A couple weeks late, I know. But I was describing it to someone and they were like…huh?

THE BPA - ‘TOE JAM’ FEAT. DAVID BYRNE & DIZZEE RASCAL
We love you David Byrne.

Lawsuits, lawsuits, lawsuits. You know I love ‘em. So…apparently McDonald’s has a Happy Meal toy that wears a red hat similar to Devo’s flower-pot-looking hat in the video for “Whip It”. Obviously, the fast-food chain was ‘inspired’ by the band. Some might say a little too inspired. What clinches it is the toy’s name: New Wave Nigel. Sounds cool, right? Not to bassist Gerald Casale, who informed the Australian Associated press that they are in the midst of a lawsuit. He states that the doll is a “Devo rip-off, and the red hat is exactly the red hat that I designed, and it’s copyrighted and trademarked.” Ouch.

The Happy Meal figurine is part of an “American Idol” themed set-each doll a different music genre: Disco Dave, Country Clay, Rockin’ Riley, Soulful Selma…you get the idea. The irony was not lost on Casale that a band that satirized mass culture was now being embraced by two of the biggest fixtures of the mainstream: McDonald’s and “American Idol.”

“We don’t like McDonald’s, and we don’t like ‘American Idol,’ so we’re doubly offended.”

See the offending doll for yourself:

Presenting the best white guy with a black guys voice since Adam Levine, Sam Sparro.

His album drops June 24th if you still buy CDs but you might want to snatch up a Vinyl of this because you will be playing it at your dance parties!

This is the kind of album that people will dance to and fall in love with each other. Wear a condom, kids; I don’t want to see a dance-inspired baby boom.

The singles “Black & Gold”(download) and “21st Century Life” will be the ones that suck you in. They’ve been spinning all over L.A. radio for the past month and I didn’t even figure out who it was until last week. This kids voice has an amazing soul quality reminiscent of the 70’s heavies! Hear for yourself…[myspace]. And he’s only 25. Jealous?

The Hump & Grind Rhythm and Synths in “Cottonmouth” will get you sweaty. “Recycle It!” is like an 80s PSA gone mad! “Clingwrap” eats a Parliment groove and throws enough Prince and Michael Jackson synths to choke a 10-year-old. This whole album plays to my vintage Roland Synth fetish in all the right places.

This record is CHRONIC! Apparently Mr.Sparro did a “Secret Show” at the Echo the other night but I missed it because of some minor alcohol poisoning and the accompanying personal guilt. I will be enjoying this album with a maximum of 3 drinks. What have I become… really!?

No shots please.

Video for Black & Gold.

When you are the son of the greatest singer-songwriter of all time, it’s going to be hard shake their shadow. I mean look at this review, already not even talking about him. He’s already doomed.

But Jakob Dylan’s first post-Wallflowers solo record “Seeing Things” holds up pretty well on its own. The most positive merit is the musicianship which is crisp to a maddening level. You can hear the pros that the Dylans tend to surround themselves with; and Jakob’s voice mixes with well. Dylan kept surprisingly less gravel in his voice but instead you hear some of the folkier dareisayit, Springsteen? Yes, this album is classified on iTunes as FOLK. I could be missing the point of the track but “War Is Kind” is almost even a protest song?

A bold move for someone who spent the last 2 records shaking his famous father.

I’ve been spinning this record on occasion for a couple weeks trying to get a solid bead on whether I like it or not and I haven’t thrown it off my balcony yet so I guess it must be passable. I’ve zeroed in on it’s perceived simplicity making it a repeat friendly (background?) record. You will hear ghosts of brilliance in the sparse guitar work of the lead off track “Evil Is Alive And Well” which I believe to be my favorite. The dark side of the simplicity is the lack of emotion behind Dylans vocal lines. Pretty, but without melodrama. I like melodrama with my acoustic. The dark side, as i was saying, is this albums LACK of dark side.

The cleanliness of this album began to bother me halfway through with Adult-Contemporary worthy singles like “Something Good This Way Comes”(in heavy Sirius rotation) and “On Up The Mountain”. At times Seeing Things turns into a record that I’m guessing only parents can understand. I am not, so i do not. Maybe you’ve knocked someone up, in which case I direct you to this solid acoustic record. Should you be looking for something a bit more like the Wallflowers… you’ll have to wait.

