Sunny pop to cure your Winter blues.

Sunny pop to cure your Winter blues.

A few years ago The Icicles' "Rock And Roll Girl" came across my path and found its way into a bunch of DJ sets at the time. And then I kind of forgot about them. Well, what should pop in my inbox but a few tracks from their just released Arrivals & Departures CD.

I know I said earlier that my recommendations shouldn't be trusted today, but believe me when I state the following with clear mind and steady voice: You need to download the track below. It's super shiny-bright pop that is perfectly suited to blow away the last vestiges of winter that seem to be hanging so tenaciously on here in the Midwest. If you dig stuff like The Primitives, or just generally adore girl-group pop like I do, then this should hit your sweet spot right well.

MP3: The Icicles "La Ti Da"

So is this Imus' fault too?

So is this Imus' fault too?

New Jersy governor in critical condition due to crash suffered on his way to meeting Imus.

An aside, when I lived in NJ we used to get Imus' show, and even back then I thought the dude was a douche. I'm less surprised at the furor over his remarks that got him fired and more surprised that they kept him on the air for so long when he has a history of being a racist asshole.

About last night ...

About last night ...

I was gonna do a Friday Five, but trust me when I say that this morning my sensibilities are far enough off that I shouldn't be recommending music to ANYONE. You know it was a good time LAST NIGHT when one of the DJs has to leave in order to make it home before the pink elephants start dancing in front of his eyes. (I'm not saying who, but he might be 6'2" with Jesus hair ...)

From what I do remember though, both Rudy and Sean did a fantabulous job DJing last night.

And we had what in the '80s vernacular might be referred to as a "crowded house."

Much thanks to my other two Bomb Squadders, JB and Lisa, for showing up and offering support in the form of dancing and drinking ... two things that go great with Liar's Club.

Okay, enough kudos, time for me to go make the donuts ... oh yeah, and shut up, I've got this thing about Party Of Five ...

Bomb Squad Thursday ... this one's for Kurt (both of them)!

Bomb Squad Thursday ... this one's for Kurt (both of them)!


Tonight the girls are stepping out of the booth for a spell to allow our two guests, Rudy Tuesday and Vinyl Ritchie, to join me for the evening. Last week there was dancing and drinking and general in(s)anity. Lots of folks walked out with Death Proof swag and a grand time was had by all.

Let's step it up a notch this week, shall we?

We've got CDs and other stuff to give away from Klaxons in advance of their Chicago stop over the next few days. I've got the new Avril Lavigne so let's see how far I can get into a song off that disc before Haggerty launches over the bar and digs my eyes out with his thumbs. Last week we saw a fair number of Lincoln Park types come in, a bunch of goths ventured down from their upstairs lair, and everyone had a good time, so if that ain't proof that the night appeals the EVERYBODY then I don't know what is.

Plus, some girl pulled her boob out in the DJ booth while I was spinning and I totally missed it ... that's how focused I am on the job of delivering killer tunes to the crowd.

Remember that time I met Kurt Vonnegut?

Remember that time I met Kurt Vonnegut?

I'll never forget the time Kurt Vonnegut was doing a radio show upstairs from the Starbucks my girlfriend at the time was working. (This was 1991 or '92 in Chicago and Starbucks were still pretty exotic.) Anyway, she mentioned I was a fan to his handler when they were getting some coffee, and when I showed up I was told Vonnegut would come down to meet me. So I sat and prepped and practiced my lines (because at the time Vonnegut was like a god to me) and when he finally showed up, he burst through the door and said, "Okay, who's the boyfriend that wants to meet me." Everyone froze and turned to look at me. I kind of mumbled, "I am." Vonnegut just looked at me and said, "That's it? No autograph or anything?"

And I just couldn't do anything other than shake my head no. I think maybe, maybe, I was able to pull myself together enough to shake his hand.

I've never been as starstruck by anyone since ...

Lolla line-up?

Lolla line-up?

I'm not sure how legit this is, and I'll report on the confirmed line-up tomorrow at Chicagoist, but if this is anything close to the truth I'm going to be a very happy boy this summer!

