2nd. I vaguely recall this. The most vivid memory being Matt having to drive my drunk ass home. I guess it was fun.

--------------

August 5th. Free shows at McCarren Park Pool. Love 'em. We went in to go see I'm From Barcelona and Blonde Redhead. We being Craig, Laura, Kelli, Me, and Chelsea. The line was enormous when we pulled up (after getting lost) and we were afraid we weren't gonna get in. And yet we got in, and it looked like there was nobody there. We walked right up to the stage for I'm From Barcelona who were WONDERFUL. Truly amazing. It was such a great show. We stuck around and saw the beginning of Blonde Redhead and then left because they were a little mediocre. And we were still so into I'm From Barcelona that it just didn't seem as good. We went to Permanent after which was always a great time and then came home.

----------------

One more TMBG show to report. August 8th. Finishes up the Bowery Residency. Which was amazing. But this last show was my least favorite. Here's the setlist:

Robot Parade / Mesopotamians / I'm Impressed / Take Out The Trash / Upside Down Frown / Spider / The Cap'm / John Lee Supertaster / Don't Let's Start / Older / They Got Lost / Fingertips / Phone Calls From The Dead (Jerry Orbach) / Shadow Gov't / Ana Ng / Careful What You Pack / Doctor Worm / Famous Polka / Puppet Head / End of the Tour / Computer / Damn Good Times // (w/ Horns) Mr. Me / Ant / Particle Man / She's Actual Size / Museum of Idiots / Withered Hope // Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed / With The Dark

A great show as always, but not as inspired as the other 3. Nothing to complain about though. Oppenheimer opened and I really enjoyed them. I should check them out.

-------------

August 12th. Junior Senior. SoundFix records in Brooklyn. It was a free thing that we went to real impusively. Me Craig Keith and Chelsea. They played 6 songs... Shake Your Coconuts / Can I Get Get Get / We R The Handclaps / Chicks and Dicks / Good Girl, Bad Boy / Rhythm Bandits. They were only supposed to play 4, but the crowd who was surrounding them pretty much insisted they continue. Since they couldn't get off the stage, they obliged. It was terrific.

-------------

And other than those shows, I spent all my time making zombie movies, abusing substances, and making music while my family was away on a vacation. It was an interesting month. And now everyone's up to date. Great great great. Loves ya!

I'm off to the airport.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-08-22T18:58:00

2007-08-22T22:59:04Z

So yeah, I've stopped this almost entirely. Oh well.

1. John Basedow - Fitness Made Simple
2. Prince - The One U Wanna C
3. Tullycraft - Twee
4. Northern State - Ohhh Girl
5. Tim Fite - No Good Here
6. Junior Senior - Good Girl, Bad Boy
7. The White Stripes - Little Ghost
8. Daniel Johnston - Scuttle Butt
9. They Might Be Giants - Haunted Floating Eye
10. MC Lars - Scientology = WTF?
11. Mickey Avalon - Jane Fonda
12. Daft Punk - Robot Rock
13. Apples In Stereo - The Apples In Stereo Theme
14. M.I.A. - Boyz
15. Beastie Boys - Off The Grid
16. Method Man & Redman - Da Rockwilder
17. Bonde Do Role - James Bonde
18. Kanye West - Get 'Em High
19. Wu-Tang Clan - Triumph
20. Ben Kweller - Falling
21. Dizzee Rascal - Pussyole (Oldskool)
22. Punchline - The Getaway
23. I'm From Barcelona - Barcelona Loves You
24. Mandy Moore - I Wanna Be With You

One of these days when I've got free time I'll make a post with like a million setlists from the million shows I've seen.

For now, I've been recording a lot of music and pretty much just enjoying myself. I still hate drama though. And that'll never change.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-07-28T03:13:00

2007-07-28T07:13:24Z

So... I'm about to become completely obsessed with Daniel Johnston.

Be forewarned.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-07-24T02:50:00

2007-07-24T06:50:18Z

The fact that I like this song is disturbing to me.

Anyway, this post is about how super sweet Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows was. I read the whole book yesterday (Sunday) and I loved just about every second of it. No spoilers here, it's still a little early for that, but yeah I really really enjoyed it and I'm happy that I read all those books. I'll read them all again... sometime.

But up next is Infinite Jest. I sincerely hope I get through it.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-07-19T15:39:00

2007-07-19T19:39:18Z

First things first:
1. Beastie Boys - B For My Name
2. Kanye West - Stronger
3. Beyoncé - Ring The Alarm
4. Beck - Cellphone's Dead
5. Logan Whitehurst - What Will Laura Be When She Grows Up?
6. Dizzee Rascal - Bubbles
7. Avril Lavigne ft. Lil Mama - Girlfriend (Remix)
8. Hall & Oates - Private Eyes
9. Fergie - Clumsy
10. Amy Winehouse ft. Pharaoh Monch - Rehab (Remix)
11. Harry Nilsson - Gotta Get Up
12. Aly & A.J. - Potential Breakup Song
13. Army of Freshmen - 10,000 Years
14. They Might Be Giants - I'm Your Boyfriend Now
15. Amberlove - The Great Escape
16. Spoon - Eddie's Ragga
17. The Pipettes - Guess Who Ran Off With The Milkman?
18. Bowling For Soup - My Hometown
19. Lil Mama - Lip Gloss
20. The Faint - Worked Up So Sexual
21. Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army
22. Hella - 1-800-Ghost Dance
23. Grease - You're The One That I Want
24. The White Stripes - Effect & Cause

This month's mix features some painfully mainstream pop (including 2 mainstream pop REMIXES) and a song from the Grease soundtrack. Sick.

