:: MISANTHROPES MAKE THE BEST PARTY PEOPLE ::

(Rated X the party at Don Hill's in NYC)

Have you seen the new Nada Surf music video featuring a bike messenger in NYC? The messenger in question is former Adventures of Pete and Pete star Mike Maronna, who is also a member of the NYC bike community. I remember seeing him at many Critical Mass rides and doing the "why does that guy look familiar?" thing. It's a pretty nice video, good cinematography that captures the fluidity of riding without the nausea that can sometimes accompany it's transference to film. And for those track-o-philes out there, yes this is another example of fixed gear bikes in the mainstream. Get out your doomsday checklist.

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MP3:

I hung out with Mr. White Williams over the holidays. Mainly because Joe (that's his real name) went to the same high school I did and was friends with my little sister. So we saw a fair bit of "Little Joe Williams", as my Mom likes to call him. He talked about the whirlwind he's been on since an album he made for fun and never intended to perform live has gotten so popular, and about some of the exciting touring he has lined up for 2008. It was weird to hear this person I've known as a funny young lil' kid talk about such grown up things. But it was also awesome.

- White Williams - New Violence

A band's place in myspace.

:: IN THIS CORNER... ::

I spent last Friday night at a bingo hall in Brooklyn watching a sold-out "professional" wrestling match. The event was sponsored by Boy Scout Troop #996 and sold hamburgers for $1.50. The air was heavy with greasy smoke, tension and jubliation.

Lucifer Darkside was a vicious winner of one of the first matches.

Lucious Lance pummels his opponent. Because of Lance's drag queen outfit, the crowd began chanting, "YOU - ARE - GAY!"

The fans getting anxious.

Down for the count.

The Vampire took a beating by Creeper.

The Southerner was an instant villian wearing a noose and a Confederate flag T-shirt.

Boricua, the Puerto Rican favorite, gets locked in a hold by the Southerner.

Boricua prevails to the excitement of the crowd.

She wasn't a fan of the Southerner.

The winner of a previous match signs autographs.

AC Smooth and Grindal left their marks.

The final match was between Tiberious and the favorite, a 425 pounder called MadDog. They fought in a steel cage.

Tiberious's flying antics were not match for MadDog's size.

MadDog took on two more rogue opponents after defeating Tiberious and still reigned victorious.

And the crowd went wild.

Click to see a slideshow of the event.

:: ROLLIN WITH THE SISSY PATROL ::

(photos from the fifth annual Idiotarod race in NYC, more photos here)

:::

NYC IDIOTAROD 2008 WINNERS

Best in Show: Danger Zone

Best Bribery: Fake Work

Best Sabotage:

1. Cobra

2. Gnome Camp

3. Carticus

Purple Heart Award:

1. Burt Reynold's Mustache

2. Hair Cult for Men

3. Culture Club/ 7 Deadly Sins tied

Most surprising completion of the race despite an unwieldy course:

1. Colonel Angus

2. Cold Master Union

3. Taste the Rainbow

Best Industrial Design: WWF

Other Awards

Most Spirit: No Sheep Til Brooklyn

Most Sweetness: Taste the Rainbow

Best Recruitment of new members along the course: SaKKred Cow (Kostume Kult)

Cart with the most miles: CROC Hunter

Keeping it Surreal: Easy Listening

Made me feel old and bored: Internet Meme

If you are going to throw something how about dried corn: The Amish

Most unlikely to bring their mom: Mad Max

Best Loss of Security Deposit: Chefs

TV reference award: Arrested Development

Fabulous so Gay and we love you for it: The Bedazzlers

Best Cobra Cart: Cobra Evan

Best Judge/ Lifetime Achievement award: Mo

Stole the most stuff: Robbers in the Temple

Most persistent: La Jodida Muerte

Best name change when Pirates became against the rules: The Angry Whores

:::

Ever tried to cover up the holes in the bottom of your sneakers with duct tape? Does not work.

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MP3:

Here's a Green Day cover by some guy with the worst wig ever and his friend Florence.

- Lightspeed Champion And Florence - Scattered

A band's place in myspace.

:: THEY'RE DESTROYING MY HOME SO YUPPIES CAN BREED ::

David Lynch has a thought about watching movies on the new iPhone.

And good stuff coming up. . .

