holiday gift ideas ...

There’s a chill in the air, as it dips into the frigid 50s in Central Florida tonight!! The classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is on TV right now, and Thor loves it! He’s laying right below the TV watching Rudolph save Christmas.

Ahhhh, Christmas! As stressful as it is, I really do love it. To assist in relieving some of the stress you might be feeling this year, I’m going to let you in on a couple of my own secrets – some of my favorite Web sites for shopping!

There’s a leather wristband made from one of Jeff Buckley’s leather jackets on eBay right now. It’s authentic, and it’s going for $500. OK, maybe this one is a little out of my league, but I can dream!

Check out the skull & crossbones bath towels and fun puppy apparel!
PixelGirlShop.com

I love the train cases at mxyplyzyk! This store is pronounced "mixy-plizik," and you don’t need a six-figure salary to afford all the fun stuff inside!

Sprout Home blends a modern style with an earthy garden-inspired flair. They even sell some cool children’s stuff.

On first look, it’s kind of kitschy, but there’s some fun finds at Fred Flare.

For the fair-trade supporters in your life, check out Global Exchange. There’s coffee, tea, crafts, books and even a sushi-to-go kit!

BuyOlympia.com sells zines, T-shirts, calendars, magazines and beautiful note cards.

And last, and most expensive, there's the MOMA Store.

OK, I can’t give away all my secrets! Stay tuned for more!

get well soon, betamike!

I hope you're feeling better, Michael! Just in case, for your listening pleasure, here's a little something that will make you smile.

Meet the Golden Girls!

I wake up exhausted

Twins rock! Perhaps it’s the 10 years they’ve spent performing together, I’m not sure, but these girls have such a fun stage presence. They tell odd stories, have incredibly unique voices and can play a real kick-ass version of Springsteen’s “Dancin’ in the Dark.”

Tegan & Sara played The Social last night and put on an awesome show. The night started with Vivek Shraya, who had his skull cap pulled so low past his eyebrows, we had to stare at his nostrils whenever he wanted to look at the audience. If you had walked in, you would have thought the India version of Enrique Iglesias was performing. He had a nice voice, though it seemed a wee bit whiny. The cap was a bummer because his hair -- at least on his Web site -- seems to defy gravity. We missed out.

Next up was Rachael Cantu. I really liked her singer-songwriter vibe, but damn the kids were chatty that night, so sometimes it was hard to really hear her lyrics. She seemed to fit in better with the crowd – not that you have to be female to open for Tegan & Sara, but it just felt better. I really love seeing women perform; I’m not sure how, but I truly feel this sense of strength and –- I hate to use the word, but I think I have to. -– sisterhood just being there.

Tegan & Sara are gorgeous. Gorgeous skin, gorgeous hair, gorgeous voices and self-confidence that is gorgeous. They were light, funny and so approachable. They sounded great –- they both have unusual angelic voices that you could recognize anywhere. The other band members stayed mostly in the background, but I stared longingly at the drummer for a good portion of the night -- he looked a little like Jeff Buckley. *exhale*

It was a late show, and we got there even before the doors opened. Betamike was ill, and he had to miss the show, which broke my heart. Christy and I met Mike’s friend James Gash in line outside, and Brad and his sister, visiting from Illinois, met us inside. Christy and I met James at the Bright Eyes / The Faint show at Hard Rock Live earlier this year. He’s a Bjork-loving manager at DAK who laughed at our silliness all night. We had so much fun! (I can't wait to see the recorder on Christy's blog!!!) But Betamike, if you’re reading this, it seriously was not the same without you.

At the conclusion of the first set, Tegan, Sara and the rest of the band quietly walked over to the far left side of the stage, still completely in view, while everyone cheered for an encore. Just another example of how they never tried to be cool – they were just two Canadian women performing their hearts out because they love it. The show closed with my favorite song – “You Wouldn’t Like Me.”

