New Year's Eve Parties in New York

Patti Smith - Bowery Ballroom
Passion Pit (DJ set) - Pianos
MSTRKRFT - Webster Hall
Fischerspooner - Irving Plaza
Q-Tip, Dâm-Funk - Brooklyn Bowl
Chuck Berry - BB King's
Surfer Blood, Frankie and the Outs, Beach Fossils, We Are Country Mice, Lemonade - Cameo Gallery
Frankie and the Outs, Talk Normal - Cake Shop
Titus Andronicus, The Detroit Cobras - Mercury Lounge
Dean & Britta, The Felix Brothers - Southpaw
Antibalas - Knitting Factory
Obits, Eli "Paperboy Reed" - The Bell House
Project Jenny, Project Jan - Union Hall
The Felice Brothers - Southpaw
Paul Van Dyk - Roseland
Golden Triangle, DJ JG Thirlwell - Glasslands

Springsteen honored at Kennedy Center

Vic Chesnutt R.I.P.

Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade

Brand Neu! Compilation

DOWNLOAD

1000 covers

Endless Bummer, Endless Letterpress from Georgia on Vimeo.

The Decade in American Cinema

The Best American Movies of the Decade (too many foreign films to list)

It's a three-way tie for the Best Movie of the Decade ->

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS/THERE WILL BE BLOOD/THE DEPARTED

(All three of these movies must be seen in the theater, and each represent a different aspect of filmmaking that I adore, so all three are my Number 1 choice. "There will be Blood" was the most stylized. The acting and dialogue are impeccable, it's like staring at a detailed painting for three hours. It's politically metaphorical, religiously defiant, and profoundly poetic. I like the fact that P.T. Anderson pulled himself from the "cool-movie" race, from edgy Scorsese-ish films like "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" to something more Robert Altman. It's a perfect example of all-American storytelling, and a powerful experience to witness on the big screen. I got to see it opening night at the IMAX and it surpassed all expectations. "The Departed" was the best who-dunnit film of the Scorsese noir-collection. It wasn't predictable, it was fast-paced, and there's no good guy. I enjoy movies where you root for a bad guy, even if he gets shot in the face when you least expect it. I knew this was going to be a classic, when a very abrupt opening credits roll twenty minutes into the movie. I like the film's immediacy, that the script doesn't waste time giving the characters a back-story. It really did feel like that old board game- "Clue". All of the characters are duping each other, while going for the clues. It had a great soundtrack, it's Leonardo's best, and I like any movie where Jack Nicholson plays a villain Mob boss. People that didn't see it in the theater will have a different opinion, but for those who saw it on the big screen, it had us at the edge of the seat to the very end. "Inglourious Basterds" is my Tarantino pick of the decade. I loved "Kill Bill" and "Death Proof", but this was one hell of a roller coaster for WWII film geeks like myself. Despite the fact that no one knew what approach or how Tarantino would tackle this genre, it surprised the shit out of me to no end. He spent very little time on scenes having anything to do with the war, and more on his quirky dialogue focused around Shoshanna's movie theater Nazi death trap. The basterds were the funny part of it, turning soldiers into cartoon characterizations, or rather exaggerations.. The rest of the movie was full of classic Tarantino-isms: unexpected scene cuts, odd camera angles, confusing chapter novelizations, an Ennio Morricone score, an obscure David Bowie sequence, references to all his favorite directors from Sergio Leone to John Hughes. "Batter up! Two hits... I hit you, you hit the ground"- as if people spoke like that in the 1940's. In essence, he made a WWII movie having almost nothing to do with WWII. He broke all the rules and guidelines of the genre and to top it all, re-wrote history, giving a tragic period in time a hilariously unrealistic Hollywood ending. The imagination can move you more than historical fact, if it's done right and taken to such outrageous proportions as this movie does. Brad Pitt's homage to John Wayne was perfect, and Christoph Waltz should win every award there is to win. The reason why I choose this, over "Kill Bill", is that this movie serves a purpose. Both are equally astounding, but "Kill Bill" is Tarantino's pet project where he tried to throw everything he loves about cinema in, and if you're not a fan of Sonny Chiba, or any Kung-Fu action types, it serves no purpose. "Inglourious Basterds" is a film for movie-critics AND movie-lovers. It's relevant to cinema, for the fact that it portrays the idea of the tough Jew. No other movie, especially war movies have ever done that. Tarantino has always liked to play with the revenge motif, but this time, he's playing with history to startle us. By the time Hitler gets his face shot off, the audience is already in the fantasy realm of Tarantino's twisted mind. It's like the guy never runs out of ways to shock us. Another notable reason why I love "Inglourious Basterds", is its unfinished feeling. He could have easily turned this into a Steven Speilberg flick, trimming the violence and tightening up the script, but that's exactly why I love it so much. It falls somewhere between the abstract, cult-cinema, and the American classic. It feels like he got to the finish line at the completion of the script, but decided not to edit or revise it. It's both, a foreign film and an American masterpiece. Will Quentin ever top this? I don't know, but if he does, it's going to have to involve some critical innovations in storytelling a la "Pulp Fiction")

Here are my other picks, in no particular order...

