so basically...

i've been OBSESSED with these lomography cameras, and i found myself oogling at all the lomo goodness at the new store on 8th street. if i had the funds, i would've walked out with 12 of them, but alas, i'm broke as hell and could only let my head explode from all the excitement of looking at them.
buy me this:


in other news, i ran into naeem juwar aka spank rock today.
he totally smirked at me. maybe because i was staring really hard at him. but anyways, he's cool as hell ... unreliable, but most definitely awesome.

ALSO! of montreal is playing not one, not two, but THREE dates at music hall ... april 15th, 16th and 17th.
i'm thinking of going to all three. i have tickets for april 16th already. it wouldn't hurt to see them three days in a row.
i lovez me some kevin barnes.

apparently...

zach was drunk last night and fucked up the set.
i refuse to believe that ... he is incapable of putting on a bad show.
maybe he messed up the lyrics a little, but then again, it was probably a new song that he messed up.
it was free ... seriously, if people can't enjoy free music by a brilliant man, i'm not sure how to make them happy.

and i found this ... i think he sounds fine. and it's one of my favorite songs from the new EP's.

Beirut debut a new EP track at a secret show in Brooklyn from lofi.tv on Vimeo.

awesome!

what dumbass puts his secret show at 10pm at some dumb bar in greenpoint on a monday, the same day as andrew bird oh, andddd as his best friends a hawk and a hacksaw?
zach condon of course ... also the mastermind behind putting his february shows on the same days as final fantasy.
i am now sitting home, sulking, and listening to zapotec/holland.
which btw, are both great EP's.
pick up a leak if it's still working, or buy it when it comes out in february.
zach condon is brilliant. just not today.

really zach? really??

must listen tracks:
"the concubine" from holland
"the akara" from zapotec

only 12 days til beirut @ bam.

it has been a year and 4 months since i last saw them.
i miss this.

i stood back on the couch, remembered this is my life, with my hands over my head, friends by my side

last night marked the ... i don't know, 473563771489th time i've seen Matt and Kim. i've stopped counting.
but anyways, it was the release show for their sophomore LP, Grand.
of course, you've heard me hyping about Grand all week ... all month ... for the past 3 months, and i have a reason to.
it's because it's flippin' AMAZING!!
of course, it's no s/t ... nothing will ever beat that, but this definitely comes close.
it was such a joy to see them tomorrow, despite the fact that i knew i'd have bruises the next day.
and today i have bruises across my ribcage and stomach ... and on my leg. SUPER AWESOME! but the bruises are always worth it.

the openers for Matt and Kim were complete surprises.
they had just been listed as "special guests."
right before i left the house, i read on brooklyn vegan that spank rock would be there.
i didn't believe it ... he never shows up for anything, but sure enough, he was there!
ninjasonik played for a bit ... super fun as always.
then the rude mechanical orchestra played. fantastic! they are so entertaining! i love them. it makes me want to be in an orchestra.
after them, spanky came for a little bit. he's so charming, and i'm so glad he decided to show up. it would've been a sin NOT to.

at around 11:30, m&k came on. their set was about an hour ... good.
but i think they've just stopped playing "no more long years." i haven't heard them play it since the summer maybe :(
it makes me very sad. but they were incredible anyway, and i wouldn't expect anything less from them.
their set ended and it turned into a post-show dance party! ... much like the last tiem they played at music hall, except for this time, EVERYONE stayed.
sadly, i had to leave the dance party early because i had my history exam this morning ... blahh!
til next time Matt and Kim.

photos!

rude mechanical orchestra:













spanky:







matt and kim:

today is...

why? you might ask.
1. matt and kim's new album dropped today
2. nevershoutnever!'s new uke ep just came out
3. i'm done with my latin exam

oh, and
4. BARACKUS OBAMUS IS OUR NEW PRESEIDENT!

we are now living in a nation in good hands.
this is fantastic.
i'm so happy.

apparently, heaven runs on rainbows and glitter.

ok, so on saturday the 17th, i went to see nightmare of you and the orion experience at maxwell's.
i had been looking forward to this show for quite a while, even though nightmare of you are on my list of bands that i'm mad at.
little did i know that this might be the last time i ever see them because they managed to bring me to my breaking point.
i'm so confused and upset right now. i don't even know what's going on.
i've never been so upset during a show before.

