LAME IN THE GAME

(being drawn-n-quartered by bicycles)

This Thanksgiving weekend screwed me all up. I've been totally off-step and stumbling along like a drunken sailor since then. But eh, whatever, my problem not yours. You should go to this show in Brooklyn on Thursday.

:::

Thursday, November 29th @ DEATH BY AUDIO

:: Ex Models
:::: the Deathset
:::::: Marnie Stern
:::::::: Teeth Mountain

[ DEATH BY AUDIO ]
49 S 2nd St btwn Wythe & Kent | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L to Bedford, JM to Marcy, G to Metropolitan | 8pm | $8 | ALL AGES
-- MYSPACE --> http://myspace.com/deathbyaudioshows

Brought to you by Todd P.

:::

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MP3:

This track was submitted by a reader who claims it "tops all the covers that i've heard you post." I'm not gonna argue, it's a great cover of the Boss. Anyone want to contest this claim? Is this the best?

• One Reason - No Surrender

A band's place in myspace.

FEAR PRODUCES REGRET

(photos from the Tugboat Graveyard in Staten Island, more photos here)

I had an interesting experience last night, chatting with Poppa Neutrino, founder of the Floating Neutrinos (and subject of the recently published book The Happiest Man In The World). It's interesting how in discussing ways of living, viewing one's self, the functioning of groups, and determining your trifold can bring about a sudden tiny revelation like a pin prick of light dropping from someone's tongue.

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MP3:

Yup, I love covers of this song.

• Chromatics - I'm On Fire

A band's place in myspace.

NEVER BE ON YOUR KNEES

(Against Me! performing at Terminal 5 in NYC)

I went to see Against Me! on Saturday, such really really nice guys. Speaking of nice guys, I have to compliment the security staff at Terminal 5. Even though they were in the typically amped-up world-is-ending emergency-mode for the crowd-surfing, I can't recall when I've had a more pleasant experience dealing with security at a show. They were polite, communicated the situation well, and were actual people you could ask to get where you needed to, or just chat with. Kinda blew my mind compared to the usual Securi-bots you normally encounter. Thanks, guys.

Sunday I went for a very cold and wet trip to the Tugboat Graveyard in Staten Island. It was fun, albeit pretty close to freezing and rather gloomy. But you forget about all that when you're climbing around on years and years of beautiful rust, rot, and decay.

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MP3:

Interesting vocal-heavy cover of a classic.

• Petra Haden - Don't Stop Believin'

A band's place in myspace.

STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF. IF IT LANDS YOU IN HELL, WELL AT LEAST NOW YOU KNOW

(Japanther performing with Penny Rimbaud of CRASS at PS122, more photos here)

Seeing Japanther perform with Penny Rimbaud from CRASS reading slightly maniacal poetry in between songs was a pretty amazing sight. A coming together, so to speak. But add in a smoke-breathing animated dragon in the crowd (courtesy of some Black Label friends) and it was just plain surreal. I alternated between "Wow" as in "this is great," and "Wow" as in "what the hell is happening?" There were also dancers, but about halfway through a ring-around-the-band started and a good third of the room was racing around. Which brings up the only bummer part of the whole night, and that would be the people there who were quick to give off pretty sour looks at anyone that invaded their personal space, much less (god forbid) bumped into them. At a Japanther show. I'm going to venture a guess that a lot of people there may not have been to a Japanther show before. But regardless, c'mmmmonnnn, this isn't Yo La Tengo (although I think they are playing on Friday, if that's more your cup of tea). Relax a bit, have some fun, step out of your crossed-arms comfort zone for a minute or two. . . it's dark, no one will see you.

PS. It's not too late to see the show, it's still running through this weekend at PS122, details here.

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MP3:

Taking a break from the covers to post this song off the new Black Mountain album, In The Future. It has been the hands-down song of the Fall. I haven't heard a song this great in a looooooong time. Although it does make me crave some Hawkwind now and then.

• Black Mountain - Tyrants

A band's place in myspace.