Pearl Jam, Daft Punk, Ben Harper, Muse, Iggy & The Stooges, Modest Mouse, Interpol, My Morning Jacket, Satellite Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snow Patrol, The Roots, Patti Smith, Kings Of Leon, The Black Keys, Regina Spektor, Spoon, Lupe Fiasco, TV On The Radio, Pete Yorn, G. Love, Paolo Nutini, Amy Winehouse, LCD Soundsystem, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Silverchair, Femi Kuti, Yo La Tengo, Hold Steady, Jack's Mannequin, Stephen Marley, STS9, MIA, Slightly Stoopid, Blonde Redhead, Sparklehorse, Sean Lennon, !!!, Blue October, Son Volt, Motion City Soundtrack, Polyphonic Spree, Peter Bjorn & John, Silversun Pickups, CSS, The Rapture, The Wailers, Roky Erickson, Tapes N Tapes, Heartless Bastards, The View, The Cribs, The Fratellis, Ghostland Observatory, Tokyo Police Club, Rhymefest, Soulive, Cold War Kids, Annuals, Fields, Electric Six, Jim Noir, Elvis Perkins, Sam Roberts, Black Angels, Charlie Musselwhite, Aqueduct, Juliette & The Licks, Dios, Viva Voce, David Vandervelde, Los Campesinos!, Chin Up Chin Up, Ryan Shaw, Colour Revolt, Satin Peaches, Illinois, Arckid, Mickey Avalon, The 1900s, Bang Bang Bang, Bound Stems, High Class Elite Carey Ott, Matt Roan

Only one problem ... where is DJ Tankboy on that list?!

UPDATE: Looks like The Onion's A.V. Club is the source, so I'm guessing this info is accurate. Fuck yeah!

ANOTHER UPDATE: I've learned that a number of print publications had this info due to full-page ads going out this week. So that begs the question: Is that where Josh Modell got his info? If so, that seems awfully sketchy to me.

FINAL UPDATE: He got the info from the full-page ads Lolla booked with Time Out magazine ... not thinking that subscriber's issues would be delivered the day before the press conference!

Now I know why so many promo CDs never make it to my house, and why my Economist is often a week late!

Now I know why so many promo CDs never make it to my house, and why my Economist is often a week late!

"Chicago is my No.1 priority because it has the worst mail delivery service in the country," [U.S. Postmaster General John E.] Potter told the Tribune, after private meetings and briefings with top postal officials in Chicago.

Does this mean I'll actually start getting my mail? Because that would be awesome.

Dumber than Dumb.

Dumber than Dumb.

While I feel badly about the abuse that was heaped on, and then freaked out, Kathy Sierra, I have to say that the whole idea of a blogger code of conduct sort of goes against everything that's good about the 'net and blogging and all that.

Wait, let me modify that last sentence. It doesn't "sort of" go against all that, it COMPLETELY goes against all that.

I mean, c'mon.

In happier news, I see freedom of speech has at least won one recent court battle.

A creeping fear is in my ears.

A creeping fear is in my ears.

So Photogal comes up to me yesterday and tells me that the pair of iPod headphones I loaned her months ago has finally broken. Keep in mind these headphones were the ones that came with my original 3G iPod (the original tankPOD) that I got years and years ago. So I gave her the pair I've been using (also a 3G back-up pair) and finally broke out the 'phones that came with one of my snazzy brand new iPods a few months ago.

And I immediately noticed the sonic difference.

Where before I had a nice bass tone, distinct high-end, and silence when nothing was playing; now I have hiss when there's silence and a sonic spectrum that can only be described as flat.

I understood when Apple stopped including cases and power adapters and all those other little amenities that came with the original couple of generations, but now that they're scrimping on items I consider rather integral to the whole purpose an iPod is supposed to serve, I am growing even more worried that my little four-month-old models will have a much reduced life-span than one would expect for a luxury item that's supposed to be at the forefront of technological innovation.

As a point of reference, I still have my 3G iPod, and while it's battery life is ridiculously short when compared to the newer models, it is still functioning. I can still count on it. It was built securely and with great care. Is that no longer the case with the newer models? Are they like a pair of jeans that is designed to break down relatively quickly in order to spur an upgrade? I sure hope not.

I'm still knocking on wood and hoping that the complaints I hear about Apple's quality control with the iPods are merely the voices of an unlucky few amplified by the echo chamber that is internet opinion. I'm hoping that my little tankPOD and diPOD v2.0s are still running strong this time next year.

But I have to admit, the sound in my ears doesn't fill me with confidence.

Jesus Harvey, give it some time to grow!

Jesus Harvey, give it some time to grow!

From Page Six:

Harvey Weinstein is so disappointed in the $11.6 million opening weekend gross for "Grindhouse" ... he's considering re-releasing each film ... separately in longer versions, the way they'll play in foreign markets and on DVD. "I don't think people understood what we were doing," Weinstein told Page Six. "The audience didn't get the idea that it is two movies for the price of one. I don't understand the math, but I want to accommodate the audience." He said the main deterrent to ticket buyers is the length, which "becomes a time commitment."

