Guster In Town

Guster is going to be rollin' into DC to play a couple of sold-out shows at the 9:30 Club. The Washington Post's Express talked a little bit with the Thunder God himself, drummer Brian Rosenworcel, in this little interview here. I just wish the guy would get out from behind the kit and get back behind the bongos and congas and pound away like mad, like he used to! Of course, he probably has no more feeling in his hands. Here's a live version of one of my favorite Guster tracks, courtesy of Live Archives...

MP3: Mona Lisa (live @ Somerville Theatre 4/24/98) - Guster

Foreign Oren

It's been a rather busy past few days, and I haven't gotten to post a whole lot. But I'm really digging the song "Head Over Heels" by Foreign Oren. It's got that anthemic quality to it that I like. I hadn't ever heard of 'em until they requested to become friends with us on MySpace. Anyway, you can stream it on their MySpace page here.

Now Isn't That Special!

Apparently, today's college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than ever. At least that's what Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University concludes, based on her recent study. It's pretty interesting.

$2.35 Million For Honus Wagner T206

An anonymous bidder just purchased the "Holy Grail of Baseball Cards" - the 1909 Honus Wagner T206 tobacco card once owned by Wayne Gretzky - for $2.35 million at auction. Interestingly enough, that's higher than the $1.265 million that the same card sold for in 2000. If only my T206 Hal Chase could get half that price...

March Live Music Archives Selections

I just posted my my March 2007 Live Music Archives selections over to the right, if you're interested. "Monuments In Green," is possibly my favorite Big Head Todd song ever. It's simply beautiful. And after watching a contestant on American Idol sing some Gavin DeGraw the other week, I just felt like hearing what Gavin DeGraw really sounded like live, so I investigated. Robert Randolph & The Family Band rip up an instrumental version of "Voodoo Chile." And then there's a cool Toad the Wet Sprocket acoustic performance of my favorite song of theirs at an LA radio station back in '95.

No "Sunshine" In Oscarville

Did I stay up to watch the whole Oscars telecast? Nope. Unfortunately, it was just too late for a work night. But I've actually seen both "The Departed" and "Little Miss Sunshine." - I would have given Best Picture to "LMS." But that's just me. And Ellen getting her picture taken w/ Clint Eastwood by Steven Spielberg? Priceless. Anyway, check out all the winners here.

Zodiac Trailer

One of my favorite directors, David Fincher, has a new movie (Zodiac) opening in theatres this Friday. I was disappointed by "Panic Room," so I'm hoping he's got his A-game back on for this one...

Thundercats Outtakes

Some of you might have watched Thundercats back in the day. You don't have to admit it, that's OK. But you do have to admit that these outtakes (some a bit raunchy) by the voice actors are pretty damn funny.

But Are They Made With Real Girl Scouts?

The Girl Scouts have gotten on board the health train, eliminating "most" of the trans fat from their oh-so-tasty and addictive cookies. I'll let you know well it worked, just as soon as my order comes in!

A Case of the Fridays

The snow’s melted, the temperature’s rising, and it’s time to get back out there and hear some music. So we’ll kick it off with “Man of the People,” from Middle Distance Runner. It’s under three minutes long, but it delivers a quick and powerful wallop, with its driving guitar riff and fuzzed-out vocals. If you like what you hear, they’ve got a big show this Friday night, February 23rd at the 9:30 Club.

MP3: Man of the People – Middle Distance Runner

And we close things out with Army of Me’s “Going Through Changes.” It’s highly-polished modern rock with excellent vocal and instrumental arrangements, and a hint of Brit-rock influence. And the chorus has been stuck in my head all day. If you want to hear them live, Army of Me will be at the Black Cat Wednesday, February 28th.

MP3: Going Through Changes – Army of Me

DC Sunday Night Film Club

I just found out about the Washington, DC chapter of the Sunday Night Film Club. Basically, they get together at a DC-area theatre every Sunday to watch a film as a group, and then discuss it over dinner and drinks afterwards. However, no film outing this Sunday - it's a party for Oscar at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse. Check out their website here.

New Guns N' Roses Single?

Idolator is claiming to have an mp3 leak of "Better," the purported first single off of the long-awaited and much-hyped Chinese Democracy album here.

New Guster Video - Lightning Rod

Check out Guster's new Chad VanGaalen-animated video for their track "Lightning Rod." It's pretty surreal.

...courtesy of Stereogum.com

Butch Walker's Coming Back To DC

I was damn happy to note that one of my favorite artists, Butch Walker, is coming back to DC to rock out at the 9:30 Club in March (3/25). Just bought the tix.

MP3: When Canyons Ruled the City - Butch Walker

New Last Train Home

The guys from local roots-rock/alt-country band Last Train Home just released their new CD, Last Good Kiss. And I'm definitely liking the tight, driving title track that Harmany Music has posted here. Check it out.

Sufjan Goes To...California?