The Wrestler
Death Proof
Anything Else
Ghost World
Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2
25th hour
The Life Aquatic...
Art School Confidential
Bad Santa

Munich

Adaptation
The Pianist
Almost Famous
Gran Torino
No Country for Old Men
Punch Drunk Love
Vanilla Sky
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Lost in Translation
The Wackness
Sideways
Knocked Up
Moon
Apocalypto

Bardo Pond, White Out w/Thurston Moore at Le Poisson Rouge

The Top Albums of the Decade!!!

Who survived the turn of the century?


Seth Diamond (The Gods of Fire)

Anthrax - We've Come for You All

Mclusky - Do Dallas

Radiohead - Kid A

King Diamond - The Puppet Master

Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper

The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me

David Bowie - Heathen

Mastodon - Crack The Skye

Primal Scream - XTRMNTR

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

Andrea Sicco (My Happy Gun)

PJ Harvey-Stories from the city...
Grandaddy-The Sophomore Slump
Belle & Sebastian-Fold your hands child you walk like a peasant
Primal Scream-XTRMNTR
Coldplay-A rush of blood to the head
Queens of the Stone Age-Songs for the deaf
Clinic-Walking with Thee
Morrissey-You are the Quarry
Band of Horses-Everything all the time
The Crystal Stilts-Alite all night

("also... if the list allowed extra ones, this is why it was so hard to select just a few")
The Raveonettes-Whip it on EP
Grinderman-Grinderman
Mark Lanegan & Isobell Campbell-Ballad of the broken seas
Beck-Sea Change
Radiohead-In Rainbows
Portishead-Third
Franz Ferdinand-Franz Ferdinand
The Strokes-Is this it?
Interpol-Turn on the bright lights

Ben Odell (Writer, Director)

Grizzly Bear - Vectatimest
Daft Punk - Discovery
Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
Johnny Cash - American III
Smog - Dongs of Sevotion
Blonde Redhead - 23
Elliott Smith - Figure 8
Radiohead - Kid A
The Strokes - Is this it?
Modest Mouse - Good news for poeple who love bad news
Gorillaz - Self-titled


Mark Cyst, Brian Naas, Brian Hospital (Birthing of Millions)

Bjork - Vespertine

Battles - Mirrored

Radiohead - Kid A

Meshuggah - Nothing
Avishai Cohen - Gently Disturbed

Constantines - Shine a Light

Aereogramme - Sleep and Release

R.E.M. - Accelerate
Shock Radar - Shark Shirt Motherfucker

The Wrens - The Meadowlands

Larry Hess (Hunters, Run!)

Fugazi - The Argument

Radiohead - Kid A

Shellac - 1000 Hurts
Shock Radar - Shark Shirt Motherfucker
The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday

The Knife - Silent Shout

Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped

Flaming Lips -Embryonic

!!! - Louden Up Now

Destroyer - Rubies

Notwist - Neon Golden

("These are ones I'd like to add")

LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver

Super Furry Animals-Rings Around the World

Decemberists-Picaresque

Shins-Chutes Too Narrow

M83-Saturdays=Youth

Portishead-Third

The Wrens-The Meadowlands

Burial-Untrue

Calexico & Iron & Wine-In the Reins EP

Richard Drouin (Iridesense)

1. Combinations - Eisley

2. Snakes & Arrows - Rush
3. 10,000 Days - TooL
4. Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
5. Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV. Vol. I - Coheed & Cambria
6. De-Loused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta
7. Live at the Palace - Blind Melon
8. Try! - John Mayer Trio
9. X & Y - Coldplay
10. Thirteenth Step - A Perfect Circle

Adam Lippman (Automatic Children)

Arcade Fire - Funeral
Radiohead - OK Computer
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Joseph Arthur - Come to Where I'm From
Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter
Band of Horses - Everything All of the Time
White Stripes - White Blood Cells
The Strokes - Is this It?
The Postal Service - Give Up
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why there are mountains