IT RUNS ON KILN-FIRED CHILDRENS' TEARS

(photos from St. Louis and the remainders of the Miss Rockaway Armada's fleet: members of Team Bling in their new wetsuits, cause the river gets cold late in the season; Ossian repairing the bottom; the Garden Of Bling; mirrors and bling on the Bling; Miss Jen Kitchen; the MRA flag flying on the bridge pylon over the Mississippi; SWOON piece in Cementland; short story by Ezekiel Heads on a cement truck barrel; the redecorated inside of a Greyhound bus; Polaroid Kidd in a field; caboose living quarters; the indomitable Harrison The Great salvaging wood for Bling. More photos here)

I promised a much delayed update on the Miss Rockaway Armada in St. Louis, so here it is. Better late than never (becoming an unfortunate motto around here lately).

- Wetsuits! (cause that water gets cold late in the year)
- Rotting dead deer blood in the car = pretty nauseous smell (eventually the carcass would be lit on fire by unknown persons).
- People in downtown St. Louis locking the doors on their SUV as I biked slowly by trying to read street signs at night.
- Nice people at the Black Bear Bakery.
- The Camp House rules! Such nice kids.
- Late-night drunken dance party at Camp.
- Cementland = giant abandoned cement factory with cool hidden stuff.
- Cool refurnished Greyhound Bus at Cementland.
- Getting politely chased away for taking photos near scrap yards and industrial sites.
- East St. Louis = Gary, IN.
- Brooklyn, IL = strip-club-land.
- Meeting a nice Christian employee at a coffee shop who was very helpful and didn't try to help me find Jesus while he was helping me find my way to South St. Louis.
- Stripping wood off of I Left My Heart In Kirksville in the rain.
- Working on bicycles in the Camp bike shop.
- Riding 30 miles on a cruiser bike that felt like it was pulling a ton of bricks.
- Exploring abandoned buildings (so many that they almost become unexciting after a while).
- Jaci and her new pit bull puppy.
- The bridge/pylon camp/squat over the Mississippi.
- The City Museum is probably to coolest museum ever. You owe it to your (possibly unborn) children to take them there once in their life.
- Neighborhood kids running amok the school area of Camp.
- Pussying out and not trying to run across the very busy train bridge carrying my bike with me.

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MP3:

I remember a member of CSS telling me how much they liked this song by Grizzly Bear, so I was happy when I discovered this (very well done) cover.

• CSS - Knife

A band's place in myspace.

SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME IN THE BLANKET OF SHADOWS

(photos from another Secret Dinner, in the Freedom Tunnel in NYC)

Another Secret Dinner has come and gone. This time it was in the Freedom Tunnel on the West side of Manhattan. Some highlights:

- A fire pit.
- A metal candle-lit chandelier made for the event, brought in and assembled on site.
- Tables constructed from wood and found cinder blocks.
- Really good soup, and donuts(!).
- Examining some of the cool murals still down there.
- Performances in the tunnel, including the reading of an recent interview with the graffiti writer Freedom/Gen 2 (whom the tunnel is named for), musical performance by Fall Harbor, and a dance performance.

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MP3:

And we have a contender for "Best Song of the Fall" for 2007 (AND it's a cover). However I don't think they will be able to overcome Black Mountain's amazing track "Tyrant" off their new album. I've had that on repeat for days.

• Witchcraft - Sweet Honey Pie

A band's place in myspace.

OH YOU GOT GAME, IT'S CALLED SOLITARE

Um, Whooaaaa.

And thanks to my buddy from high school for introducing me to that.

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MP3:

Okay music nerds, sound off: is this more accurately a cover of Joy Division, or New Order?

• Xiu Xiu - Ceremony

A band's place in myspace.

DISTURB YOUR WORLD

(photos from the R.I.P.P.E.D. Halloween party, more photos here)

Better late than never, right?

Oh and does anyone in the NYC area have an apartment/space I could use for a naughty photo shoot? Just askin'. . .

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MP3:

I kind of wish he had leaned closer to the hip-hop on this rather than the goth-rock side of the fence.

• Saul Williams - Sunday Bloody Sunday

A band's place in myspace.