Ironic Twist

2007-04-03T14:44:00.000-04:00

In case the barren past few months didn't tip you off, I just haven't been motivated to post lately. I've been DJing, going to shows, listening to new bands, dancing, reading, going to the movies and of course watching too much TV. But somehow none of that made it onto here.During the time I haven't posted, Hej Hej returned with a vengeance. Lots of actual Scandinavians showed up at our January

2007-01-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

I stopped by iPod Jukebox on Wednesday with an all-Swedish set: [ingenting] - "Punkdrömmar" (MP3)Je t'aime mon amour - "My HoneySugarBabyLady" (MP3)Loveninjas - "I Wanna Be Like Johnny C" (MP3)My Darling YOU! - "Taxidriver"I'm loving "Punkdrömmar" in particular. Many of the Swedish bands I come across are lo-fi and/or twee, but this [ingenting] track sounds like The Bravery decided to record a

2007-01-05T12:47:00.000-05:00

Oh no, 1/4 of ABBA is in trouble! From IMDb: ABBA Star Ordered To Pay $2.1 Million In TaxFormer ABBA star Bjorn Ulvaeus has been order to pay 16 million kronor ($2.1 million) in undeclared royalties by Swedish tax officials. The "Dancing Queen" hitmaker is accused of tax evasion, with officials believing Ulvaeus siphoned his royalty payments into a Netherlands-based construction company. Victor

2007-01-03T15:16:00.000-05:00

A giant thank you to everyone who made our final bluestate a huge success. The crowd was fantastic from the time doors opened to the moment Kyle's last song ended. It was the best ending I could have imagined, and I'm still finding blue confetti in the strangest places. My photos are up, and setlists will be up as soon as I get them from my fellow DJs.Next for me is Hej Hej. Here are a few songs

2006-12-28T10:07:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night, help us celebrate both a second anniversary and the end of an era: DJs: Leafblower, Seeking Irony and DCSOB (Chicago). Guest DJ: Ms. Gl*mrocker.

2006-12-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

How adorable is this flyer? The music will be equally adorable, I'm sure. I'm off to a DCFUD gathering tonight, but will try to stop by. It helps that I can now turn my head to the right.

2006-12-15T13:42:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, I celebrated St. Lucia Day with The Cricklewood Massive, playing some songs and wearing a crown of (battery-operated) candles for a bit. My iPod Jukebox set: The Hard Tomorrows - "Teenage Kicks" (download here)Maximo Park - "Isolation" Brett Anderson (The Donnas) - "California Sun" (from Brats On The Beat)Franz Ferdinand - "Well That Was Easy"Mika - "Relax" (MP3)If I'd stayed a bit

2006-12-13T17:23:00.000-05:00

Tonight: iPod Jukebox at Cafe Saint-Ex. 'Tis the season for "Last Christmas" covers. Listen to Hello Saferide's "I-Pod X-Mas" here.

2006-11-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

WeirdCurves, DJ Leafblower and I will be DJing.

2006-11-13T12:10:00.000-05:00

New music from Garbage? Yes, please. Ok, so it's only one song, but I'll take it. The band is releasing a best of compilation titled Absolute Garbage. There's no US release date yet, but it will be out in the UK on March 19. Absolute Garbage01. "Vow"02. "Queer"03. "Only Happy When It Rains"04. "Milk"05. "#1 Crush"06. "Push It"07. "I Think I'm Paranoid"08. "Special"09. "When I Grow Up"10. "You

2006-11-07T16:56:00.000-05:00

Breaking: Britney files for divorce. Irreconcilable differences, obviously. Despite everything, I still felt surprised when I first saw the headline (or more accurately, when my boss yelled out across the entire office "Britney Spears is filing for a divorce!"). I guess I really wanted those two crazy kids to make it... More here.

2006-11-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

The Hard Tomorrows recorded a cover of The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" for a movie. The Hard Tomorrows - "Teenage Kicks" (MP3)See them this Friday at the Black Cat (mainstage) with Shortstack (CD release) and These United States.Tonight: The O.C. is back.