Mark my words; by next year, your kid sister will be wearing a Tegan & Sara T-shirt. The awesome “Where Does the Good Go” appears on the “Grey’s Anatomy” soundtrack. I have a feeling it will end up on the next volume of that “Now That’s What I Call Music” monstrosity. Probably right after “Soul Meets Body” from Death Cab for Cutie. Those mainstream music listeners won’t know what hit them!

Don't have this in your CD collection? Go now. Buy it, you must.

Christy dropped me off at about 1:30 a.m., and we both kind of dreaded getting up just a few hours later for my highly anticipated hair appointment with Jodi. Tonight, sitting here with pin-straight hair, I can tell you it was allllllll worth it! I never brag about myself, but I have to tell you, I love my hair! Christy talked me into getting more than just highlights – getting something that would really look different. And I did. J

My hair is layered and short in the back, and it gets longer toward the front, has great highlights, and I have bangs!!! Strangely, I think Christy and I now have the same haircut. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow when I let it go curly! Simple pleasures, right?!?

happy thanksgiving!

There are so many things I'm thankful for this year. But I don't want to get all mushy about how much I love my friends, family and my coveted spot in v-hat. It's so much more fun to be silly and cynical.

This story is just stupid. I was a PR major; I understand media stunts are important in raising awareness, but come on. I think someone on Disney's publicity team has had a little too much stuffing already this season.

Apparently, following the traditional presidential pardon, the "Happiest Turkey on Earth" headed west to "The Happiest Place on Earth!" This story is wrong on so many levels. The president has nothing better to do than "pardon" a turkey from being slaughtered for the dinner table? In the meantime, we've got these kids in Iraq and Afghanistan who don't seem to be getting quite the same fanfare. It's really sad and twisted if you think about it.

And then, the turkey joined National Turkey Federation Chairman Pete Rothfork -- what exactly does he do to earn that title??? -- on United Airlines Flight 197 from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles. According to the official press release, "the famous fowl flew first-class 2,288 miles nonstop to the West coast for a special Thanksgiving Day honor."

As if being saved some certain death wasn't enough to digest in one day, the turkey then served as the grand marshal of Disneyland's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And here's another head-scratcher:

"United is honored to assist the National Thanksgiving Turkey in fulfilling the dream of all domestic turkeys—to be able to fly," said Jeff Foland, United vice president, North America Sales. "It makes perfect sense the National Thanksgiving Turkey would relish the chance to fly United first class to Disneyland after being pardoned and we're proud to assist in making him the 'happiest turkey in the air'."

You really can't read that and not laugh and be disgusted at the same time. To make up for it, here's a Thanksgiving greeting that will make you say for the first time in your life, "Check out the ass on that turkey." Thanksgiving Greeting.

vote or ... don't

Vote for your favorite indie acts at the PLUG: Independent Music Awards. A world away from the Grammys, which is more interested in radio airplay than actual talent, PLUG offers up nominees like Sufjan Stevens, Of Montreal, Sleater Kinney, Spoon, Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and some guy named Conor Oberst.

Show the terrorists they haven't won. Exercise your right to vote in categories such as "Music Festival of the Year" (Hello, is there even a need for this one? COACHELLA!!) and "Label of the Year" -- I voted for Saddle Creek, big shocker, right? Go to plugawards.com/general_vote.php.

Isn't democracy addictive? It's fun and exciting to have opinions. And I need yours again. I am past due for a haircut, and with my newfound courage in trying new stuff with my hair, I think I'm ready for a new change. Or maybe it's that I think a new haircut will help me change how I've been feeling about myself lately. Stupid, but human, I guess.

So anyway, enough of that. What do you think?

A. Slightly gothic

B. Scary gothic

C. Sleek and styled

D. Bangs!

E. Friend of the flat iron

F. I was out all night, and my hair is stiff from hairspray, smelly from the cigarettes and messy from passing out on the sofa

G. Still waiting for my callback from John Hughes

H. Wait ... this is why I need a haircut.

metric, montreal and mayhem on a train

It has been a long ass week – I worked a ridiculous number of hours, and so I didn’t have much time for blogging. So, now I have to wrap up all my crazy stream of consciousness into one entry.

