Free Apples Cost A Lot

I guess giving out all those free apples at the Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza (I still hate that name), costs more then you'd think. Check out the details of the Live Nation's New York holiday party that's been floating around for the last couple of days (via Idolator & Brooklyn Vegan)....

It's that time of year again!! This year we will be having a combined celebration for the staff of Fillmore NY at Irving Plaza and Blender Theater at Gramercy. Here's the important info:

When: Friday, December 7, 2007 from 8PM-11PM

Where: Downstairs lounge at Gramercy (127 E. 23rd just in case you didn't know...)

What: Karaoke!! And other good times...

Drinks: BYOB- sorry guys, this is a no-budget party, not to mention you people drank a warehouse worth last year... Seriously, please bring a bottle of your favorite booze or wine or a six pack o beer (or your fave Snapple drink if you don't drink alcohol.)

Snacks: Some will be provided BUT if you feel like baking (Jesse Bellin), we all love treats!!

After Party: TBD (but you know there will be one!!)

I think that about covers it! Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Looking forward to having a cup 'o holiday cheer with all of you!!

So you thought you're holiday party was going to suck. They're hosting it at one of their own venues and can't even pony up to buy a few cases of PBR for their hardworking staff.

Bloggy Goodness

Ok back to our regularly scheduled program, here's what some other people have going on.....

Looking for that perfect holiday gift for your music loving friend, well head on over to Music Snobbery and Shake Your Fist for their '07 Holiday Gift Guides - check it out here and here.

Heater at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends is celebrating her second anniversary by offering up fantastic mix of songs featured on her blog over the last year - head here to download it.

Aquarium Drunkard loves Detlef Schrempf - the song by Band of Horses, not the former NBA player - find out why and give it a listen here.

Video Tuesday over at Nerd Litter features the likes of Jay-Z, Of Montreal and Boards of Canada - check them out here.

Paramore didn't play Central Village's two favorite songs at last night's show, but that didn't stop him from posting them for your listening pleasure - head here.

The Weight gives some thoughts on the newly released Nirvana Unplugged DVD - click here for more, and they dig The Felice Brothers too (who I posted about earlier this week).

And as always head on over to Hidden Track for their daily distractions and stop on over at Uncensored Interview while your at it too.

Upset Alert?

Quick detour from the world of music to talk a little about college basketball - smooth transition right? Unless you attended a school in the ACC, Big East, Pac-10, etc. playing national ranked teams is no big deal. Graduating from a school in a so-called mid-major conference it's not too often that your school gets to play teams in the Top 25 and rarely do you get a chance to do battle with the #1 team in the country, but tonight the upstart George Washington Colonials take on #1 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. Ok this has ass-kicking written all over it, especially going in as 19 point underdogs. There is some good news though as ESPN put this game on their Upset Watch, check it out....

Wednesday: George Washington over No. 1 UCLA The Bruins flexed their muscles in beating a very good Michigan State team without preseason All-American point guard Darren Collison, guard Michael Roll and forward James Keefe. All except Keefe may return for the GW game. Could their possible return to the lineup cause a disruption in the rotation? How effective will Collison and Roll be in their first game of the season? Will they need time to get their game legs under them? Colonials coach Karl Hobbs has embraced the up-tempo style and recruited to fit the pressing, in-your-face defense. GW plays with great effort and often the defense can be its best offense by turning steals into easy baskets. Guard Maureece Rice, a 6-1, 224-pound power guard, returns after testing the NBA draft waters in the spring. Forward Rob Diggs and Virginia Tech transfer Wynton Witherspoon will provide the bulk of the scoring and rebounding. Kevin Love is the truth, but could this be a hiccup for the mighty Bruins?

We do have some history against number one teams beating UMASS twice over the course of two seasons when they sat atop the poll - the first time at GW (back when we had a logo that looked like this) and one of my Top Five sports moments I've been at.

For more on all things GW hoops related head here.

Go Colonials!

I Heard It ThroughThe Grapevine

While we here in the Northeast are a bit spoiled when it comes to the opportunity to see great music on a nightly basis, we have been neglected in the large-scale music festival department - we'll turn a blind-eye to the debacle that was Field Day and Bonnaroo Northeast.

Today Billboard is reporting that we will in fact be getting a music fest to call our very own set to take place next August 8th - 10th on a 500 acre site in Vineland, NJ which has been dubbed, wait for it.....the Vineland Music Festival. Ok, not the sexiest name going, but it will be produced by the folks at C3 Presents - the guys bring you ACL and Lollapalooza, so that's a definite plus. Band offers are already out, but nothing is confirmed as of yet- read about the whole thing here.

Best Band Ever

Could it be that two of my favorite singer/songwriters are teaming up form a band? Well according to a post over at Pitchfork it looks like Connor Oberst and M. Ward plan to record an album together next year - read all about it here, and let's keep our fingers crossed.

Here's the duo performing the gorgeous, yet spooky "Smoke Without Water" from the Bowery Ballroom show I was at earlier this year....



Go pick up the fantastic Four Winds EP - which that song appears on.

This news really makes me think of the "super-group" M. Ward gathered for his appearance on Conan - watch away here, I'll never get tired of listening that version of "Chinese Translation".

I Love Tuesdays

Nothing new to pick up, instead grabbed these.....

Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter

M. Ward - End Of Amnesia

Music Video Mondays - Part Deux

I was going to wait for next week to get this one up, but since I just picked up tickets to their gig at the Bowery figured why not. Here's Vampire Weekend with their debut music video "Mansard Roof"....