:::

(Dance party:)

SHAKE THAT ASS!
(a dance party)
Brought to you by Chief Mag

DJ Rev. McFly
DJ TeenWolf
DJ Dirty Finger

Thursday, Jan. 24th
@ Galapagos
70 N. 6th & Wythe/Kent

10pm doors
$5
2 for 1 vodka drinks from 11pm

:::

(Costumed race of crazy people:)

IDIOTAROD 2008

The Iditarod is the famous long-distance race in which yelping dogs tow a sled across Alaska. The IDIOTAROD is pretty much the same thing, except that instead of dogs, it's people, instead of sleds, it's shopping carts, and instead of Alaska it's New York City.

The fifth annual event happens January 26, 2008. Teams of five will race for cash prizes and glory.

:::

(Random punk-rock-ness in a record store:)

TEAM SPIDER's kickin' it off w/ a FREE, LIVE, (rare) IN-STORE appearance...
(expect Record-Bin stage diving, underage drinking, and more...)

---STORE: P@s$0ut Re(ords , brooklyn
--------ADDRESS: 131 Grand Street (btw. Bedford and Berry)
-----------TIME: 5-8 pm in the Afternoon!
--------------Team Spider TIME: ( T.B.A.... probably 5:45pm, or later... will update myspace when we know!)
------------------Transpo: L TRAIN [Bedford Stop] or !Ride yer F'ing Bike! ;-)
---------------------C0$T: FREE!

===============BANDS:===============================
=The Pigs ( fun energetic punky stuff from T.S.'s own <> and his Bronx Chums and Chum'ettes)
==Team Spider ( NYC's original Ska-core Art Punks...spreadin' the Bike-Core Reality... sucka )
===G.S.D. ( we have no idea who they are.. sorry)
====The Mercy Killers. (Drunk, psycotic state,"matracide rock")
====================================================

12noon,Doors Open!, ((( buy some vinyl / remember what is was like 2 hang in a cool record store ! )))
5PM "The Pigs": kick off the Live Muz(a)k
Team Spider: ???time
8PM. Show OVER !! you missed it sucka.
Admission: FREE. People are allowed to drink there by bringing their own drinksssssssssssssss.

:::

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MP3:

No idea where I came across this, but I like it. . .

- The Tallest Man On Earth - Walk The Line

A band's place in myspace.

:: TALK TO STRANGERS, MAKE FRIENDS ::

Last week someone left me a good comment on lovebryan about my pictures of "self-absored, shallow hipsters." And followed it up with:

"But the fuck you care, right Coltrane? Because you pricks are young, rich, and good-looking (for the most part). So you can all go to hell."

I appreciated the feedback and took some time to think about who I spend my time with, the fuck I don't care, and that I should download some more John Coltrane. That's when I realized that I hang out with a gang of ex-cons that live in the projects of East Williamsburg more than any individual, beloved albeit "hipster" friend of mine. I've been working on a story about a former drug dealer named J. And while I'm not prepared to share his story here right now, I will post some outtakes that I've gathered while hanging out with J and his friends.

We spend most of our time in front of a bodega on Stagg Street. Some men talk business as an unwanted police van drives by.

Hustle, J's dog, used to hang out on the corner a lot until J gave him to his cousin to keep in his backyard.

Mikey just got locked up for a year. He's spent 22 years of his life in prison so one year ain't shit. He's crazy but the gun isn't real.

Mikey found some firecrackers.

I think Harriel got locked up too. People seem to come and go a lot in this neighborhood. He's the goofball. Dancing to Biz Markie on the car stereo.

J's been like a bad older brother to me. I've learned a lot from him over the past few months. Streetwise.

Waving at the adult short bus.

J loves this little guy but says he's slow in the head.

This is for walking around at night. His wife carries the other side.

One of the many fine products offered by the local bodega.

J's wife prays to this.

They make money running a car wash from the hydrant on warm days.

Mikey boxes a tree using a sparring glove he found on the street.

Santi enjoys a frosty malt beverage in the mid-morning sun.

Beer trumpt.

This is my crew. Good guys that made some bad decisions.

For whatever reason, Santi has no teeth.

Good thing too because J would smack the teeth out of Santi's head if there were any left.

:: LEAD SLOT IN THE LOSERS BRIGADE ::

(Modern Bummer performing at Lost and Found in Greenpoint, more photos here. I also took photos at the Vivian Girls show earlier that night, gallery here)

Wow. That was a fun show. Wow.