The “Thing” I wasn’t “Seeing” on this album is how it was produced by Rick Rubin. Too few cooks in this kitchen.

I give Seeing Things by Jakob Dylan a commendable 7/10 for its simplicity and possible truthfulness… and hope very soon for a rock record.

——

Catch Jakob Dylan currently on tour supporting Seeing Things:
June
27 - Chicago, IL - Metro
28 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
29 - Charleston, WV - Mountain Stage
30 - Lexington, KY - Kentucky Theatre
July
01 - Lexington, KY - Kentucky Theatre
03 - Buffalo, NY - Lafayette Square
04 - Rothbury, MI - Rothbury Festival
05 - Des Moines, IA - Music Coalition
06 - Milwaukee,WI - Summerfest
08 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Taping
10 - Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Bluesfest
13 - Winnipeg,SAS - Winnipeg Folkfest
15 - Los Angeles, CA - Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno
August
02 - Newport, RI - Newport Folkfest
09 - Edmonton,ALB - Edmonton Folk
17 - Lyons, CO - Folks Festival
31 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot
September
26 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival- Zilker Park

Omahan Conor Oberst has announced a lengthy solo tour to accompany his impending solo LP due out August 5th.

Why even drop the name Bright Eyes? Bright Eyes is Conor Oberst. No offense to Mike Mogis and Nate Wolcott, they are both very talented but everyone else on stage with Conor is just “you know, those guys in Bright Eyes’ band”. And actually he is still bringing Nate with on this tour, along with Maria Macey Taylor, Taylor Hollingsworth, Nik Freitas, and Rilo Kiley’s Jason Boesel in his band called the Mystic Valley Band. I’m guessing this naming followed a couple days visit with Mescalito.

You can stream 2 of the tracks on ConorOberst.com now. Let me know if you get a pre-release.

So dare I shell out 40 bucks tomorrow morning to see him at the Trubadour August 5th? A CD release show of sorts? Probably not. He seems to loathe his audiences and never fails to play exactly what nobody else wants to here. I’ll wait for a smaller Bright Eyes show.

North American Tour Dates
7/25 Billings, MT Bones Brewing
7/27 Calgary, AB Calgary Folk Festival
7/29 Vancouver, BC Richards on Richards
7/30 Seattle, WA Neumo’s
7/31 Bend, OR Midtown Ballroom

I knew this entire dance in middle school. The chick to Aaliyah’s right is Fatima Robinson, the choreographer. This video made me want to wear green lipstick. Man, I loved MTV then-if for no other reason than all the dancing in videos. That was ten years ago, wowza.

The song is listed as the 387th on the ‘The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born‘. Whatever that means.

So my roommate and I ventured off to the Northwest Side (represent) to eat us some ribs and watch us some bands. The Republic Tigers were the first band of the day, and most people were still wandering into the area, the grills were just starting to fire up, good smells and good sounds were soon to follow. Of course, the second the music started, the sky opened up, and Heaven had a good cry. Sprinkles soon turned to tsunami rainfall within minutes. We sought shelter under the tarp where the makeshift sound booth was, while others stood in the pouring rain, their umbrellas making a laughable attempt to keep them dry. See the wetness?

Considering all the PA speakers were covered in blue tarps, and the weather was on the verge of apocalyptic, the sound quality was impressive. The band themselves rocked on, every now and then edging further and further away from the stage front to avoid the inevitable flooding. After about 15 minutes, it was deemed a lost cause and unfortunately, that was the end of the show.

They definitely have an indie-rock flair, but there’s something delicate amidst the rock. There’s a nice contrast between the soft acoustic sounds, and almost 80s-ish keyboard sounds, and that’s what made them so appealing. They definitely kept the attention of the crowd, which was everyone and anyone. They did come down and take time to meet everyone afterwards, very personable (and attractive) dudes.

I managed to stay mostly dry and have a good time. Although I can’t say much for the ribs (or the 6 dollar funnel cake), the band was definitely worth the trip. I wish they could have finished their set, or better yet, had a later time slot, and therefore a much bigger audience to impress.

*sidenote: In the picture, the two girls in the orange Republic Tigers t-shirts couldn’t have been older than 14, and absolutely gushed over the guys. It was sickeningly adorable. One of them flew into Chicago from Tallahassee to see them, after stumbling across them on XM radio a month prior. Now that’s a fan.