2006-11-01T17:14:00.000-05:00

Five Four sent me a new song to share with you all: Five Four - "Alien Love Song" (MP3)They've also posted new versions of "Dream of You Dead" and "Let's Go," and promise that a song about tax codes is next.See them live on November 11 with The Vita Ruins, The Sentiment and The Dance Party at DC 9.Tonight: The last ever SALT at Cafe Saint-Ex. From Will Eastman: For 3 years, DJs Sad and Lonely

2006-10-31T21:57:00.000-05:00

Last night, I was one of the 150 or so lucky people who saw Beck perform on the Black Cat backstage. Kyle has photos and a write-up, including a partial setlist, over at DCist. I went to the Black Cat to have one drink with CS and Hugh, thinking that maybe, if I was lucky, I'd still be able to get a ticket for the surprise show -- I was a bit behind the curve when it came to the pre-show rumors,

2006-10-30T14:36:00.000-05:00

More details about November's bluestate coming soon.Update: Friday, November 17 is your next bluestate. We'll be at Gate 54 @ Cafe Saint-Ex.

2006-10-06T16:57:00.000-04:00

For the second week in a row, I have a visitor, but with my college BFF Ms. Rhinestone in town through Monday, that means saying "no" to tourism and "yes" to shoe shopping. But there are a few other things on our agenda (if we decide to take a break from shopping and watching bad movies, that is).Saturday: Middle Distance Runner at Velvet Lounge, playing The Dance Party, Ed Joseph and Brooklyn's

2006-10-05T11:56:00.000-04:00

What I did on my blogging hiatus... 1. Fall television. Now that summer is over, I'm back to being anti-social on weekday evenings. I haven't gotten into any of the new TV shows, but am loving the return of Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, House, Lost, and Veronica Mars. Especially Veronica Mars. 2. Tourism. A cousin from Israel visited last week as part of his first trip to North America,

2006-10-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've done a Le Sport update, so it's a shame that this one has to be a sad one: Le Sport are over. From their site: all good things must come to an end it's been two years and it has been so much fun but now, as leaves begin to fall, it is time to say good bye. since we started we have always put everything we had into our music and to everyone who downloaded it, bought it

2006-09-22T12:55:00.000-04:00

Why is there so much going on this Saturday?? It's overwhelming. I've already ruled out Virgin Festival (too much pushing for only a few bands I truly want to see). I've come to terms with the fact that I'm probably not going to make it to Rock & Roll Hotel to see The Hourly Radio. But now it looks like the two bands I definitely must see on Saturday night are both going on around the same time (

2006-09-20T16:48:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday, Jeanie!

2006-09-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to my loyal reader and friend KS and to her husband PW, who had their first baby together on Monday (two weeks earlier than expected)! The baby's initials are MEW, which tempts me to call her kitten. Because she's cute and cuddly, duh. She's beautiful, and I can't wait to go to Baltimore and hold her for the first time. KS is the first of my friends to have a baby, so this is

2006-09-14T10:43:00.000-04:00

Don't forget about Unbuckled 4.0 tonight! Bands, prizes, and bluestate!DCist previewed both bands, The Vita Ruins and Middle Distance Runner, yesterday. I've been listening to a Middle Distance Runner sampler CD and can't wait to see them tonight. DJ Leafblower, WeirdCurves and I will be spinning before, between and after the bands, so stop by the DJ booth and say hello.

2006-09-08T14:37:00.000-04:00

If shopping at Revolution Records for the last time made you sad, here's another chance to feel sad about shopping at Revolution Records one last time. Just when you thought your favorite Van Ness music shop had closed its doors, they've announced that the store is going to be open this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are still CDs, DVDs and vinyl to be bought, as well as some free CDs and

2006-09-08T14:20:00.000-04:00

And the winner of the South Park contest is... BV. He correctly answered the following questions: Q. What is the name of the South Park episode in which Radiohead appeared?A. "Scott Tenorman Must Die"Q. What is the name of Carman's pet pig?A. FluffyQ. Who sings the South Park theme song?A. PrimusQ. Where was Kyle's brother Ike born?A. CanadaQ. What is Butters' real name?A. Leopold

2006-09-06T14:12:00.000-04:00

See you on September 14: And... happy birthday to Mr. Thrown for a Loop!The Marie Antoinette soundtrack, out on October 10, will be a double album (via goldenfiddle).