the night started out like any other show.
the first band, bottle up and go was whatever ... kind of disturbing, but entertaining i suppose. the next band, u.s. royalty was good. i like the lead singer's voice a lot. the orion experience was splendid as usual ... jersey city represent! apparently they live in bklyn now though. so nvm, i guess orion is no longer holding down varick street.

then there was nightmare of you.
it was just beginning to sink in that they have a new drummer considering this was only the second time i'd be seeing them with the new guy. mike, i think his name is?
anyways, he was on stage setting up, then brandon and joe came up.
but where was my beloved ryan? i didn't see him anywhere.
suddenly, this guy in his early 30's maybe, came onto the stage. he was holding a bass and plugging it in to the amp.



my heart dropped. who was this guy? i had no idea.
it certainly wasn't ryan heil.



sure enough, this mysterious ugly man started to play as the first song started, which btw was a new song.
i couldn't even ENJOY the new songs because i was so baffled. or maybe the new songs were just that bad. who knows? setlist?only 6 songs from their s/t, one from the ep and the rest was new. it was terrible.



brandon was drunk out of his mind, slurring his words, messing up the lyrics. it was a mess.
that alone would've made me upset, but this new bassist added to my anger.
eventually brandon introduced the guy.
"this is our new bassist, brandon meyer ... i hate that there are twooooo brandons in the band now," brandon reilly said to us.
i started crying. i kid you not.

i refuse to see nightmare of you ever again.
not only has my favorite member left the band, but they have thrown out everything i loved about them.
brandon reilly is a wreck, i realized that when i saw them over the summer.
and unless he gets himself together, they can say goodbye to one of their most loyal fans.

remember the time i used to see you every month?
the time when i would collect your setlists and ryan told me i had enough to wipe my ass with?
the time when you knew exactly who i was, even when you were drunk?
the time i used sit down and talk to you after the shows, then tell you to slow down after your 5th beer?
the time when you would ask me why i was always at the shows and i'd answer, "because you're amazing!"
of course you don't.

i'm sorry nightmare of you.
i just can't deal with you anymore.
i feel like i just wrote a break up letter.
that's basically what it is i guess.

photos ... the orion experience:






the last pictures i will ever take of nightmare of you:






































if anyone has any information on why ryan heil is no longer in the band, please let me know.
he's still listed as a member on the myspace, i don't get what's going on.

march of the zapotec

new and not so new beirut material being released as two EP's in one package on february17th?
that's quite exciting, i think.
although, three of the songs are songs i already have. and have had for the past year or so.



track lists??

Beirut - March of the Zapotec:
1. El Zocalo
2. La Llorona
3. My Wife
4. The Akara
5. On a Bayonet
6. The Shrew

Realpeople (pre-beirut) - Holland:
1. My Night With a Prostitute From Marseille
2. My Wife, Lost in the Wild
3. Venice
4. The Concubine
5. No Dice

here's the video for his new song, "la llorona" ... not to be confused with that scary crying spanish lady.


p.s.
zach, are you married? what's going on here?
THAT RING ON YOUR LEFT HAND WASN'T LYING!
and um, a new song called "my wife" ... really zach?

thank you jason schwartzman!

for yet another lovely album.
seriously, i feel a little overwhelmed by all of the good music i've been listening to for the past 3 days. it's mind blowing!
everything is so fantastic!
this is a great year, i can hear it.

anyways...
davy, the latest release from coconut records, jason schwartzman's musical project.
although it's just under 30 minutes, it packs a punch and makes you feel like you just ran through a field of unicorns and kittens.
it's sweet music. the kind of music that gives you the same feeling that you get after eating a delicious piece of cheesecake, minus the stomachache.



hopefully he'll decide to tour for this album.
what i'd give to meet that man.

if you're unfamiliar with him and his work, please see the following movies - and every other wes anderson film just because he's a fantastic director:
the darjeeling limited
rushmore
i ♥ huckabees

then go buy jason's first album, nighttiming if you don't have it already ... get it just for the first two tracks at least.
flippin amazingggggg.

snow tomorrow?
please?

oh and btw, a random question.
have you ever realized that when one sense is weakened for a moment that the others seem to give out as well?
when i take of my glasses, i swear i can't hear as well. or if i can't hear, my eyes glaze over and i can't see ... etc.
just wondering. maybe i'm just weird.
i need new glasses.