Here’s a quick email interview I did with the Republic Tigers before the show, questions answered by Kenn Jankowski, lead vocals/keys/guitar guy:

Avanttrash: Tell me about your influences in music.

Kenn Jankowski: We have many individual influences. But collectively, I’d say we all really love most of the “headphone” bands, like the Flaming Lips and Blonde Redhead. It’s not enough for bands to have beautiful recordings though. We mainly enjoy the ones that have obvious threads of classical influence within the chord flow and melody.

AT: What is the Kansas City music scene like? How does it differ from what you’ve seen in other cities while touring?

KJ: Massively supportive. If you don’t like our band, but you explain to me what kind of music you do like, I can introduce you to a Kansas City band that meets your demands. I see trends within cities, when we travel - it usually seems like 80% of any given city’s music all sounds similar. Where as, Kansas City has Ssion, In The Pines, Namelessnumberheadman, Deep Thinkers, The Rich Boys, Roman Numerals, Ghosty, Ad Astra Per Aspera, Be/Non, Olympic Size, Paper Cities, Beautiful Bodies, Vedera, Bacon Shoe, and American Catastrophe just to name a few.

AT: How does being from the Midwest influence your sound?

KJ: Occasional twangy pronunciation. That’s about it.

AT: Any old bands? What do you bring from those past experiences to Republic Tigers?

KJ: He who smelt it, dealt it.

AT: What’s next after Ribfest?

KJ: Finishing out the tour with Nada Surf - Indianapolis, Columbus, and Cleveland. Then we go home for a few weeks and play a benefit show in KC on June 28th at Crosstown Station. West coast touring after that. Not really sure beyond.

Moral of the story: Good guys, good music, catch them if they come to your area. Pray for sunshine.

I, being from Nebraska, am a huge fan of The Faint. Luckily they are touring through L.A. doing 2 nights at the Fonda. I just might have to see them both. And after 4 years of waiting …a new record!

Press Release:
A culmination of nearly four years of writing and recording, Omaha quintet, The Faint are preparing to release their fifth album, Fasciinatiion, on August 5 on the band’s own newly-formed label, blank.wav. Working on their own without any time constraints, the songs went through many recorded incarnations before finding their final forms. The result is the best album in the band’s career, a record that is the purest culmination of The Faint’s brilliant musical instincts, ideas and aesthetic, with each member contributing equally to its creation.

In honor of the recent release of Priscilla Ahn’s debut album A Good Day and her recent appearance on Jay Leno. Here is an Email Interview I did with Ms.Ahn a couple weeks ago:

AvantTrash: When i’d seen you last year at a school fundraiser in the back of a store; your set painted a lovely picture of Pennsylvania. How would you describe your upbringing?
Priscilla Ahn: In general, it was pretty quiet. My parents were strict as I got older, so I didn’t go out much and “party”. I spent most of my time at school. I was involved in sports and music and drama, which took up most of my time. When I got home I studied. The older I got, the more I fought with my parents, so I tried to spend most of my time in my bedroom, reading, playing guitar….

AT: What made you pick up the guitar or start writing songs?
PA: My Dad always urged me to do it. But I never had any real interest in it until 9th grade, when a guy I liked played the guitar really well, like James Taylor style. I thought it was the coolest thing, and dug out my mom’s old guitar she had brought with her from S. Korea.

AT: Did you tour? Did you do the coffee house circuit? Any busking or singing for your dinner?
PA: When I first started out I did a lot of coffee houses. I also tried to get gigs anywhere I could. A lot of those places were restaurants and bars. I’d play for like, 3 hours, and make $60. I never liked to “busk”. I was never in a position where i had to, so i figured why should i? it’s exhausting work. But when my family and I were on vacation at the beach, my dad made me sing for change on the boardwalk. I was into the first night, but then…..well, like i said….it’s exhausting. You’re constantly giving energy to a majority of people who didn’t care, and your only real validation that people like you, is their loose change. Although, i have to say, I didn’t do too bad.