Metric played the Social on Thursday. It will go down as one of the best shows in Orlando all year, trust me. The Lovely Feathers opened, and from the moment they stepped on stage, I got a seriously goofy grin across my face that never left. The lead singer, who reminded me of a young Anthony Rapp, walked on stage in an orange cape. Yes, really. The bassist also sings and wears sweat pants that show off a little too much, if you know what I mean.


These kids from Montreal were incredible, and the crowd loved every minute of it. This was the opening band, and when they announced their final song, the crowd booed because they wanted more. Someone even screamed out, “Come back soon.”

I can’t really describe them, you just gotta listen. I bought their EP after the show, and it’s all I’m going to have until their new CD is released in April of next year.

Death from a Party was next. The lead singer frolicked around the stage like Mick Jagger, though he looked more like a slightly flamboyant Jarvis Cocker. The music was good and the band was fun to watch, but after The Lovely Feathers, the bar had been raised.

I can’t be sure because I still haven’t changed the batteries in my watch, but I think it was almost midnight before Metric came on. The show was sold out and there was a kind of electricity in the audience – you could just sense the anticipation. When Emily Haines stepped on stage, the crowd went crazy. And it was immediately obvious why. She looks fragile, but don’t be fooled; the girl kicks ass. She’s a waifish Debbie Harry with a knack for running in place with her knees up so high, you can see her black undies. She head banged and didn’t miss a keyboard stroke, she dove into the audience and crowd surfed, she set the tone for a show that far surpassed anything I would have imagined.

You can check out Metric (also from Montreal) at ilovemetric.com. They would be a perfect fit on the Coachella bill next year! Even better alongside The Lovely Feathers.

OK, random thought -- is "Montreal" Canadian for "hot indie music"? The Arcade Fire, Metric, The Lovely Feathers, STARS, Wolf Parade, et cetera, et cetera.

On Saturday, Brad and I returned to the Social for The Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans. Laissez les bon temps rouler!! The place was full of N’awlins lovers! Nine guys took the stage with three trumpets, three saxophones, two drummers and one big ass tuba. As soon as they blew the first brass note, the butts started wiggling. The show raised money for New Orleans Musicians displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

It was so much fun – people were smiling, dancing and singing along. One of the guys asked if there was anyone in the crowd from New Orleans, and I shouted out with more than a dozen others.

“No way all you guys are all from New Orleans,” the guy said. “Let me see your American Red Cross cards. I need to see some FEMA numbers.” Sure enough, one woman went up with her card. I guess the rest of us were just nostalgic transplants. One woman even had a small black lacy umbrella like the ones Tom Benson used to boogie with after the Saints won in the Superdome.

The club kept the doors open throughout the show, which was great because I was sweating so bad I thought I be menopausal. The bad thing was that the band could not stop watching the people walk by outside. As Brad said, were we not enough?

Still, the essence of the Crescent City was alive and well on Orange Avenue that night. It all just felt good. There’s something about that music – it’s almost like you grow up and it’s a part of you that you never question or wonder when you first heard it because you grew up that way. It’s like eating seafood. I never thought it was gross to rip open the dead carcass of a crawfish and peel it open and eat its insides. I just knew it tasted good and it was fun because our whole family was enjoying it together.

You could see it on other people’s faces, too. There was no worry about losing your indie cred by looking uncool – everyone just let it all hang out.

As we left the Social, Brad and I got into huge traffic -- foot, train and automobile. The streets were overflowing with scantily clad football fans intown for the Florida Classic. It felt like the French Quarter on a Bayou Classic Weekend. There was a train completely stopped and blocking all traffic on the east side of I-4. As we sat in the car waiting for the choo-choo to start choo-chooing again, we noticed all these kids climbing onto the train between railway cars to cross the tracks. I was horrified. If the train would have started moving, they could have been thrown off and knocked under the train. A cop was standing 15 yards away, saw what was happening and didn't say a word until kids started to cross the tracks right in front of him. Those five were stopped, but the 30 crossing far enough away from him to have to actually move -- he didn't seem to care.