("My list is based on what i listen to and have since the beginning of the decade, and not necessarily everything that's come out since jan 1 2000")

Blake Ian (Singer/Songwriter)

1. Fire Theft – Fire Theft

2. Kid A – Radiohead

3. Love and Theft – Bob Dylan

4. Tallahassee - The Mountain Goats

5. Ease Down The Road – Bonnie Prince Billy

6. Now You Know – Doug Martsch

7. Riot Act - Pearl Jam

8. Don’t Believe The Truth - Oasis

9. Devils and Dust – Bruce Springsteen

10. Takes - Adem / Walks on his own – Eddie Vedder

("10 is shared because one is a cover record which has no original material written and the other is a live record which has no real production")

Benjamin Hedin (Writer, Editor)

1. Bob Dylan - Love and Theft

2. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)

3. The Strokes - Is this it?

4. Neil Young - Chrome Dreams 2

5. Pearl Jam - Backspacer

6. Radiohead - In Rainbows

7. The Black Crowes - Warpaint

8. Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild

9. U2 - No Line on the Horizon

10. Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Brian Tetrault (The Nude)

Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
Sonic Youth - Murray Street
Oasis - Standing on the Shoulder of Giants

Oasis - Heathen Chemistry

Oasis - Don't Believe the Truth

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

Bob Dylan - Love and Theft
Radiohead - Kid A

Bruce Springsteen - Devils and Dust

The Accidental Genius

Primal Scream - XTRMNTR (This is the best album of the decade. Nothing's more adventurous, and "Evil Heat" was just as good, but I had to pick one, and it's "XTRMNTR", for its instant shock value and the perfect coming attraction for the future of Rock and Roll. No one's caught up to it yet. It's still ahead of its time)

Pink Skull - Endless Bummer (They released it just in time to make this list! I can listen to it on repeat for days, weeks, etc.. it's on right now)

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul (The fans didn't know this would be their "Abbey Road", but it's an appropriate farewell from the most entertaining band of the decade. Plus, they mixed Kraut Rock with The Beatles, My Bloody Valentine with The Stooges, it encapsulates all of their influences. RIP Oasis)

PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her (I think this is the best PJ Harvey record of the 2000's. It was recorded at her home on a 4 track cassette recorder, then she added instruments later in million dollar studios. Nothing sounds like it.)

Portishead - Third (Comeback albums usually suck. This one sure as hell didn't!)

RZA - Birth of a Prince (All of RZA's stuff of the decade have their moments, but I got to see him DJ this one live, and the energy in the room elevated to an unexplainable level.. check out "The Grunge")

Silkworm - Lifestyle (THE most underrated Silkworm album, possibly better than Firewater and most of their 90's material. Cool version of The Faces- "Ooh Lah Lah")

Amorphous Androgynous - A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Vol. 1 (Greatest Re-mix album EVER.)

Pearl Jam - Binaural (The last flawless Pearl Jam record. It's the darkest one, the most experimental, with Progressive Rock elements mixed with Neil Young's cryptic, melodic wisdom. "Binaural" marks the end of their ten year Grunge residency. They became a band with many filler songs on their subsequent albums- e.g. The Rolling Stones)

Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped (It's the most focused of this decade's SY records. I had to pick one, and "Ripped" stands out apart from the rest. It's also the most normal of all their records, which is a remarkable achievement for a band that intentionally avoided 'normal' Rock and Roll songs for an entire career)

Jay Z - Blueprint 3 (I had to add it, 'cause it's so God damn famous for a reason! Every song's a single, and the beats are out of this world. Sometimes, when a record's so popular, it's clearly because of its undeniable brilliance (and its funky as hell!))

Coldplay - Viva La Vida (The band you love to hate, right? This one had an impact on me. I don't think I listened to a Top 40 album as much, since Michael Jackson's "Thriller". I loved them when they came out with "Parachutes", had no idea they'd be able to dig their way out of the biggest band-backlash of the decade. They did, with a little help from Brian Eno. I don't think they'll ever top this record, we'll see...)