AT: And the trip out to L.A.? What prompted it and how was your trip out here?
PA: My first trip out here was with 2 other musicians. Our goal was to write songs on the road. We never wrote anything, but the traveling was unforgettable. And the moment we drove into L.A. I knew it was a place I wanted to be. So….one month later I packed up my car and drove out. It took me 5 days. It was truly an adventure. I was 19, traveling alone across the country, staying in hotels by myself for the first time, blasting Led Zeppelin in my Saturn. It was cool.

AT: I heard you waitressed… where was it and how long did that last?
PA: I waitressed at a restaurant called Cheebo. I was there for a year.

AT: How did you get hooked up with Joey Waronaker?
PA: My manager hooked me up with him. We had coffee and I really liked his personality, and we became friends from there.

AT: How was the Hotel Cafe tour? Who do you think is going to be the next big thing from that group?
PA: The tour was a lot of fun. All good people, singing together, traveling together. It was pretty cool. I have no idea who’s gonna “blow up” next. I’m never really good at guessing those things, cuz the ones you would think are the least likely to, are playing in the grocery store the next day. I can say, though, that I listen to Buddy’s album ALL the time. He gave me an advance copy of it about a year ago (lucky me!) and i think i’ve worn it out.

AT: With all the craziness in the music business, where do you see music going?
PA: Who knows? It seems like it’s going into the hands of whoever wants it, really. Music will always be one of the most popular forms of art and entertainment. It’s just, how people hear it, and how people choose it, that’s changing. I love that music is available wherever you are, and that I can record a song on my laptop and post it to a bunch of people on myspace in a matter of a few hours, or less. Things are just gonna get faster and more efficient…..and smaller probably.

AT: Thanks for your time.
PA: no prob!

—–
How Lovely. So a couple days ago I asked for people to send me emails telling me why they should get Priscilla’s CD and that I’d give them to the best 2 answers. Well the winners were Tonya Howell from Grand Island, NE and Mrs. Beth Miller from Lebabon, PA
Mrs. Miller Wrote:

Priscilla Hartranft Ahn is from Bernville, PA but also descends from Korea.
I was her high school counselor at Tulpehocken High School where she was encouraged to follow her heart and not the expectations of others.
She resisted those enormous conformity pressures and look what has flourished!
I am a proud mama. We are a Tulpehocken Proud village.
That is why I want to win the CD.
Otherwise, I will have to call her mother and pay for one!
(^_*)
Mrs. Beth Miller, retired

Wow! My guidance counselors weren’t that helpful!
Tonya Howell wrote:

Why I should get the CD? Because her song “Rain” has gotten me through these massive amounts rainy days, flooded basements and sewer back-ups on the island that is Grand. I included it on my mix: http://www.mixwit.com/tonya_howell/rain-more-rain-even-more-rain

Yeah that weather stuff is nasty. We don’t have that stuff in L.A. anymore. Congrats to the winners and stay tuned for more contests and a LOT more live reviews!

My first exposure to Priscilla Ahn was through sheer coincidence. Early Last year I was working for a band who happened to be playing a little benefit show in an exotic home interiors store in Eagle Rock. The opener was the featherweight Phoebe Cates (or yes, Winnie Cooper) stand-in Ms.Ahn. With her guitar and handful of toys and gadgets she made the space her own little world. Her songs transported me into to a place that you’d think only she’d been. But what really slayed me was the delicate orchestra coming off of one small person. With the aide of a Boss loop station pedal she made enough music to fill 3 coffee houses. So of course I’d wondered what it would sound like if she actually had a full band behind her.

Flash forward a year to the night of the release of her debut album A Good Day, where Priscilla and her parlor full of band members took the stage of the Hotel Café. The house was packed with a surprisingly high contingency of asian fans (role model?) and some buzz seeking industry and media reps. I joined a photo pit of about 7 packed into the small corner off stage left and prepared to be destroyed with a feather.

Priscillas stage persona is a tiny ball of artisitic elation, at once nervous and as comfortable as if she were singing to herself…which she eventually did (in loops). The room was stuffy but a cool breeze flowed from the opening numbers of Priscillas set with “Wallflowers” and the Dylan/Lennon Harmonica infused “I don’t think so”. She beamed as she announced the albums release and proclaimed that she was going to “play the whole damn thing”. Which she nearly did… minus the albums’ title track. Her co-penned song “Astronaut” stuck out of the middle of her set just as it does on the album with a storytellers jumble of The Ditty Bops meets “Mr. Kite”.