Next up, Tegan & Sara!

jeff buckley

happy birthday. we miss you.

let's open pandora's jukebox

Technology, or perhaps more accurately, the convenient accessibility of high-tech programs and gadgets never ceases to amaze me. It seems like it's happening more and more. I mean, how did I live without an iPod? How did I live without the iPod Photo? How long can I possibly go on before I get a video iPod???

Today, I ask myself, how did I ever learn about new bands? Well, actually, that's easy, because people ask me that somewhat regularly. I read. I read magazines, I read online blogs, I read interviews with artists, I read liner notes in CD packaging, and -- whatever, I know, this is nothing new, right? Everyone who calls herself a music lover does this. But what about everyone else? Some guys are making it very easy for them with the introduction of Pandora: The Music Genome Project.

I signed up for a free account, was somewhat impressed by the smooth, speedy transitions of the screen, and then I typed in Jeff Buckley. Pandora then takes mere seconds to create a "radio station" with music from Jeff Buckley and other performers who "she" thinks I may enjoy. Pandora chooses Jeff Healy's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" because "it features mild rhythmic syncopation, a dynamic male vocalist and many other similarities identified in the music genome project." Hmmmm. It's really choosing songs based on factors like beats per minute and use of a cowbell?

I press skip. Then, Pandora switches to Sebadoh -- a favorite of mine. Apparently, Sebadoh emerges to the top of the playlist because "it features electric rock instrumentation, a vocal-centric aesthetic, mild rhythmic syncopation (I must like that.), major key tonality and electric rhythm guitars. Oh la la!

Seriously though, I gotta tell you. I'm impressed. She also brings up Sunny Day Real Estate, Morrissey, Dinosaur Jr and Jimmy Page & Robert Plant-- Led Zeppelin was one of Jeff Buckley's favorites.

The guy behind the curtains at The Music Genome Project is founder Tim Westergren. According to his press release, he and his friends spent the last five years capturing "the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or "genes" into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song - everything from melody, harmony and rhythm, to instrumentation, orchestration, arrangement, lyrics, and of course the rich world of singing and vocal harmony. It's not about what a band looks like, or what genre they supposedly belong to, or about who buys their records - it's about what each individual song sounds like."

So, I try something different. I type in a song name: "Twilight." Pandora asks me to choose which "Twilight" song I'm thinking about -- is it a song by Josh Rouse? Squirrel Nut Zippers? The Twilight Singers (mmmm, Greg Dulli, pause for moment to drool)? The Raveonettes? U2? I click on Elliott Smith.

Pandora can't play Elliott's "Twilight" because of some licensing issues, but it does turn up a different Elliott song. Next up: Matt Pond PA, Son Ambulance and The Great Lake Swimmers (who I had never heard of).

I type in "Desaparecidos," hoping for some intelligent, punk, rock, emo-with-an-edge tunes, and Pandora gives me Archers of Loaf. (I think I'm in love. I had the good fortune to see them at the Sapphire Supper Club before they broke up, and before the venue became The Social. Good memories.) Then comes The Fall, Damien Jurado, The Psychedelic Furs and John Waite. Very interesting.

I can't wait to see what's going to pop up when I type in Har Mar Superstar!!! Technology kicks ass!

"guys, where are we?"

I find this fricking hysterical! I was just browsing through the We Are Scientists Web site, and I came across a photo of the band's recent Anti-Pop Music Festival show at The Social. Even if you know me, you will have a hard time finding me in this photo. I searched for a while with my forehead all wrinkled, my eyes squinting and my neck all stretched out. Then, I saw Brad, then I saw me, and then I busted out laughing. Good luck finding us.

The show was great. Onstage, lead singer Keith Murray strikingly resembles Conor Oberst -- except that he smiles and laughs more often. In fact, the guys were really funny, cracking jokes and making themselves right at home. Afte rthe show, they worked their own merch booth, so we got to talk to them. They were very appreciative and very down to earth. Of course, within minutes, there was a small mob of teen-age girls surrounding Keith and giggling approvingly whenever he spoke. Check them out at wearescientists.com.