In a recent interview with another artist on his Asthmatic Kitty label, Sufjan Stevens hinted that his next state-themed album may focus on California. Once again, New Jersey is overlooked. But that's OK, Sufjan - we've got Bruce and Bon Jovi.

MP3: John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - Sufjan Stevens

Neil Finn

I've always been a fan of Crowded House's 80s classic, "Don't Dream It's Over." My friend Sam just sent me a mix that included a pretty cool acoustic version by former CH frontman Neil Finn. Take a listen.

MP3: Don't Dream It's Over (acoustic) - Neil Finn

Make Him Dance!

Oh my gosh, this site is damn hilarious. Based upon your selection, you can make a non-funky white boy dance in all sorts of party styles, including "The Elaine." Definitely check it out.

thanks to Boboroshi for the tip

Mock NFL Draft

Now that the NFL season is complete, it's time to focus on the impending NFL draft. I love it. I love the hype, the speculation, the intrigue, and I love Mel Kiper, Jr.'s hair. Anyway, Don Banks over at SI.com has done up a mock draft (version 2.0) here to help educate y'all on who's out there, and let you know what your favorite team's needs are. Raiders, you're on the clock!

Talking Urinal Cakes

I can't believe I'm making a post about this. Frankly, I'm not much of a urinal user - I don't like the potential splatter. But New Mexico is starting to use female-voiced talking urinal cakes that remind the urinator not to drink and drive. I think that would just make me mad, and make me want to piss all over it.

A Case of the Fridays

Another week, another two songs. Let’s start it out with a track from a band from New Zealand, Elemeno P. “11:57” is a tight, punky rocker with attitude that’s not shy with its hooks. Love the backing vocals, and there’s a killer guitar solo coming out of the bridge.

MP3: 11:57 - Elemeno P

And we close off with “LDN,” from Lily Allen. This bouncy, ska-tinged, horn-infused track breezes along, with Allen’s attitude and Cockney accent totally belies her bleak life observations. Anyway, if you like what you hear, she’ll be rolling into the 9:30 Club this Friday, February 16th.

MP3: LDN - Lily Allen

Your Favorite Wilbury

In case you're a fan of The Traveling Wilburys, and you're wondering why you can't find their CDs (they're out of print), Idolator has got a nice little post here, complete with four MP3s. But take heart, it sounds like there may be a CD compilation coming soon...

International "That's What She Said" Day

Yep, February 15th is International "That's What She Said" Day. I apologize for not letting y'all know sooner, but I only just found out myself. So don't just sit there wasting time! Get out there and let the innuendos fly!

American Idol: The Terrific 24?

Well, Simon, Randy, and Paula made the final cut down to 24 last night on American Idol. And you can go take a look at who made it here. And you can go get EW.com's ratings of those 24 here. Me? I'm rooting for Ozzy's son, Jack Osborne.

New NIN

Fire in the Stereo has a new track, "My Violent Heart," from the upcoming Nine Inch Nails album Year Zero here. It sounds very...Nine Inch Nailsy. I like Trent's angst, but it seems like NIN really hasn't progressed much, at least not sonically. I mean, this track sounds like it could have easily been on The Downward Spiral or Pretty Hate Machine.

Captain Jack Sparrow and Pops

Keith Richards is slated to appear as Captain Jack Sparrow's father in the third Pirates of the Caribbean flick (let's hope it doesn't suck like the second one). Nice dreads, Keith - just watch out for palm trees!

A Little Petty

I was just talking about the surreality of Tom Petty videos with LeeHead yesterday, so I figured I'd post one of my favorites, "Don't Come Around Here No More."

Matthew Ryan Interview in Express

Washington Post's Express just ran a little interview with one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Matthew Ryan. He talks a bit about record labels, but mostly about the emotions behind his new album, From a Late Night High Rise. You can read it here.

The LEGO Millennium Falcon

I loved playing with LEGOs as a kid, and I would have loved to get my hands on a LEGO Millennium Falcon, like the one they offer now. It's huge (33"long, 22" wide), and it's a bit one the pricey side, at $499.99!

thanks to LeeHead for the tip

Get Your Grammy On

If you missed a few minutes of the Grammy Awards last night, and simply must know who won the award for "Classical Crossover Album," here's a list of all of the winners. And Pete over at IckMusic provides a nice little Grammy commentary/wrap-up in his post here. It's an interesting read.

$25K Per Plate

Picture it. Bangkok. World-renowned three-star chefs. 10-course uber-gourmet meals, paired with the rarest of vintage wines. And only $25,000 a head. And I thought Valentine's Day prices in DC were expensive!

James - Say Something (Live)

With the pending James reunion tour (please come to the US!), I was curious to see what they sounded like in concert. So here's James doing "Say Something" in Manchester on their last tour before Tim Booth's departure.

The Office

I just came across OfficeTally, a most excellent blog/website on...The Office. Quotes, and all sorts of fixins, such as a link to Choose Sides, wear they sell the above t-shirts. Forget your sleeve, wear your emotions on your chest!