Even the smallest band would feel crowded on the Hotel Café’s Stage, but veterans such as bandleader/producer/mentor Joey Waronker played to perfection and drove songs like “Red Cape” beyond what the very capable Ahn could do solo. As I was debating the merits of her work with a band and solo Ahn broke out her ukulele for “Find My Way Back Home” and proved how absolutely powerful she could be with just 4 strings and no accompaniment.

But what makes a Priscilla Ahn show is the personality transferred through her storytelling. Debatably the most beautiful song in her cadre is “Lullaby” which comes with a wonderful story about small town escapism and unqualified local policemen; sealed with her Joni Mitchell to Delores O’Riordan vocal outro. As the set was winding down she also shared her story of Willie Nelson’s reaction to her cover of “Opportunity to Cry” before launching into the song with folk swing.

The evening was capped with her “Dream” of a new single which builds to a peak with a looped armada of perfectly harmonized siren calls from Ahn. The added layers of Upright Bass, Drums, Keys, Electric Guitar and Two Cellos pushed this showstopper to the brink of spiritual enlightenment.

The assumed Encore and closer was the kazoo soloed “The Boob Song”, an older fixture of her set with more great storytelling and playful teenage introspection. A fun close to a great set, Priscilla Ahn is full of promise and potential. She radiates a joy in creation and performance that you won’t see too often in bitter, navelgazing hipsters on dark stages in Silverlake. Although my shirt was sticking to my back and the Hotel Café had to be its typical high 80s climate, I felt refreshed by this show as if i’d just walked through the rain.

9.4/10

I saw Priscilla Ahn at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood for her CD Release Show tonight. She is still amazing! I will be posting a glowing review and an interview tonight. In case you want a little taste of Priscilla Ahn then set your Chin seeking TiVo tonight (Wed) and catch her performing her single “Dream” to perfection on the Tonight Show.

To celebrate her amazing CD Release, Filter Magazine has hooked me up with 2 copies of A Good Day to give away to 2 lucky AvantTrash readers. All you have to do to get one is to email me at contest[at]avanttrash.com and tell me where Ms.Ahn is from and why you want the record. HINT I’ll pick the 2 best.

Massive amounts of reviews coming soon, its been a busy week.

Two great things together. Kittahs and Theremins. These cats are adorable, is Japan getting an especially cute strain of kitties?

To the uninitiated Leon Theremin was almost as important to electronics as Tesla and Edison. Beyond inventing the Theremin which was the first instrument that you didn’t even touch to play, he also invented a few dozen other gizmos that are now the basis of synthesizers and electronic music. Theremin also created the “Buran” eavesdropping system which recorded conversations in French and American embassies by measuring the window glass vibrations using a low power infrared beam from a distance. But really anyone could have done that right?

And he probably invented untold hundreds of spy-sci while working for the KGB.

kitties via ApartmentTherapy.

I cut the wheat from the chaff for this most recent contest by making it extra hard to anyone who hadn’t field tripped to see Shuttlecocks, Taken in a Royals Game or Rode the Orient Express (RIP) at Worlds of Fun.

The Answers were:
1. Shuttlecocks by Claes Oldenberg at the Nelson-Atkins
2. Truman Sports Complex (or Arrowhead/Kauffman Stadiums)
3. nobodies favorite American Idol winner David Cook
4. Harry S. Truman (not Roosevelt, not Eisenhauer)
BONUS: Cody Critchloe from KC’s mindblowing art punk disaster of ecstacy known as SSION.

The Winner of the Grand Prize of the Dakine Medic Messenger Bag and the Republic Tigers Keep Color CD was Rachel Farha from Mission, KS who says:

“WOW! I never win anything. Makes my morning a little better after my car was smoking and had to be taken to the shop… First saw Ssion opening for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Pretty freakin’ awesome. Thanks AvantTrash for giving the Republic Tigers the props they deserve. You guys rule.”

The First Prize winner of the Autographed Keep Color CD and Republic Tigers t-shirt was Michelle Hudak from Cleveland, OH! who says:

“Thanks so much, the contest was fun! I like a little brain-work with my reading. Your site is great…one of my bookmarked favs! Keep up the excellent work.”

It was good to hear from some Republic Tigers/Ssion fans who were proud of their hometown heroes.