Um, it's only opening weekend, but this displays one of the main fucking problems with the studios today, since they seem to think a movie's entire fate depends on the opening weekend's gross. Sure, I can see how that number is all important for shitty blockbusters that really NEED to make a shit-load of dough right away before word gets out that the flick stinks, but I really don't think it's fair to apply this viewpoint across the board. Plus, Harvey, just because you overspent on promotion does not mean this particular flick was ever going to attract a totally mainstream audience, so get that thought out of your head right now.

I haven't seen Grindhouse yet, and believe me I'm chomping at the bit to do so, because I just didn't have time last weekend. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see it later this week or next weekend, but I really DO want to see it all in one piece ... so hold off chopping it in half and redistributing it for at least another week or two, okay Harv?

Somethin' about today ... can't put my finger on it ...

Somethin' about today ... can't put my finger on it ...

After an unusually busy schedule last week I find myself at a bit of a loss right now. It's been a quiet few days. Actually, mentally, I'm sort of just standing under a tree in a shady grove twiddling my thumbs absentmindedly and, some might say, somewhat contentedly. I can readily admit that I grow nostalgic for my old schedule (working primarily at night while still being functional but largely without a fixed schedule during the day), but after a few days of non-stop work I can also readily admit that my older frame isn't really built for such abuse anymore.

(This was certainly driven home when my Saturday, a day I had set aside as a day I could be largely useless and lazy and recharge my batteries, was hijacked by bad weather. I say hijacked because Photogal was SUPPOSED to be working on her new racing motorcycle with some pals, leaving me blissfully in peace, but the crap weather scuppered those plans and left her with nothing to do. This is never a good thing when all I want to do is be lazy. Suffice to say my Saturday was spent productively, much to my (and my poor aching body and mind's) chagrin.)

That was a few days ago, though, and this is now. So let's allow today to just sort of blend into the ... what? Wait a -- I think I might have an even better explanation for my "happily relaxed" state o' mind today.

Do you know what today IS?

Why it's my one-year anniversary at my job!

Just think, a year ago today I was doing the happy dance up and down my block because I would never have a two-hour commute ahead of me again. Well, at least not for as long as I worked where I do now, and -- knock on wood -- I don't see that situation changing anytime in the near future. A year ago today I started at a company populated with a bunch of folks I have yet to grow dissatisfied with, and took a position that I enjoy even more now than I did then.

I'm a lucky guy.

Ow! PICKLE!

Well, I'm a lucky guy when the kitten isn't sinking her teeth and claws into my ankle. Excuse me, I think I need a band-aid.

Happy jobiversary, Tankboy!

Awesome Jimmy Johns photo by Rachelle ... and no, I don't work at Jimmy Johns, it's just a funny picture!

Chicago hates motorcycles.

Chicago hates motorcycles.

Well, one could be forgiven for thinking that the city is only friendly to man-driven bikes, considering the new parking regulations they want motor-driven cycles to follow. The article says, "Motorcycle and scooter riders will be required to park "perpendicular to the curb" -- or as close to 90 degrees as possible -- under an ordinance advanced Monday to ease Chicago's notorious parking crunch."

I may as well just take a sledgehammer to Photogal's bike now, since any car passing a bike that's sticking out in the road like that is sure to bump the bike and sen it toppling exhaust pipe over handlebars.

Win a Klaxons prize pack!

Win a Klaxons prize pack!

We've arranged for some cool Klaxons stuff to be given away at Chicagoist so enter now. And read what we have to say about the band and where you can see them in Chicago (doing a Free YR Radio event) even if you don't have tickets to their sold-out show at Schuba's!

I love writing for Chicagoist.

Rivers Schwartzman?

Rivers Schwartzman?

Jason Schwartzman's back in the music biz, it seems, under the moniker of Coconut Records. He bops around genres quite a bit on his debut but it's be safe to consider his stuff rock and/or pop. He's got a little electronic disco tune, a song that would've fit perfectly on any one of Phantom Planet's discs, and -- most surprisingly -- some kick ass anthemic rock a la Weezer.

The disc appears to only be available as a download (easiest sources: eMusic and iTunes) so I'm guessing Schwartzman is going the whole one-man-band thing 100% solo and sans label (for the time being), which I think is laudable. This is especially noteworthy since his disc isn't just the self-indulgent work of yet another actor turned musician; instead Coconut Records' debut is a fine work by a musician occasionally detoured by the odd acting gig.

MP3: Coconut Records "Back To You"

I ♥ Google Maps

I ♥ Google Maps.

Software companies with a sense of humor are très sexy. Click on the image below and take the whole thing in to see why.