Mark Lanegan - Field Songs (Whiskey-induced pure Soul Music from the guy I saw puking on Capitol Hill in Seattle around the time of its release. I always think of this album when I'm down and it always comforts me, since he's always depressed to shit)

Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist (Amped up and energized, with the exact same production sound they got on "Siamese Dream". The guitars are detuned to C and the drumming is totally ridiculous, so much that Jimmy Chamberlain had to quit the band again)

Radiohead - Kid A (I don't really give a shit about "OK Computer", and I hated their 1st and 2nd albums. "Kid A" won me over, 'cause it was fresh, and sort of killed the sound of the 90's at the time. Whenever an overrated, pretentious Rock band like Radiohead creates something I love, it's gotta be astonishing)

Fugazi - The Argument (They had gotten into Beatles melodies on "Red Medicine", and maybe they started smoking pot, but the records since then were less Emo-core, and more experimental Pop music with Punk/Funk ingredients. Obviously, they had gotten comfortable with the fact that they were extraordinary musicians beyond their Punk roots reputation)

Blur - Think Tank (Any Blur fan that avoids this one because Graham Coxon's barely on it, is just ignorant. Of all the Blur records, this is possibly the best, and completely unexpected from Damon Albarn. Who knew he could do it on his own? I believe this record's as revolutionary as "Kid A", but the band's appeal didn't work. Albarn put out ten other records at the same time. His other project- Gorillaz, stole the spotlight)

Elliott Smith - Figure 8/From a Basement on a Hill ("Figure 8" and "From a Basement on a Hill" are essential Elliott Smith records from 2000-2004. "Basement" is crazy awesome, a what-could-have-been collection)

Scott Weiland - Happy in Galoshes (Rock and Roll chameleon collaborates with Steve Albini and the Indie world frowns. But this is one of the coolest records Albini has worked on. Weiland goes into Scott Walker territory, exploring British Glam-Pop with diary entries of a bi-polar fashion bulimic)

Spiritualized - Let it Come Down (Though their best music was released in the 90's, "Let it Come Down" put a cap on their Pink Floyd-ish sound, before they entered their Garage-Rock/Gospel phase. Now their records tend to sound the same, but this was the last one to really blow my mind)

Clearlake - Cedars (This band is far out!! Their biggest influence is obviously The Smiths, but The Smiths are dated. That's not a bad thing, but The Smiths will always fit into the 80's sound. Clearlake comes from a similar approach songwriting-wise, with all the evolutions and movements in Rock since "Strangeways, Here We Come". If I had to bet money on a band blowing up bigger than the Strokes, I'd put it on these guys. Too bad I would lose that bet... I guess the majority wanted a new Iggy Pop over a new Morrissey. oh well, Morrissey's still kickin ass)

Pink Skull Dj set - December 14th at Santos Party House

THE SLITS AFTER PARTY WITH A LIVE PERFORMANCE BY POPO AND DJ SETS BY THE DEATH SET, COOL PLACES SOUNDSYSTEM AND PINK SKULL

Dec 14, 2009
downstairs
Doors @ 11:30 PM
$5.00/$3 w. Ticketstub(No RSVP)/FREE w. Stub & RSVP

$5.00 // $3 with Ticketstub (No RSVP) // FREE with Ticketstub & RSVP

RSVP: THESLITS@SANTOSPARTYHOUSE.COM

Thirty years ago, the Slits turned the British punk scene on its head with their debut album, Cut. They have survived several band member shuffles and extended hiatuses to now emerge victorious with the release of Trapped Animal, their first full length album since 1981. Mad Decent darlings, Popo, will engage a throb...bing mass with a live, post-concert performance and djs Pink Skull, The Death Set, and Cool Places Soundsystem will keep it coming.

Live...
POPO

DJ Sets...
THE DEATH SET
COOL PLACES SOUNDSYSTEM (Dean from True Panther Sounds & Alax Pasternak from Lemonade)
PINK SKULL

MIssion of Burma at Bowery Ballroom, January 29th/30th

Two Day Pass for 35 bucks -->

Black Dynamite at Landmark Sunshine Theater - December 18th & 19th at Midnight

When “The Man” murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) is the one hero willing to fight all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House. A affectionate spoof of—and tribute to—Blaxploitation films of the 1970s, filmed as if it was a lost relic of that prolific era.

Official Web Site

Rolling Stone's Best Albums of the Decade (Rolling Stone)

1. Radiohead - Kid A

2. The Strokes - Is this it?

3. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

4. Jay-Z - The Blueprint

5. The White Stripes - Elephant

6. Arcade Fire - Funeral

7. Eminem - The Marshal Mathers LP

8. Bob Dylan - Modern Times

9. M. I. A. - Kala

10. Kanye West - The College Dropout

Here's the Top 100 list -->

John Lennon: Over walls and under bridges (bootleg)

DOWNLOAD

(taken from the "Walls & Bridges" sessions)

Live MOB, KEXP (Mission of Burma)

Peaches en Regalia, MSG (Phish)

Download

(Highlights from Night 1, MSG09)