Macys Parade gets RickRolled?

I don't know what to make of this, as I was too busy drunkenly arguing Obamanomics with my dipshit Floridian relatives all day yesterday, but did Rick Astley really make a fucking appearance at the parade in NYC?

Terrible lip sync, but still, holy shit, HE IS BACK!!! It was only a matter of time, and good on the Rick for cashing in on this shit. Knock out that National Grid bill my boy, go'head...



(PS -- Florida vacation fucking rules. Life is good.)

Dance to the FNX Radio

I interrupt my sterling vacation to bring Vanyaland this message: I'll be on FNX 101.7 FM tomorrow/Wednesday at 9am, discussing the new Killers album. Oh, I got some things to say.

From there I pack my suitcase and head to Tampa Rock City until Sunday. Happy Thanksagiving and all, as I might not be near a 'puter while basking in the sunshine. One love xo.

Meteor hits Canada

Edmonton hasn't seen something crash down to Earth like this since the end of the Oilers dynasty.

Matters & Dunaway tonight at the pill

Matters & Dunaway, another amazing electronic act (more electronica than electro) to emerge from Boston, hits the pill tonight. I was blown away by their sweeping electronic shoegaze sounds last month at TTs, so this shit should be off the chain.

More to come later, I hope. I'm on vaykay next week and am doing three days work in 5 hours today in the newsroom! Halp.

Boston Music Awards tune out fans

From today's column, the Boston Music Awards show is invite-only this year, at the Roxy Dec. 7. Celebrate Pearl Habor Day with shitty music!

Last year's event was a bore, so I agree with moving it to Roxy. But why will people give a shit if they can't attend - or even witness - the event? Boston doesn't need another inner-circle circle-jerk. Evs.

ITP: Marr roast, Herald hits back at Leary

First off, today's Hotline: Allston audio engineer Richard Marr gets roasted, Timberlake releases new song via MySpace.

And more importantly, it seems my lil' ol' review of the Denis Leary outburst Saturday night has led the Herald to go full-scale, front-page-splash attack on the lame-ass actor-comedian. Good bitchslap here and all, but still no smackdown over his comrades' use of the word "fag." Oh wellz.

Justice "Unplugged"

Follow-up -- URB has a response from Gaspar of Justice: "Yeah, shit happens! I remember the story, I couldn't remember the city but i think it was in Manchester. I didn't noticed at first, because as you can see I was looking at the computer to launch the next vocal hook and right after I realised that the blue screen went black, so there was no way possible it could work. So I plugged it back in, big deal! And the next thing you know is this picture."

Hey Justice, before you collect that five-figure show fee, ya might want to plug in all your gear, unless of course this is a new show from MTV's "Unplugged" series. And here I was offended at the Paradise when they walked onstage with pizza. OMG LOL Tech Funk Manifesto FTW.

Bored

I'm bored. Boston bores me. But unlike everyone else, I'm not leaving. I'm channeling my inner-Alig and dedicating 2k9 to making this puritanical fuckhole of a city fun again. Seriously...

No more days spent in offices, no more bored nights watching shit tv, no more giving tired-assed club nights the benefit of the doubt because there's nothing else to do. I need to feel alive again... /rant.

Guns N' Bombs in Allston Wednesday

from today's online edition of le Hotline:

Explosive Bombs
Another week, and another acclaimed electro DJ team rolls into Boston.

This time around it’s Los Angeles duo Guns N’ Bombs, which hits Great Scott in Allston Wednesday for the roving Throwed dance party.

Comprised of Chicago-born DJ Jonny Love and Ima Robot bassist Filip Turbotito, GnB already have remixes of songs by Chromeo and Klaxons under their white belts. But lately the duo has turned house parties and dance floors inside out with original crunch-looped electro tracks. Check out the duo’s MySpace [website] page for links to their mixtapes.

Leary: Autism off limits, but fags are OK!

From today's Herald, my review of Comics Come Home, which Denis Leary used to rip the Herald over coverage of his remarks on austistic children (read the review for the breakdown).

But what didn't make it into the Herald review today was my thoughts on Patrice Oneal and Jim Breuer constantly using the word "faggot" in their act:

Though while Leary was oversensitive to offending the autistic community, it was unfortunate two of his chosen comedians, Oneal and Breuer, constantly used a derogatory term for homosexuals as a means for cheap laughs. Breuer revealed his wife calls him a “faggot” when he forgets to take out the trash, and his young children copy the word but misspeak it as “ferret.”

How is this cool or funny? Leary gets all pissy when media portrays him as offening parents with austism, but his hired laughs saying "faggot" is comedic material? Then again, Breuer waited about four seconds before launching his tired-ass Goat Boy act, so maybe dude has no originality left. As for Oneal's "Men vs Woman" schtick, most of his shit was funny when Chris Rock said it first.

My lady rules

Weekend props to my gal B., who joined the team of That Tip as a fashion/style writer/bitch. The Fashist Dictator is on the prowl (lolz), so look the part. She'll be at Circus tonight giving you the stink-eye.

Meanwhile, I'm off to hang with Dennis Leary at the Cam Neely ha-ha fest. I'm wearing a t-shirt so he sees my NJ Devils tattoo.

Flosstradamus tonight @ Estate

If I wasn't at the pill tonight, this is where I'd be. Here's the unedited piece from today's Herald column:

Floss every day
Hearts Revolution’s epic electro banger single “C.Y.O.A.” was holding up on its own, then along came Flosstradamus’ power-house bass-thump remix and dance floors haven’t been the same since. The Chicago DJ duo, who hits the Estate tonight for the monthly Sweat dance party, has been molding punk and hip-hop vibes into the new wave of electronic dance music, collaborating with the likes of Kid Sister, the Cool Kids and A-Trak.