2006-09-01T11:50:00.000-04:00

Wow, Vivienne Westwood's collection for Nine West is super fugly.Speaking of designer collections for non-designer stores, the Paul & Joe for Target bag I've been tracking for weeks sold out almost immediately at Target.com yesterday, so if you see it in your local Target and buy it for me, I will give you 10 free CDs (and pay you back for the bag, obviously). Here it is: Some weather-appropriate

2006-09-01T10:15:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to enter the South Park contest. The deadline is just a few days away.

2006-08-31T16:15:00.000-04:00

Today is a serious contender for longest. day. ever. There are only so many hours I can waste on celebrity gossip blogs. (And that's a very high number of hours, but it's less than 8.5, which is approximately how long I'm stuck at the office on slow days like today.) I got to read a book while everyone else was out of the office, but now that both bosses are back from meetings, I have to at least

2006-08-30T14:20:00.000-04:00

bluestate setlists (with some MP3s) and photos are now posted. Enjoy the downloads, and see you again soon!

2006-08-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

I can't check out Golem at The Red and The Black tonight, and that makes me sad. Golem perform "punked-up Jewish, Gypsy, and Slavic folk songs." Although I don't actually like klezmer music, I'm such a sucker for accordions. Must be the Eastern European in me.Golem - "Warsaw is Khelm" (MP3)Check out the “Warsaw is Khelm” video featuring Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls. If you go, please let me

2006-08-28T17:25:00.000-04:00

Almost forgot to mention: Full Minute of Mercury are playing at DC 9 tonight. Go. Get rocked.

2006-08-28T10:58:00.000-04:00

New contest! Win the eighth season of South Park, a three-disk set containing 14 episodes including "The Passion of the Jew." The winner also get a bonus: South Park anime trading cards (a tie-in to the "AWESOME-O" episode, of course). To enter, e-mail me the correct answers to the following five questions by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 4. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 5

2006-08-24T16:02:00.000-04:00

bluestate, bluestate, bluestate!DJ Leafblower, WeirdCurves and I are doing 20-minute rotations from 10:00 to close tonight. I've spent the day listenig to The Hourly Radio, Shiny Toy Guns, Ima Robot, Favourite Sons, Pony Up! and The Presets, so that should give you an idea of what you might hear.

2006-08-24T09:52:00.000-04:00

It's been more than a year since I discovered Johan Wahlgren on swedesplease, and his songs are in regular rotation on my iPod. I was on the Metro recently when "Don't Bite That Lip" came on and overwhelmed me. Just when I thought no one could rival Lasse Lindh when it comes to writing gorgeous songs about emotionally abusive relatonships, here it was:Johan Wahlgren - "Don't Bite That Lip" (MP3)

2006-08-23T14:26:00.000-04:00

You've seen Snakes on a Plane. (Hopefully, not at the theater in Phoenix where someone released two diamondback rattlesnakes during the movie.) You've learned what to do if you actually need to bring a snake on a plane. And now, you've won Seeking Irony's Snakes on a Plane soundtrack contest. Winner 1: The Governess, Pygmalion In A BlanketGirl, as if there is even any QUESTION who should get that

2006-08-21T16:29:00.000-04:00

If you announce a CD release party, you have to release a CD, right? After many delays and a projected release of "when we're all dead and gone," it looks like The Hard Tomorrows will actually release a CD in September, since the release party is scheduled for September 23 @ DC 9. The Hard Tomorrows - "Patterns" (MP3)The Hard Tomorrows - "Glossy Eyed Sweetheart" (MP3)The Hard Tomorrows - "There's

2006-08-18T17:35:00.000-04:00

But the sad part is that he was driving a 1995 Saturn.Snakes on a Plane, brilliant? According to this review, yes.