During the course of the contest there were a few messages about how much people loved American Idol and hated David Cook along with some excellent comments from KC residents in close contact with AC/DC (which means goes both ways) with some INTERESTING stories about him. Some dropped the word “poser” and others preferred “douche”. I myself see about 20 minutes of American Idol per season and mostly just catch the traffic as I am a block from the Kodak. But i’ll tell you one thing… honky dreadlocks are a crime.

Thanks to everyone who entered and keep checking back for more contests from AvantTrash!

Rock and Roll has lost “the Originator”. The man who put the thump into the blues, master of the call and response and the creator of the “Bo Diddley Beat”.

Wootie woo! Its time for another AvantTrash contest! This time we have teamed up with Filter Magazine to bring you into the world of The Republic Tigers! Hailing from Kansas City, the Tigers emerged from the ashes of Golden Republic and have been adding steam to their buzz train with a performance last Thursday on Letterman and an upcoming tour with Nada Surf! AliUptown herself of this very blog will be catching them June 8th at Ribfest in Chicago we suggest you do the same should they meander into your areas*.

Here is your chance to pick up their lovely new album Keep Color** as well as an awesome DAKINE Messenger Bag. This isn’t Target stuff, this is fancy bag you want to throw your iPods, Obama Buttons and Moleskine SketchBooks in and strap to your bagless vegan/indie/hipster butt.

There will be 2 winners for this contest:
- First Prize gets and autographed copy of the CD Keep Color along with a Republic Tigers T-Shirt.
- Grand Prize takes a copy of Keep Color as well as the DAKINE Medic Street Series over-the-shoulder travel bag, a favorite of The Republic Tigers. It retails for $60 if that makes you want to win it even more.

So get ready to roll up your right pant leg and ride your fixie down to the Pure Luck cause here comes the CONTEST!

The last contest was easy, this contest is an education! We want you to be smart enough to put some books into your brand new bag. The Republic Tigers hail from Kansas City, close to our old neck of the woods. And knowing what Midwest pride is all about I have decided to show you 4 pieces of Kansas City Paraphernalia (spellcheck, are you sure thats how thats supposed to look?) and all YOU have to do is NAME WHAT IS PICTURED (click to enlarge) and you’ll be entered to win! Send your answers to contest@avanttrash.com and 2 winners will be drawn and quartered at random after the contests’ end at 11:59pm PST on Sunday, June 1st. Here we go:

1. SUBJECT: ARTS & HUMANITIES

2. SUBJECT: SPORTS

3. SUBJECT: CURRENT EVENTS

4. SUBJECT: HISTORY

BONUS: THE FUTURE

Good Luck and stay tuned for reviews and photos from a long Memorial Day weekend!

—–
*Your geographic areas, not your other areas.
Republic Tigers Tour Dates:
MAY
28 Mt. Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern
29 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 w/The Helio Sequence
30 Athens, GA - Center Stage Theatre #
31 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits #
JUNE
1 Orlando, FL - The Social #
2 Miami, FL - Studio A #
3 St. Petersburg, FL - State Theatre #
5 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge #
6 Memphis, TN - TBA #
7 St. Louis, MO - Bluebird #
8 Chicago, IL - Ribfest Chicago #
9 Indianapolis, IN - The Music Mill #
10 Columbus, OH - The Basement #
11 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom & Tavern #
# w/ Nada Surf

**As heard on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl and wherever modern alternative rock radio knows whats good for them.

It sits on the charging dock all night, then dies on my way to work when I put it on shuffle. Or it just plain freezes until it’s connected to a power source again. What an asshole. I’ve had it for a few years, so I’m not exactly surprised that it’s nearing its end. The idea of not having one terrifies me in ways even I don’t understand. It’s like a security blanket, and it’s a great excuse to ignore people, plus I really enjoy having a soundtrack to my life. But cripes, I’m not sure if I have an extra few hundred to shell out for a new one. intr0vert says I should wait until the next generation iPhone comes out.

But the thought of my iPod completely giving up before then is enough to give me nightmares.

I just sold my Zune mp3 player. For practically nothing. Granted, my mom won it in a drawing, so I shouldn’t complain. I’d even consider using it if I still had a PC. I don’t quite understand the negative stigma attached to the Zune-I know it’s no iPod, but I didn’t mind it when I still used it.