Living Things

I'm in the International Mixtape Club, and I just got this month's mixtape (well, it's really a CD, but don't tell anyone). Anyway, my favorite two tracks on the mix? First is "Bom Bom Bom," a banger by a group called Living Things - I had never heard of 'em before, but these guys rock in a cool way. And then I'm liking "Come On Come On," off of Jet's new CD.

MP3: Bom Bom Bom - Living Things
MP3: Come On Come On - Jet

DIY Graffiti

I found this very cool site that lets you create your own graffiti designs, with a variety of fonts, backgrounds, and more. It's definitely a good time, minus the turf wars, cans of spray paint, and getting chased by the cops.

Hear Some New Fountains of Wayne

The new Fountains of Wayne album, Traffic and Weather, is due out April 3rd. I love their delicious power pop sound, and I'll definitely be purchasing it. Anyway, you can take a listen to the bouncy "Someone to Love" from the new album over at Stereogum here.

Get Your Antioxidants On

Feel overloaded with free radicals and not getting enough antioxidants? This chart put together by Harvard Health Publications lists the three dozen foods with the highest per-serving content of antioxidents, so you can start blasting away those free radicals.

RS: The New Guitar Gods

Rolling Stone has posted its entire "The New Guitar Gods" cover story of interviews with John Mayer, Derek Trucks, and John Frusciante. It's a pretty interesting read, even if you don't agree with their choice of their selections of today's guitar divinities...

The Donnas

I like the ballsy, Ramonesy/AC/DC sound of The Donnas, and Good Rockin' Tonight has got some cool mp3 rarities of theirs in a post here. Check it out.

How Mod

The Corcoran is going to be having an exhibit on Modernism, beginning on March 17th, and I'm pretty psyched to go take a look. Modernism: Designing a New World 1914-1939 will include over 350 objects and more than 50 film clips, with works by artists and architects such as Piet Mondrian, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, Wassily Kandinsky, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropius.

Prince Goes Wireless

I was wondering why Prince didn't get lit up like a Christmas tree at the Super Bowl, rocking out on a big metal stage in the pouring rain (too bad they couldn't dye it purple) with all that electrical gear around. But apparently, wireless equipment saved the day. Read about the explanation on Slate.com here.

The World Series of Pop Culture Is Back!

The World Series of Pop Culture will be back for a second season on VH1, and you can try out online! I aced the sample questions here (not very difficult), and I was all ready to rock, but unfortunately, tryouts are on Valentine's Day at 7:00pm! Come on! Who throws a shoe!

A Few Questions With Dr. Z

Wondering what went on behind the scenes during the vote for this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame selections? Check out this interview with Sports Illustrated's own Dr. Z (Paul Zimmerman).

Live Priest

In case you're looking for some live Judas Priest (and I know you are!), check out Jefitoblog's post of a 1981 show here and get your fix, complete with "Living After Midnight," "Hell Bent for Leather," and "Breaking the Law."

Natural Born

CC and I went to Bistro Europa for the first time last night to see Natural Born Easy and our friends The Strohs, and it was a damn good night of music. I had never seen Natural Born Easy before, but they brought some southern rock, good and strong, combining ripping guitar lines with some excellent John Fogerty/Greg Allman-influenced vocals. And The Strohs were on the top of their indie rock game last night, giving what might have been their most rocking performance I've seen. Cool venue, and good time all around.

MP3: Lookin' For A One-Night Stand - Natural Born Easy

A Case of the Fridays

We kick off this week with The Sketches’ “Secret Alphabets.” I love the guitar tones of the opening swaggering electric guitar riff, as well as the funky psychedelic-era Beatles vibe of the song. If you like what you hear, they’ll be at Jammin Java Wednesday, February 7th

MP3: Secret Alphabets - The Sketches

And we close out this week with “Eye for an Eye,” by Telograph. It’s got a sweeping, atmospheric sound, with a hint of British rock influence thrown in for flavor. If you like what you hear, Telograph has their CD release party this Saturday, February 3rd at Black Cat.

MP3: Eye for an Eye - Telograph

Translate This!

Alright, this is a bit Trekkie of me, but I just had to mention it. IDW Publishing is making its upcoming Star Trek comic, Star Trek: Klingons: Blood Will Tell, available in a Klingon language version. So make sure brush up on your Klingon alphabet here before you buy it.

Top Chef

I had band practice last night, so I had to tape last night's finale of Top Chef. We just finished watching it, and lo and behold, the leaks and spoilers were correct, and Ilan Hall is the new Top Chef. EW.com has got an interesting little interview with him here. Check it.

New Potter Due In July

The seventh, and supposedly final of the Harry Potter books, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," is slated to be published July 21st at midnight. I have to admit, I'm gonna order this in advance. But shhhhh!!!! - don't tell anyone! And can you believe, these books have sold more than 325 million copies in 64 languages! That's pretty damn impressive!