2006-08-18T13:54:00.000-04:00

Tonight: Dinner with Ms. EBD, then the Snakes on a Plane extravaganza with many of my favorite bloggers. Don't forget, you have until 11:59 p.m. on August 21 to tell me why you should win the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack contest.Saturday: Pilates class, Restaurant Week lunch at Galileo with Ms. gl*mrocker, a trip to IKEA to return some shelves, and Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players at Iota.

2006-08-16T12:33:00.000-04:00

Photo credit: Kim Carney. Used with permission.

2006-08-15T16:07:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday to my BFF Aaron!He's going on a whirlwind, two-week birthday tour. Catch him at bluestate on Thursday, August 24, at Gate 54.

2006-08-11T10:53:00.000-04:00

Uh-oh. If The Uptown just started showing World Trade Center, are they still going to show Snakes on a Plane when it opens on August 18? They better. Much to Chuck Klosterman's disliking.Some music for your Friday: The Hourly Radio - "Crime Does Pay" (MP3) <-- a bluestate pickThe Hourly Radio - "Deaf Ears" (MP3)The Hourly Radio - "Travel Signs" (MP3)And some great girl-group pop from Montreal:

2006-08-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

A special announcement from Will Eastman: ROOM SERVICE@ Rock and Roll HotelA monthly rock and roll disco from the creators of BLISSbeginning September 8, 20062nd Friday of the monthBringing the best live dance music performances from aroundthe world every month with DJ Will Eastman and special guestsDebut eventFriday, September 8Live performance by THE PRESETS (New South Wales, Australia) at 11:

2006-08-10T12:38:00.000-04:00

Of course the guy with a Polo pony tattoo on his chest lives in D.C. (Via Gawker.)Last night's iPod Jukebox set: D.H. Lawrence - "You Only Dance For Yourself" Irene - "To Be With You" Montt Mardie - "Highschool Drama" Love Is All - "Make Out Fall Out Make Up" I had to create a last-minute, on-the-go playlist because my iPod and computer spent the day in separate ZIP codes, and since I had a bunch

2006-08-09T16:52:00.000-04:00

I resisted posting a Soviet photo today, but if you really want to see another one of me with a giant bow on my head, click here.Tonight: iPod Jukebox followed by Project Runway. Life is good.

2006-08-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

I just can't resist one more. This family photo is one of my favorites. I'm a little more than a year old here, which makes my mom almost a year younger than I currently am. It always freaks me out that by the time she was my age, my mom had a two-year-old. Plus, a little something from Finland (via Sweden): Regina - "Minua Ollaan Vastassa" (MP3)Regina - "Minua Ollaan Vastassa (Unarmed Enemies'

2006-08-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

My brother has been scanning in family photos, so I just found this one on his Flickr page. I'm not sure how old I am in this picture, but man, check out that bow on my head:

2006-08-04T15:42:00.000-04:00

Sad news for music shoppers: Revolution Records is closing its doors on September 3. [A]fter three years at our current location, our lease is up and we are closing up the shop. ...We have been searching for a new location to do something a bit bigger in scope, but we haven’t found anything yet. So, we thought we’d take some time off to concentrate on a few other business opportunities and our

2006-08-02T08:44:00.000-04:00

Bad news: My kickboxing instructor has a dance remix of Creed's "With Arms Wide Open" on one of the CDs she used in class this week. Really bad news: It's not like I can just walk out and come back when the song is over. Really, really bad news: In my attempt to tolerate the song, I caught myself thinking "okay, this isn't too bad, it's kind of catchy" and actually meaning it. I'm extra-full of

2006-08-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

When asked about what sort of music they like, most people say: "I like everything except country." My standard response: "I like everything except jam bands. Man, I really hate jam bands." So, last Thursday between 9:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. was my idea of hell.Once I knew I was going to miss Cedars' set, I should have just watched some TV and aimed to get to the 9:30 Club around 10:15 p.m., the