So last night I saw TMBG at The Bowery Ballroom... night 1 of a 4 night residency. The next 3 nights have a lot to live up to... because last night was one of the better shows I've ever seen by them.

----------------------
I'm Impressed / Take Out The Trash / Alphabet of Nations / Damn Good Times / Minimum Wage / Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head / Birdhouse In Your Soul / The Shadow Government / The Cap'm / Memo To Human Resources / Phone Calls From The Dead / It's Not My Birthday / New York City / Upside Down Frown / They Got Lost / Put Your Hand on the Computer (instrumental) / Drink! / Turn Around / Why Does The Sun Shine?

Encore 1 (w/ 3-piece horn section): Museum of Idiots / Ant / Bee of the Bird of the Moth / Withered Hope / Istanbul

Encore 2: With The Dark (acoustic) / The Mesopotamians
----------------------

1st Puppet Head since '99, 1st They Got Lost since '01, 1st Minimum Wage since '03. I never want to see Withered Hope live unless they have those horns. Same for Museum of Idiots. They Got Lost was an amazing one and I hope they keep playing that. The whole show was just fantastic. So so great. They played 12 songs I had never heard live before... that's gotta be a record of some kind. Next week is 90's themed. I cannot wait.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-07-17T13:50:00

2007-07-17T17:50:27Z

Last night, Craig, Laura, Phil, and me spontaneously went to Adventureland. We got bracelets and spent 2 hours running on and off every ride we could. It was my favorite part of summer thus far.

And then today TMBG announced the themes of the Bowery Shows: 00's, 90's, 80's (w/ horns), kids. PERFECT.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-07-16T00:36:00

2007-07-16T04:37:01Z

tonight i went to union hall in brooklyn to see stand-up comedy by michael showalter, eugene mirman, todd barry, janeane garofalo, and david cross. we (hecht, schmidt, monsen, milligan) just barely got in... super sold out and only $10. it was a whole lot of comedy. good times.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-07-13T02:29:00

2007-07-13T06:29:02Z

So I don't write in here anymore really. I've become too busy with other things. But I don't really feel overworked or stressed or anything. I think I've decided that being worked/busy/occupied consistently while not feeling like your doing anything tedious/boring/mundane should be a life goal. At least for me.

I'm watching Bright Eyes Loaded on fuse and that's still weird to me. Whatever.

So two very notable events that have occurred since the last time I posted here: July 4th and July 9th.

We'll start with the 4th: I went to see The New Pornographers at Battery Park with Craig, Laura, and Andrew. My dad got us into the VIP thing again, just like last year (for Belle & Sebastian), which was awesome and once again featured (free) great food, ice cream, and Todd Barry. After that show, we went to Brooklyn. We stopped at the new Permanent Records which is a wonderful place and I bought lots of stuff. Then we went to Brendan's rooftop and did the whole 4th of July fireworks extravaganza. I got real drunk and had a wonderfully amazing time. James Bourne did an acoustic version of Year 3000 for Craig and Laura, and Craig and Laura stole Butler's Zoey 101 calendar. It was a total success.

First Day of My Life is one of the very few songs that can make me cry a little bit. I know that's lame but I cannot help it.

So next is July 9th. I went to Starland Ballroom in NJ with Brendan, MC Lars, Missy, and Andrew to see the US Get Happy Tour, featuring Army of Freshmen, Quietdrive, Melee, and Bowling for Soup. Seeing so many friends again was amazing... and what was even better was BFS invite BBB and I to get on stage and play Teenage Dirtbag to close out the night. AOF backed us up and all the bands got on stage and sang with us. And Lars freestyled in the middle. It was an amazing time and it was great to be a part of it. Truly amazing. We hung out for a while after, chilling in the parking lot. There was much debauchery that I would have gladly indulged in, but I had to drive home. So off we went.

So now I'm working in Northport pretty regularly, recording with Wheatus and MC Lars at the same time, seeing a bunch of shows, and working on my own music at home, reading The Basic Eight, and occasionally I can find time to eat dinner. I also bought a ukelele which I exchanged for a different ukelele and now I'm very happy with my ukelele.

Happy birthday, darling. We love you very very very very very very very much.
This video makes me cry a little bit too. Fuck Bright Eyes.

I also saw Killwhitneydead. and that was awesome and metal and the only people crying there were the women being buried alive because they deserved it. Yep.

Goodnight.

maybe_tonite @ 2007-06-30T11:45:00

2007-06-30T15:45:22Z

So I realize no one's been keeping track anymore... especially not me... but I DO have a mixtape for the month of June. I'm way late on this one, but I've been busy so whatever. At least it's appearing in the month of June.

1. The Apples In Stereo - Joanie Don't U Worry
2. Rihanna - Umbrella
3. George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You
4. Third Eye Blind - Never Let You Go
5. They Might Be Giants - Bee of the Bird of the Moth
6. Feist - I Feel It All
7. Rush - Malignant Narcissism
8. MC Frontalot - Charity Case
9. Killwhitneydead. - Put A Sock In It
10. Smoosh - This Modern Love
11. Ween - The Stallion Pt. 1
12. Dolly Parton - Jolene
13. Brandtson - Earthquakes & Sharks
14. Britney Spears - Everytime
15. Belle & Sebastian - Another Sunny Day
16. The White Stripes - Rag & Bone
17. Mandy Moore - Most of Me
18. Ashley Tisdale - Not Like That
19. Dan Deacon - Okie Dokie
20. Paul McCartney - Ever Present Past
21. Bright Eyes - Trees Get Wheeled Away
22. Apollo Sunshine - You and I
23. The Magnetic Fields - Papa Was A Rodeo

It was tough to order that mix... very very mellow for a mixtape. Whatever.

So the new Dizzee Rascal is about as good as I could have hoped. So that's cool.
And I'm off.