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MP3:

This band played with Modern Bummer and kind of killed it. And then they covered the Clash, so you knew they were going to end up on here.

- The Menzingers - Straight To Hell

A band's place in myspace.

:: MASTER OF MAKING DO ::

(Ted Leo and Brother Ali performing at the Highline Ballroom in NYC)

Um, this is pretty damn bizarre.

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MP3:

Even the subtle ones are bangers.

- Japanther - Energy

A band's place in myspace.

:: THEN COMES THE FURY OF THE LULLABY ::

Strange men and some friends. This is the last month's singles.

Spend some time with this one.

:: MEATHEADS ARE PEOPLE TOO ::

(Amateur Female Jello Wrestling)

I talk too much. Let's focus on fun things coming up:

:::

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

Stories about travel and far-away places. New Yorkers go all over the world but the city has a way of swallowing their homecomings. Orbit the earth and your friends just ask if you missed the pizza.

This homespun live talk show offers a chance for travelers to tell stories, to bring the world home and share it with the rest of us — travelers as well as those of us who don’t get out much.

Good kid Pauley hopped trains across Mexico, Anastasia Andino ended up with her own monkey in Thailand, and Omer Shah came out at home and ended up on Haj in Mecca. Interviews by Jeff Stark. Gorgeous slideshows tightly edited and mercifully short.

Wednesday, January 16th
Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen Street, Manhattan
7-8:30p; $5 suggested donation

:::

MODERN BUMMER
(punk rock super group featuring members of the Ka-Nives, the Goddamn Rattlesnake, Dynamite Arrows and Amanda Noa among others)
THE MEASURE
MENZINGERS
BASEMENT BLACK
THE YOUNG HEARTS

Friday, January 18th
Lost and Found Bar
113 Franklin Street at Greenpoint Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
fuckin' free

:::

ABC NO RIO Punk/Hardcore Matinee

END OF A YEAR (upstate ny tunes for punks to dance to)
YOUNG HEARTS (brooklyn fists up posi-punk!)
IN FIRST PERSON (relentless jersey melodic hc)
DEAD DOGS (winnipeg hardcore punx)
REJOUISSANCE (brooklyn acousti-punk)

Saturday, January 19th
ABC No Rio
156 Rivington Street, NYC
3pm; $6

:::

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MP3:

This song is almost equally as annoying as it is good. Walk the fine line.

- The Coathangers - Don't Touch My Shit

A band's place in myspace.

:: THAT FRESH JUST-GOT-OUT-OF-JAIL LOOK ::

(The Dropkick Murphys are really nice guys)

It's a new year, and I've been taking is slow slipping back into the barrage. But that's all about to change soon. To start it off I hung out with the Dropkick Murphys when they were in town to tape a segment for the Letterman show. I'm pretty sure it airs tomorrow night, Tracy Morgan's interview is pretty damn funny too ("Stay off the dope!"). They were really nice stand-up guys, even when I was asking them to do dumb stuff.

Also a friend of mine recently relaunched his clothing brand's website, Death/Traitors. It's still all about that "3D Death" shirt.

AND Jah Jah (the guy I always have photos of crowd surfing) in the new NINJASONIC MUSIC VIDEO!

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MP3:

This band is an offspring of one of my favorite bands, S.T.R.E.E.T.S. from Vancouver. As you can hear, they've kept all the good stuff.

- Children - Advanced Mind Control

A band's place in myspace.

:: THE NIGHT THE ODOMETER ROLLED OVER ::

I hear New Years in NYC can be a nightmare. But we took it easy and went to an adult party followed by a kid party in our neighborhood in Brooklyn. Sandy says SF was really fun though. See how God rewarded you for all your unsavory goodtimes? Floods. Next time you guys have more fun than us in NY, it's locusts. Mark my words.

:: UNHOLY COMMUNION ::

Demassek and Hightower played Cakeshop in LES just before New Years. It was like a Robstock reunion.

:: I WAS BORN BY THE RIVER IN A LITTLE TENT ::

It's a strange way to reflect on a period of time, but I've assembled a slideshow of my favorite photos of 2007. Unlike the one I made for 2006, this was much less about the events and more about the pictures. I don't know if that means life is getting duller or pictures are getting better. Either way, I'm ready for 2008 'cause a change is gonna come.