2006-07-27T15:32:00.000-04:00

In case you were looking for the bluestate setlists from the July 8 party, they're actually posted now. Sorry for being a ditz and not posting them right away. I know I've been promising more music, so here's a song from The Rapture's upcoming album, Pieces of the People We Love, coming out on September 12: The Rapture - "Get Myself Into It" (MP3) Work is finally calming down out a bit, and the

2006-07-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

Snakes on a Plane: The Contest There are three reasons to own Snakes on a Plane: The Album. 1) You like remixes of emo songs by bands like Fall Out Boy, All-American Rejects and Panic! at the Disco. 2) Kitsch value. Sweet, sweet kitsch value. 3) You already own the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, but one CD featuring Samuel L. Jackson yelling "motherfucker" just isn't enough.In any case, here's your

2006-07-21T14:33:00.000-04:00

There's a lot going on this weekend. On Saturday night, there is the annual Mike Grass Birthday Bus Crawl, Run for Cover on the Black Cat mainstage, and Bliss on the Black Cat backstage. I'm sad to miss all the D.C. fun, but I need something different this weekend, so I'll be in Media, PA, a Philadelphia suburb, staying with PL and recovering from the last few weeks of work, etc. So, happy

2006-07-21T12:45:00.000-04:00

"DUDE THIS IS AWESOME"That was the subject line of the e-mail in which my brother alerted me that for a mere $1.99, one can customize Jessica Simpson's new single, "A Public Affair," to include his or her name. Sadly, my name is not on the list of available names, or I might have done it. But there's hope for those of us with foreign or unusual names: new names are being added often. My brother

2006-07-20T17:17:00.000-04:00

This is very, very wrong: The producers of much-anticipated movie musical Hairspray have upset film fans in Baltimore, Maryland by deciding to shoot the project in Canada. The original Hairspray movie and hit Broadway musical were set in Baltimore, where quirky film-maker John Waters, the creator of the concept film, hails from. It even features the song "Good Morning, Baltimore." But the new

2006-07-19T16:03:00.000-04:00

For the past week, I've been just a bit busy lately with work and building IKEA furniture with the hopes of making my apartment a little bit less of a disaster. I did manage to get out on Saturday night to hang out with Smith. We listened to Glossary and I drank my first bourbon (at Bourbon). Mostly, I've been entertaining myself by taking pictures with my Treo. Here's one from Friday, when I had

2006-07-13T21:59:00.000-04:00

Does anyone know where I can get a drink at 11:00 a.m. in Patuxent River, MD? Because other than a dirty vodka martini, my only other option seems to be this.

2006-07-12T16:03:00.000-04:00

Last night I saw Acid House Kings and The Legends play at DC 9. Opening was a DC band called The Positions, who—with their horns and tambourines and adorable-ness—fit in perfectly with the Swedes. Fans of Cinnamon must check them out.The Positions - "Back To Me" (MP3) As for the other two bands, I am even more smitten with them now than I was before I saw them. More on the Swedes later.

2006-07-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Fritz for reminding me that Acid House Kings are playing at DC 9 tonight (with fellow Swedes The Legends). If it doesn't sell out by the time I get there (which it probably will), I'll be there.Voxtrot's "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives" is highlighted in a Slate article about this summer's best songs, alongside tracks from Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera and Junior Boys. Go Voxtrot.