In other news, the first new episode of "Lost" in about a month will have me mesmerized in about an hour. They are hyping the hell out of the news that a major character is going to die in tonight's episode. If you want some insider information and don't want to shell out the big bucks for the DVD of season one, check out the new podcast.

ABC announced yesterday: "Each week throughout the November sweeps, various Lost cast members, along with informative conversations between creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, will tease the week's upcoming episode, as well as answer fan questions." You can download the podcasts at lost.abc.com or in the iTunes Music Store.

Wal-Mart gets the indie treatment

This Sunday only!!!
The Downtown Media Arts Center will show WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price at 3 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13.

Here's the write-up on this indie documentary:
"Ever wondered why Wal-Mart spends so much money trying to convince you it cares about your family, your community, and even its own employees? WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price takes you behind the glitz and into the real lives of workers and their families, business owners and their communities, in an extraordinary journey that promises to challenge the way you think, feel... and shop."

There are only two showings of this film -- so get your butt down there on Sunday. My Saturday is reserved for the House of Blues Folk Art Festival and the Festival of the Masters at the Downtown Disney area! I look forward to it every year.

girls kick Abercrombie's ass

I love the feeling of empowerment. The feeling that you really can make a difference is intoxicating. Today, I am so proud of my girls in Pennsylvania -- a small group of 13 to 16-year olds took on a corporate giant, and they won!

Abercrombie & Fitch has never been accused of having a conscience. Today, they bowed to the pressure and pulled some of their most offensive T-shirts. Good work, girls! It's days like this that make my Fallopian tubes want to sing.

I am not sure what jackass, sitting around the conference room table early one morning, came up with the idea to bring back sexism in the form of cheaply made T-shirts. As he was nursing his hangover from the strip club the night before, Mr. Frat Daddy has an idea. "Let's capitalize on the same adolescent insecurity that got me and my friends laid when we were in high school!!! We'll make it cool to be a dick again!"

It is so disgusting. I saw a rather average-looking guy walking somewhere the other day with a T-shirt that read "You'll do." I was so tempted to ask the girl walking next to him if it was really OK for him to degreade her that way. And what did his mom say when he came home with his hip new tee? Was she upset? Did Dad tell her to relax as he gave him a high five? "It's just a T-shirt, and boys will be boys."

No. It's not OK. And these young girls didn't think it was OK either. And they did something about it. Just imagine what we could do if we all believed we were capable of that kind of change. Bonus points for coming up with "Girlcott" -- I love it!


Emma Blackman-Mathis, a junior at Schenley High School and co-chair of Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers also appeared on the "Today Show" with her rainbow necklace on. The times are still a-changin', thank God!!

the windmills are turning in my mind

Hmmmm, I am going to make a guess here. The "reunited" act of Coachella 2006 will be .......

The Stone Roses.

Apparently, some guy in Schizo Fun Addict claimed to a reporter that his band has been confirmed as the opening band for The Stone Roses' reunion tour early next year. This all sounds very familiar to me. Did Mike Britton already call this??

Belle & Sebastian just announced a tour of the UK, so I'm going to bet that they kick off their American tour at Coachella. Who else? Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Broken Social Scene, We Are Scientists, Portastatic, Sleater-Kinney (please God, please God, please God) and a whole big bunch of other kick ass bands.

There are less than six months to go!!!

the downward spiral

I've been in love with Trent Reznor for more than a decade. At times it's full-out lusty obsession, and other times, it's a Holden Caulfield-type of love where I just want to save him. Lately, it has been more respect ... and a little lust, too, of course. I mean, yee!, have you seen him lately?

Mike Britton and I drove down to Tampa in his Crossfire to see Nine Inch Nails perform, and I purchased our tickets through the spiral -- the NIN fan club. Call me a geek, but our seats rocked! AND, we sat with other spiral people so no one was there just because they had nothing better to do or because they were looking for a place to vomit. (I'll get to that in a second.) They were real fans, and all of us even entered the building through a "VIP" entrance. So kick ass!