Two discs of unreleased Fig Dish?!

Two discs of unreleased Fig Dish?!

Chip has finally (officially) put the ol' Swizzle Stick site to rest, but he's starting up a new venture at Atomic Ned. Expect periodic updates, reviews of female-lef pop-rock bands, and other nuggets of pure Chip-ness that don't end up over at donewaiting.

To get things started off with a bang he's offering a download of two discs worth of unreleased Fig Dish demos ... this is the stuff the band was working on to find another label after being dropped by A&M ... material some Chicagoans (Keep!) claim is some of Fig Dish's best work.

So get thee on over to Atomic Ned, download the tracks, and then thank Chip for making 'em available!

LCD Trousersnake.

LCD Trousersnake.

So I played that Diplo remix of "My Love" last night and I CAN NOT get the Timberlake / LCD Soundsystem juxtaposition out of my head. Even the Lily Allen cover of "Oh My God" isn't doing it.

Here, you should totally suffer too ...

MP3: Justin Timberlake "My Love (Diplo Remix)"

... and now, the failed antidote ...

MP3: Mark Ronson "Oh My God (feat. Lily Allen)"

Success!

Success!

Last night was insane. So let's just bullet point while I regain my senses.

• I am currently digging just about everything crossing my desk from Anthology Recordings.
  
  They specialize in bringing super rare and out-of-print stuff (like the most excellent psych masterpiece by D.R. Hooker that usually sells for an easy grand) into the hands of everyone. Their super niche catalog makes total sense when you consider that they are an ALL DIGITAL reissue label! What a concept. I love it. I'm in the middle of a longer piece showcasing a couple specific discs they've handled so far, but head on over and check out the awesome collection for yourself.


• Who is Nikki?! I'm 100% sure this is a bit and not a "real life situation," but it's pretty funny.


• NooooOOOOoooOOOO! Please; Sting, Andy, and Stewart, do NOT record a new album.


• Why is there a picture of Brittany Murphy up there? Why not?

Holy moly, I almost forgot! (Not really, but I'm going for dramatic effect here, so shut up.) I've got ANOTHER show tonight! How busy can a Tankboy be? Pretty damn busy!* It's going to be hard to top last night, but if anything can do it, it's this line-up!


Wa-wa-wee-wa!

*Weird how these things hit, time-wise, huh? I mean I'll go weeks and weeks with barely anything going on, and then I'll hit a week-long stretch with too too fucking much going on! But it's been a fun week, so I'm glad I've been pushing myself ... the rewards have been way worth it. Okay, i'm signing off for reals because I just notice how much abuse I've been putting the exclamation mark through.

The Bomb Squad ... we're taking over Thursday nights!

The Bomb Squad ... we're taking over Thursday nights!


We've gotten tired of everyone in this city trying to promote their night as a "rock and roll dance party" while totally forgetting the rock and roll, or trying to claim their electro or house nights are filled with "rock attitude." To these platitudes we say; Whatever.

The Bomb Squad is here to show the kids what it's really about. While many claim to spin an eclectic mix, while actually leaning heavy on the hip-hop or electro beats, we mean it. In our house Run D.M.C., The Misfits, Justice, David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, The New York Dolls, Jack White, The Rapture , James Brown, and Bad Brains literally rub elbows on the dance floor. If it's good, we'll play it, and you can dance to it.

The Bomb squad is populated by three Chicago based DJs: June Cleavage, Amber Waves, and DJ Tankboy. June Cleavage and Amber Waves made their name together with a dancetastic residency at The Pontiac, and DJ Tankboy has been spinning in countless Chicago clubs since 1995.

This trio has come together to claim Thursday nights at Liar's Club as their own. The core threesome will be holding down residency duties from week to week, while welcoming a slew of special guest DJs to help hold down the fort and fill the floor.

Time Out Chicago has even designated us a critic's choice this week and says, "This new weekly sounds hypereclectic, but interesting. If you can hang with Run D.M.C., Misfits, Justice and James Brown in one set, it's all yours."

It's on!

DJ tankPOD has skillz.

DJ tankPOD has skillz.

I decided to take it easy and let tankPOD man the mixing between bands last night, and I think he did a fine job, don't you? (Click to enlarge for easier readability.)


Speaking of the last night, The Stock Market Crash aroused my ire by playing a show at Schuba's the night before the show I booked for them here, but I forgave all once they started playing. Live, they came across as a cross between Suede and Joy Division with a healthy does of Killers-esque pop. I had no idea what to expect from them, but now I can't wait until they come through town again so I can expose them to some more people.

MP3: The Stock Market Crash "Bringing Knives To A Gunfight"