2006-07-10T14:43:00.000-04:00

Saturday's bluestate turnout was fantastic, and there was A LOT of dancing. People danced to pretty much everything we threw at them, from Top 40 pop (Shakira, Nelly Furtado) to Swedish disco (Peter Aries, Le Sport) to Judas Priest. DJ DCSOB did a great job representing Chicago and SOBs world-wide. A girl came dressed in a wig that looked like the Fluxblog logo. I wore very tall shoes and didn't

2006-07-07T16:38:00.000-04:00

Have you read the Express today? If so, you might have seen yourself: there's a photo of people dancing at a recent bluestate party. That's right, turn (or scroll down) to page 22 and you'll see that we're one of the paper's entertainment picks for this weekend. You can also read the extended version of the write-up over at The Washington Post. So, stop by the Black Cat tomorrow night and see if

2006-07-06T12:35:00.000-04:00

So, is Fall Out Boy's "Dance, Dance" a guilty pleasure for you hipster types, or do people honestly hate it? What I'm asking is: if I play it when you're very very drunk, will you dance or will you sneer?

2006-07-05T15:02:00.000-04:00

Is it possible to have empty nest syndrome for a wedding? It's over, and now there's a big poofy purple dress in my closet for no reason. It's strange seeing it every time I open the closet door. As expensive and labor-intensive as this process has been, I somehow almost miss it. Yep, this is what it must be like when your kids leave for college.

2006-06-27T09:43:00.000-04:00

A news item that's about Sweden AND Axl Rose? Perfect. Axl Rose allegedly bites security guard. He was arrested early Tuesday after allegedly biting a security guard in the leg in a hotel scuffle. "Guns N' Roses played a concert in Stockholm's Globe Arena on Monday night, and had been partying at a well-known nightclub before the scuffle." Seriously? Guns N' Roses are actually playing shows?

2006-06-23T14:20:00.000-04:00

I finally have a little bit of time to catch up on music news, and there's some cool stuff going on. Like, Shout Out Louds have a remix EP out, and are going into a Stockholm studio in the fall to work on their new album. Listen to the EP, called Combines, here.More from Sweden: Jenny Wilson and Robyn team up to cover Saul Williams' "List of Demands." A must-see. Thanks for finding it, Brian.New

2006-06-22T10:57:00.000-04:00

Takk (that's thank you in Icelandic) again to everyone who came to Hej Hej on Tuesday night. And, as Jeff pointed out in the comments, thank you to those of you who came last Tuesday by mistake. What you lack in attention to detail, you make up in enthusiasm. The voice mail I got around 10:30 pm last Tuesday: "We brought 20 people here and there's no Swedish pop!"It was an absolutely great night

2006-06-21T12:06:00.000-04:00

Tack (that's thank you in Swedish) to everyone who came to Saint Ex last night for Hej Hej. Lots and lots of you came, and it was great to see you all, since I've been such an overworked recluse lately and haven't been going out as much. I've posted photos, as have a few other people. If you took pictures last night and are uploading them to Flickr, please tag them with "hejhej" so that we can

2006-06-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

Tonight! Viking music! Viking beer! ABBA! Lordi! Ace of Base! The Raveonettes, Le Sport, The Sounds, Serena-Maneesh, Acid House Kings, The Cardigans, Dungen, The Legends, Annie, Figurines, Caesars, Gentle Touch, The Knife, Sondre Lerche, Tribeca, Royksopp, Loveninjas, Lovekevins, Irene, Afraid of Stairs, Alice In Videoland, TIAC, The Concretes, Jens Lekman, The Radio Dept., Sahara Hotnights, The

2006-06-09T11:19:00.000-04:00

Hej Hej For all your ABBA needs.

2006-06-07T08:58:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Nick for creating our flyer!

2006-06-06T18:08:00.000-04:00

What's it called when you mix grapefruit juice with rum instead of vodka? Because work sucked today, and everyone else left the office for the night, and Ms. WeirdCurves and I have to make do with whatever ingredients we could find under the kitchen sink. So, grapefruit juice + rum. Not bad, actually.

2006-06-05T13:23:00.000-04:00

It's time to stock up on Swedish pop: Songs I wish I had written, home to Le Sport and Gentle Touch, is offering "free postage fees as long as the sun shines in southern Sweden." Now all you have to do is figure out how long the sun shines in southern Sweden.And if you're any good at creating remixes, try your hand at a Le Sport song: Le sports Chemical drugs is the second single to be taken from

2006-06-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

Drinking wine and looking at fluffy clouds is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

2006-05-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

Happy 21st birthday to my little brother!DM, I owe you a (legal) beer.