So it’ll be quite the quite the eclectic mix on the dance floor tonight, as Flosstradamus is the latest in the long line of major league electro acts (MSTRKRFT, Le Castle Vania) to spin the banging Sweat dance party for know-all hipsters and downtown snobs alike.

Also in today's Hotline: Cut Copy, Bang Camaro, Fatal Flaw, Scarce and Bruce Springsteen. Yeah, brah.

Chased down by the law

Every journalist has one of these. This morning I was shooting video of the House of Blues construction (yeah, I'm obsessed) and apparently once a Live Nation or Lyons Group employee spotted me, the detail cop came over to see what I was all about. Video of the incident (which ended up with me shooting the breeze with the badge for about 45 minutes. Good guy.)

ITP: HoB gets first listing

Per today's Hotline column, it looks like the House of Blues on Lansdowne should be opened by February, since Jimmy Eat World posted a Feb. 26 date (much to Live Nation's chagrin).

I drove past the site this morning, and there's no way this shit will be completed by February. Maybe in San Diego construction can go uninterupted through Dec.-Feb., but New England winters might have a say in this project. LN folks are hopeful, and as usual, tight-lipped about everything. Bet this JEW show gets moved to Orpheum or Wilbur or somewhere else just as shitty.

In more Very Important news, Bang Camaro releases its second album Friday at the Dise, and Eli Reed performed on the BBC's "Later with Jools Holland" this week.

DJ set @ Enormous Room Wednesday

Hellauxx! The Michael V electro rampage continues through Cambridge on Wednesday, as I'm guest spinning at Hellauxx, Justincredible and Zak's dope midweek party. Expect more of the same mechanical dance floor mayhem. Shit gets started around 11, and there is no cover... I think I'm closing the night, but not certain. My N.1, Brigid the Fierce, serves as the night's hostess.

This will also be my last non-pill DJ set in 2k8. What a year it's been, from Audiogasm in the winter to Privus, Middlesex and now Enormous Room to close it all out. Damn.

Astley is "Best Act Ever"

MTV Europe last week christened Rick Astley the "Best Act Ever" at its annual awards show, pretty much ignoring a spam-bot website that not only rigged the voting process, but secured Astley about 80 percent OF ALL VOTES CAST ACTOSS FIFTEEN CATEGORIES.

RickRolling was one thing, but this RickVote shit is just a menace. Happy Monday in the land of possums.

new pill flyer - headmusic

Here's the last of the 2008 pill flyer series, a tribue to Suede's 4th best album, "Headmusic." (Hey, suspending a matress for a "Coming Up" shot was unreasonable.) Rounding out our live sked for the year, it features Saffron and Brigid, shot here in the Bricheal Possum Kingdom in Allston. xo

Waitin in the rain for Fall Out Boy

As everyone knows by now, Fall Out Boy is playing in Allston tonight, and I used it as an excuse to get out of the newsroom and hang with some teenage kids along Brighton Ave. Yes, my voice is truly this sexy, and yes, I get paid to do this shit.

Good Time Emporium auction

From today's Herald column: Ummmmmmmmmm, holy shit.

If air-hockey tables, video arcade games and a 28-person Lazertron obstacle arena are on your loved ones’ Christmas lists, Brockton is the place to be this weekend.

All of the games and goods from the shuttered Good Time Emporium in Somerville will be auctioned on Saturday at 10 a.m. at 525 Campanelli Drive in Brockton, the address of what was supposed to be the location of Good Time owner Dan Hayes’ new arcade and gaming Mecca. Plans to open the new facility fell through last month.

Everything from battery-powered bumper cars to Skee-Ball lanes to nightclub lighting are among the thousand or so items available. A walk-through takes place Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday at 8 a.m.

Friday: Lifestyle

As we all bask in the glow of President Obama while smoking pot with greyhounds on paved roads, I'm equally elated to host Lifestyle this Friday at le pill:

Tears of a Clown: Brodeur to Abbey

I'm not even gonna address the news that Martin Brodeur is done until springtime (Think I don't blame the new mask?). Instead, here's another edition of In the Papers:

Nov. 4: The Abbey is closing around thanksgiving, the Garden remains the Garden and Fall Out Boy plays Harper's Ferry on Thursday. The end, just like the Devils' season.

I ain't no preacher

In addition to the Fatal Flaw releasing its debut album, today is all sorts of important. Now I ain't no preacher, but I'll tell you this: In Massachusetts, I like paved roads, freedom of Izm and healthy pups. Oh, and this stuff:

Best Weekend Ever

Holy shit, I think I just came to. It's finally November, I think. A recap of le weekend:

Friday -- Insanity. Possibly the largest pill crowd ever, and Elastica, the Kinks and the Strokes were all on fucking point. Bonus for it being a Friday and allowing 2 hours of dance party time after the live sets. This was bananas.

Saturday -- After realizing SAlem was still a clusterfuck, a day spent picking up snail shells on the rocky beaches of Marblehead was a perfect day-after. Sushi at Privus and a truncated Circus put me out early.

Sunday -- I have no iodea what I did yesterday. But I won my Fantasy Football game, so there's that.

I am spent. Halloween was my last big event of 2k8, and it went remarkably well. Other than the pill each Friday, a guest spot at Enormous Room Nov. 12 and the Vanya Xmas Birthday Bash next month, I'm on easy street until New Year's. xo.