A few nights later, after Hurricane Wilma had passed us and cooled the city off significantly, Trent and his amazing band pulled in to the TD Waterhouse Crapper, and Mike, Brad, betamike and I had seats we barely used because we were on our feet the whole time.

What's the opposite of intimate? It's the O-rena. It's a nice arena -- especially for basketball and hockey, but for a concert, it feels very cold. I mean, where were the drapes??? Still, Trent does have a way of heating things up - and the show was incredible. His cinematic masterpieces played during "Eraser" and "Right Where It Belongs" were stunning, especially when you could see him behind the curtains -- it didn't even feel real because it was so perfect and beautiful. Well, except for the now-and-then waves of the disgusting scent of vomit and vo-ban. Why would you get so plastered before a concert that you actually get sick in the stands??

Ahhh! And I can't forget to mention how in awe I was both nights with the artist formerly known as Twiggy Ramirez. I love the way he plays bass. He's so fun to watch, and he's so sexy; I can't believe Jeordie White is the same person as Twiggy.

Trent, as you may know, lived in the beautiful Garden District of New Orleans for several years in a gorgeous house with lots of history. It was right around the corner from Anne Rice's house and not far from the streetcar line on St. Charles Avenue.

Because of his love for N'awlins,Trent has been very vocal and supportive in the relief effort after Hurricane Katrina. He appeared on the React Now benefit and has published articles on his Web site about the tragedy. I visited nin.com today, and Trent has taken it one step further. He has posted lots of photos taken around New Orleans. They are just heartbreaking, but I think they're also required viewing.

Trent also posted the message below. *exhale* It's a classic example of how I feel about this man. I love him in a way that I cannot love people I know. I realize this sounds odd and pre-pubescent, but it reminds me of the heart-wrenching crushes I used to get in school. There's a certain, very specific pain you get when you fall for someone from afar and you don't really know anything about the person except whatever it is that's attracting you. These men and women have no faults, and they are so high up there on the pedestal, that they are completely unreachable. Unable to knock them down, you just start knocking yourself down for being unworthy of a relationship that in reality is really unattainable. Because even if you wind up meeting this person and developing a relationship, that man or woman will never ever be able to live up to the dream you've created and spent so much time crafting all the perfect John Hughes moments you're going to spend together.

Where was I? In 1988, I think. Anyway, back to Trent. Here's the very emotional letter he published on his Web site. The man just "gets it." And I love him for that.

[10_29_2005]
What a couple of days...

We arrived in New Orleans Friday morning. A friend of mine at the mayor's office arranged for us to see the lower ninth ward that afternoon. I can't begin to express what I saw there. Utter, complete, incomprehensible devastation. Rob will soon be posting some photos, but you truly can not get a sense of how bad this is until you see it.

These people have lost everything. A large portion of the city is simply GONE. I realized I had been assuming things were getting "back to normal" here, but it will be a very long time before that happens - if ever.

200,000 people have been displaced, 7,000 are still unaccounted for. The mainstream media has begun to move on as the story takes a back seat to Bush's latest string of failures, but these people and this city need - and will continue to need - a lot of help. One of the reasons I felt it was important to attempt to have Voodoo IN New Orleans was to keep the spotlight on the city. To let people on the outside know this tragedy involves far more than turning the power back on.

I'm writing this riding on the bus to Memphis. The show in New Orleans went really well. Having Saul play with us was really great - I totally respect him as an artist and a person. The weather was perfect and the spirits of everyone involved were high. It was so nice to see so many faces from my past... and everyone really seemed to appreciate having something to take their minds off of what they're going through.

I spent some time with Mayor Ray Nagin and I'm very impressed with that man. Throughout the storm and consequences that followed, he struck me as one of the few people who wasn't bullshitting us and genuinely trying everything he could to remedy the situation. Today, he's providing determined leadership that's confident the city can be rebuilt - the right way.

I'm fading out now. Lots of emotions. I don't want to leave.

Here are Trent's photos. You can see many more at nin.com/current/neworleans/index.html

cover me

Hot off the Pitchfork presses comes some kickin' news!