2006-05-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who came to Unbuckled 3.0 last night and said hello. I ended up DJing a little bit before Deleted Scenes came on and then closed out the evening after Georgie James played. Here's what the last set looked like: Guillemots, "Trains to Brazil" / The Go! Team, "Ladyflash" / Irving, "I Want to Love You In My Room" / The Stills, "Helicopters" / Le Sport, "It's Not the End of the

2006-05-25T16:19:00.000-04:00

Tonight:

2006-05-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

In case you need another reminder, DCist’s Unbuckled show with Deleted Scenes and Georgie James is tomorrow night. The bluestate DJs will be spinning before, between and after the bands. I haven’t seen either band before, so I’m looking forward to seeing both.I’ve been listening to The Raconteurs album and damn, I really like it. Like a fuller White Stripes album with a few Brendan Benson songs

2006-05-19T17:12:00.000-04:00

I have a nagging feeling that I'm supposed to be doing something this weekend, but I think the only firm plans I have are to see Aberdeen City at the Black Cat tonight. It will be my third time seeing them, and I'm very much looking forward to it. Even Kyle's going back for enthusiastic thirds, and he's way pickier about going to shows than I am, so that should tell you something. Get there soon

2006-05-17T16:34:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen The Hard Tomorrows in a while, you have the chance to do so tonight, when they open for The 88. I don't know much about The 88 except that they have a song on one of The O.C. mixes, and I like it. It's pretty. And speaking of The O.C., who's going to die in the season finale this week? I don't think it's Sandy or Kirsten because Josh Schwarz mentions then in an interview

2006-05-12T15:09:00.000-04:00

Listening to: Nouvelle Vague, Bande A Part. So good. Supplementing the chanteuses who sang on the first album are gentle male vocals on several of the songs, which really sets this album apart from the first one, so it's not more of the same thing. Highlighs so far: "Killing Moon," "Ever Fallen In Love?" and "Heart of Glass." I was hoping they would do more with "Dancing with Myself."Have I

2006-05-11T21:12:00.000-04:00

A lot can happen when you take a few weeks off from going out and drinking. You feel much healthier, for one. Plus, you might come back to a surprise like your favorite Saint-Ex bartender getting signed to Domino (Franz Ferdinand, The Kills, Arctic Monkeys). So, a huge congratulations to Benjy Ferree! Someone else will have to mix my greyhounds while he tours and records his new record. Here's

2006-05-07T01:26:00.000-04:00

2006-05-05T12:40:00.000-04:00

Slate on listening to New Order. Something I learned from the article: New Order are scoring Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic. Didn't know he was making one, didn't know they were scoring it. New Order's "Age of Consent" is in the trailer for Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, which comes out in the fall. Watch here.Tonight: Ms. Harmany Music turns 30. Party at The Saloon.Saturday: If I wake up

2006-05-04T16:32:00.000-04:00

2006-05-01T17:36:00.000-04:00

A day without immigrants is a day without Seeking Irony.(I did go to work, though. This immigrant doesn't have that many vacation and sick days.)

2006-04-28T09:27:00.000-04:00

Londoners use iPods? No way!In real news, Haaretz reports that Roger Waters decided to move his summer concert in Israel from Tel Aviv to a small Jewish-Arab town held up as a model of peaceful coexistence. Awesome.Also awesome: The Stills are playing at the 9:30 Club on Saturday, June 3. Of course with my luck seeing The Stills, we'll book a bluestate party that night, plus some three other

2006-04-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

I'm back. With a MSTRKRFT remix:Metric - "Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix)" (MP3)Also, with an explanation for why I don't bling:“My God is a God who wants me to have things. He wants me to bling. He wants me to be the hottest thing on the block. I don’t know what kind of God the rest of y’all are serving, but the God I serve says, ‘Mary, you need to be the hottest thing this year, and I’m gonna

2006-04-19T16:34:00.000-04:00

I was going to post for real today, but I feel terrible, so I've spent most of the day spacing out and arranging meetings. As you might guess, the latter is severely hampered by the former. To make myself feel better about feeling sick, I just spent an obcene amount of kroner buying CDs from Labrador and Songs I wish I had written.