This is definitely not high up on my concerns/priorities list, survival being at the top of course. But it certainly is the icing on the shitcake that is my life these days. Wah, right? If my life soundtrack was on, it’d be playing Travis’ “Why does it always rain on me?”.

Ouch, that’s emo.

A few months back I predicted the winners of 2008. Now LAist is drinking my Kool-Aid with a story about Hotel Cafe records’ first release Jim Bianco. You can go read whatever they wrote or just take my word for it 2 months ago. BTW the record jacket is sub-par and you can call me when you want some pro-class work done.

They mention jumbo’s clown room in the interview which AliUptown and I recently visited and its really not much to boast about. But we’ll forgive a couple of girls because we are pretty sure they are preschool teachers during the daytime.

I haven’t done a food post in a while. So after seeing Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s in the far away land of Echo Park tonight (Thanks for the ride back Shawn, Ollie and Brad) I made it back to Hollywood to catch a rare acoustic performance by The Used. And after a drinking a couple PBR’s at a nearby party to forget that last event I stopped by a hotdog purveyor just north of cherokee (or some shit) to be sure to try every shitty hot dog vendor in Hollywood. I tried arab Jay’s Hot Dog tonight and they don’t even come close to the little latino ladies’ wieners. And it took forever! So now you know. Or just go to Pink’s. At 3am its not that long of a line as the bar rush will have died down.

Or just drink a glass of water and go the fuck to bed like you probably should.

3 Reviews, Photos and a Contest coming in the next couple days.

2 winners have been drawn from the 27 correct entries for the Elvis Costello Momofuku contest!

The grand prize winner of the Elvis Costello Vinyl LP is Jim Schaefer of Kannapolis, NC who says, “Wooooo…hooooooo.Thanks so much intr0vert! Avanttrash always rocks, always did, and always will! Thanks again.”
The winner of the Elvis Costello CD is Brenda Helgeson from Cotton Grove, OR who was drawn first but opted for the CD. She says, “omg! i love this win, i’m such a huge fan. thank you very much.”

Thanks to everyone who entered!
The Answers were: 1. Costello, 2. Costello, 3. Presley, 4. Costello.
The Answers to the Bonus Dealbreaker Questions were: Elvis Costello interrupted “Less Than Zero” on SNL to play “Radio, Radio” and went on to Interrupt the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” to play “Radio, Radio” with the boys as his backing band. Both winners got this right!

A couple people were kinda clueless and didn’t recognize #1 and 4 as Mr. Costello. I was looking for this seriously haggard photo of him playing in a gold bedazzled baseball cap, visibly overweight and bearded in the late-80s/early-90s from SNL or Letterman.

We will have another contest starting up this week so keep checking back and keep the comments coming! I’m super jealous to everyone who has tickets to the Police/Elvis Costello show at the Hollywood Bowl just a couple blocks away next week. If you have an extra let me know and I’ll let you park in my space!

Dear Joan Jett and Prince,

Not many people can pull off purple but you both do so beautifully, Congratulations.  I would like to know, Is bisexuality the fountain of youth? I think that if you two had a baby it would live to be 150 years old and would die looking 60 at the most. And if it held a guitar it would simultaneously give boners and moistness to everyone that laid eyes upon it without playing a note. Better yet, you should have a hot set of wonder twins. And tell them it’s ok to make out cause we will want to see that anyway.

Sincerely,
intr0vert

I was watching something really stupid on YouTube and in the video cue there was Joan Jett’s version of “Do You Wanna Touch Me” from 1982 so I had to watch it and she really doesn’t look that much different even though it’s been 26 years since that came out. Of course i had to Wiki her age because my internal calculations were telling me that she had to be a teenager when she was with the Runaways in the late 70’s and still doesnt look nearly 40 but logically had to be at least 45 and I found out that she was born in 1958! She will be 50 years old in September!

And It made me think of equally ageless Mr. Purple. AliUptown and I have had the pleasure of seeing both immortals live in the last few years and they of course have barely lost a step or forged a wrinkle. Prince Rogers Nelson, for the record will be 50 on June 7th. Were they dumping fluoride in the great lakes in 1958? Or has nobody reminded them that human beings typically age.

Sorry there was no insight to this post, just an observation.