Franz Ferdinand is getting ready to release a cover of AIR's "Sexy Boy." That's a favorite of mine -- I can't wait.

Also, The White Stripes are planning to drop a new EP just in time for the holidays, and guess what the first single is? "Walking With the Ghost" from Tegan & Sara! I know! How cool is that?

If you just can't wait and must buy some good indie music right this very moment -- which is truly possible in this age of the immediate gratification-granting Internet, then here's another news nugget.

Insound.com is offering 25 percent off all albums -- yes, I still call them albums -- that Pitchfork Media has named the best of 2005 so far. Here are some of the albums marked down:

1. Vashti Bunyan - "Lookaftering"
2. Animal Collective - "Feels"
3. The Clientele - "Strange Geometry"
4. Silver Jews - "Tanglewood Numbers"
5. The Joggers - "With a Cape and a Cane"
6. Cage - "Hell's Winter"
7. The Rosebuds - "Birds Make Good Neighbors"
8. Johann Johannsson - "Dis"
9. Jason Forrest - "Shamelessly Exciting"
10. Blood on the Wall - "Awesomer"
11. Sigur Ros - "Takk"
12. Bloc Party - "Silent Alarm Remixed"
13. Isolee - "We Are Monster"
14. Art Brut - "Bang Bang Rock & Roll"
15. Common - "Be"
16. Sleater-Kinney - "The Woods"
17. Stephen Malkmus - "Face The Truth"
18. The Hold Steady - "Seperation Sunday"
19. Architecture in Helsinki - "In Case We Die"
20. The Boy Least Likely To - "The Best Party Ever"
21. Caribou - "The Milk of Human Kindness"
22. Edan - "Beauty and the Beat"
23. The Decemberists - "Picaresque"
24. M.I.A. - "Arular"
25. Shining - "In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster"
26. Iron & Wine - "Women King EP"
27. Bloc Party - "Silent Alarm"
28. Various Artist - "Run The Road"
29. Antony and the Johnsons - "I Am a Bird Now"
30. Six Organs of Admittance - "School of the Flower"
31. LCD Soundsystem - "LCD Soundsystem"
32. Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Matt Sweeney - "Superwolf"
33. M83 - "Before the Dawn Heals Us"
34. Bright Eyes - "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morining"
35. Black Mountain - "Black Mountain"
36. The Fiery Furnaces - "EP"

Check out the bands listed above at pitchforkmedia.com/best/

cure the boredom

Bored? Check out the links below.


Here are demos of songs from Elliot Smith that could have made it on his last CD – it’s a very long download, and it’s completely worth it. elliotsmithbsides.com


Buy a new exclusive Grandaddy shirt every month.

Didn't get enough Death Cab this week at the Hard Rock Live!? Listen to Death Cab for Cutie’s set at the 9:30 Club in D.C.

Another live set at the 9:30 Club; this one’s from My Morning Jacket.

One awesome set! Two awesome sets! Three awesome sets! Ah! Ah! Ah! The White Stripes, The Shins and M. Ward
at – where else? – the 9:30 Club.

Sigur Ros plays live on World Café.

Cool new T-shirts to show your support to everyone you pass on the street while also contributing to a good cause – keeping the New Orleans music and musicians alive. (My T-shirt and stickers are already in the mail!) Reneworleans.net

Halloween 2005 was not much to write home about – I worked late and literally had one trick-or-treater knock on my door. My friends all have Halloween-themed blog entries. But I just couldn’t find the inspiration… until now.

Peaches, Beck, The Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth, Smoosh, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and lots more indie artists raise awareness for all the kids in countries that allow Halloween to pass by each year without even a pixie stick. No, really. Well, kind of. Here’s the video: (Look out for a classic cameo from the George Foreman.)

Once you watch it, read all about it at vice-recordings.com/halloween

And finally, my Halloween gift to you that will keep on giving …

“Hey, this is Henry Rollins. Answer your phone, or I’m gonna smash it on your head.”

Ma'am, I think your phone is ringing.