2006-04-18T11:46:00.000-04:00

2006-04-14T10:59:00.000-04:00

We Are Scientists are returning to the Black Cat on June 27. Hooray! Tickets are available starting today. Also, Aberdeen City are coming back to D.C., moving up in the world and playing at the Black Cat this time -- May 19 with Elefant.If you're in Chicago, you better be going to see Editors on Monday. They're playing a free show. It's not on their official site along with the other store

2006-04-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

M-OM-O-RM-O-R-N-I-N-GM-O-R-N-I-N-G-W-O-O-DThe rest are here.

2006-04-07T13:06:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, this was my view: So what happpened in D.C. while I semi-successfully trying to adjust to sunshine and palm trees? I hear that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs show was good for some but not for others, the Nethers show was good for all, the HFStival lineup was announced, the Black Cat is planning on expanding with a roof deck and patio, Ms. gl*mrocker added pink and green highlights, everyone

2006-04-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

I'm back.

2006-03-31T14:23:00.000-05:00

The new iPod has been loaded with everything from Editors to Rachel Stevens to Dolly Parton.The sunblock has been packed.A variety of magazines has been prepared.The overdue library books have been returned. I remembered to pack the chargers for my camera and iPod.The laundry is done. The DCeiver has been recruited to guest DJ The Agenda tonight. Be sure to request some Springsteen.I'm going to

2006-03-31T10:27:00.000-05:00

Editors. Wow. The best band that sounds like Joy Division since... Joy Division. My problem with Interpol has always been that when you see them live, they look like they're doing you a favor just by showing up. Editors, on the other hand, looked contagiously happy, and frequently thanked the audience between songs. When someone in the front requested a b-side, the singer seemed honestly

2006-03-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

I want to go see Hard-Fi at the Black Cat tonight. But I'm leaving at something like 5 a.m. on Saturday and I have no clean clothes to take with me and I haven't started packing and I'm going to have a really long day at work tomorrow, so I think it would be a really bad idea. If you go, dance extra-hard to "Hard to Beat" for me.

2006-03-29T09:39:00.000-05:00

I think Seeking Irony might be in danger of turning into a Le Sport fan blog... With Euro Deluxe Dance Party coming out in less than a week, they're making lots of new music available, and I can't not post it.First, there's the title track from an upcoming EP by Mr Suitcase, who's remixed Le Sport before. The track features Örjan from Le Sport on vocals. Mr Suitcase - "Ours is a Time for Falling

2006-03-28T15:09:00.000-05:00

Five Four recorded two more songs: Five Four - "Let's Go" (MP3)Five Four - "Hello/Goodbye" (MP3)Both of the songs are less fuzzy than the songs Five Four have recorded in the past, and Jamie's vocals are much easier to understand. I do miss the fuzziness, but the clear vocals are a bonus. Also, "Let's Go" comes pretty close to being dance-y. Someone really needs to make a dance remix of it.Their

2006-03-28T12:07:00.000-05:00

I have a new iPod! After a bit of hassle at the Bethesda Row Apple store last night, my first-ever iPod was declared dead, and I was issued a brand-new replacement. I was hoping that they'd have to upgrade me to a color screen, but apparently they still have some old-school iPods for those of us with extended warranties. Oh well, it's a new iPod. Sadly, the extent to which my iPod was damaged

2006-03-28T12:06:00.000-05:00

2006-03-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

Friday: Cue Bar was absolutely packed when I got there around 9:00 for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs listening party. Between the listening party and the two basketball games, the place did really good business, and I even saw some people by the dart boards dancing. Later, there was a group of people dancing by one of the pool tables, though with the number of shots they did, they probably would have