Really dig the vintage 16 millimeter film look of it, but it's probably not going to help with the tag of prep-rock that's been saddled on them though.

Music Video Mondays

Don't be surprised if over the course of the next months you see the name The Felice Brothers being thrown around a lot. These guys just finished up the holding down the opening slot on the East Coast leg of the Bright Eyes tour and at least at the Radio City show Connor invited one of them on-stage to play accordion for a song. They have a "tour only album" called Adventures of The Felice Brothers, Vol. 1 that I've been listening to non-stop for the last couple of days. It's a fantastic Americana album rooted in The Band, The Jayhawks, Bob Dylan, Los Lobos and even a bit of Tom Waits. Without further ado here they are with "Roll On Arte" off of Tonight At The Arizona.....

Reviews From The Blog

From time to time I get some albums sent my way (hint, hint to the powers that be out there), I figured I should probably get some music reviews up on this here blog. So with that in mind I recruited my eager music loving friend Dan The Man (who also posts things here) to help handle the task of cranking out some critiques. For the inaugural post - in what I hope to be a continuing series here - is his take on the latest from Vanessa Carlton - Heroes & Thieves (not your typical HFTB artist, but hey doesn't mean it's not worth giving a listen to)....




Vanessa Carlton has what Kelly Clarkson wants - a writer’s credit on all her songs and the so-called “artistic integrity” that comes along with it. What V.C. doesn’t have, however, is a pop anthem that would make for a killer theme song on The Hills (Natasha Beningfield has it locked down anyways).

At any rate her new album Hero’s and Thieves (and first for her new label The Inc. - don't worry she hasn't gone gangsta) has Carlton crooning with a singer-songwriter’s passion and sincerity that many of her fellow female pop singers struggle to understand. While it’s doubtful that any of these songs will burn up the charts and ride the royalties train like her hit single “A Thousand Miles” (currently underscoring Zales Diamonds commercials), tracks like “The One” with Stevie Nicks and “Come Undone” prove Carlton’s versatility as a vocalist and her maturity as a pianist. It's on the albums first single “Nolita Fairytale” that Carlton proves that she can still ride the pop radio air-waves with catchy loops and peppy lyrics and even tug on heartstrings of more than a few lovesick highschoolers.

Though judging by the spending habits of Carlton’s target demographic (with their bedazzled cell-phones and closets full of neglected Bratz dolls) musical virtue won’t move the kind of units that pay for the beach house in Malibu (The ‘Bu) - perhaps it's that distinction that will work out for VC in the long run. Carlton doesn’t fit the caricature of the stunningly hot starlet with a so-so voice and a completely submissive role in the creative process. She’s kind of cute in a ridiculous “independent” way, and when beauty fades for the rest of the pop singers, VC will still have her artistic talent. Like its creator, the album has staying power and both Carlton and her work can only get better with age.

I'm Not There Concert Stream

Those of us who didn't want to pony up the money for the I'm Not There concert that took place a couple of weeks back there is some good news. Thanks to the fine folks over at Wolfgang's Vault we can now experience it for ourselves and without the long breaks between acts - which seemed to slow down the show and lead to some unenthusiastic reviews. You're only going to be able to stream it for two weeks - so head here and start listening now.



The movie hits screens today - if you're in one of the lucky cities - and has been getting a ton of press. Here's a few articles to keep you busy for the rest of the day on into tomorrow....

Like a Complete Unknown: I'm Not There and the Changing Face of Bob Dylan on Film (The Village Voice)

Peter Travers Gives It 3 1/2 Stars (Rolling Stone)

This Is Not A Bob Dylan Movie (New York Times Magazine)

You Can Get Everything You Want

So as we all rush off to wherever we are going for Thanksgiving to eat ourselves into a food coma, wanted to once again tell you about the annual musical tradition we have at the HFTB household that being the listening of Arlo Guthrie's classic - and quite hilarious at times - 18-plus minute anti-establishment ode - "Alice's Restaurant Massacre".


You can watch this live performance that is cleverly inter-cut with scenes from the movie or if you're in the New York City area Q104.3 will be playing - as is the custom - at noon tomorrow. So put down that turkey leg and kick back and listen, you'll be glad you did.

RHCP vs. Showtime

Is there anyone out there that had a hard time discerning between Showtime's Californication and the RHCP album of the same name? Well Anthony Kiedis and his fellow Peppers seem to think otherwise as they filed a lawsuit against Showtime claiming "'Californication" to be the signature CD, video and song of the band's career. Kind of a bitchslap to "Under The Bridge" if you ask me. And wait isn't this also a band that had a huge hit with a Stevie Wonder song too? Read about it here, and for all those legal geeks out there read the motion here.

Sorry Anthony you guys were what twenty years into your multi-million album selling career before releasing Californication - find it hard to believe Showtime stole your identity.

This classic Simpsons quote just about sums it all up....

Lionel Hutz: This is the greatest case of false advertising I've seen since I sued the movie The Never Ending Story.

I Love Tuesdays

Here's the only purchase for the week....

Phish - Vegas '96

Music Video Mondays

Since most everyone is heading home in a few days for Thanksgiving, thought Ben Folds tongue-cheek ode to suburban living would be an appropriate choice. Here's Ben with "Rockin' The Suburbs"....

Listmania

As you know from reading this here blog I'm always a fan of music lists - I'm sure I've used that line way too many times to get into a post. So with that in mind here's the latest list that seems to be making it's way around the blogosphere for you to check out, dissect and debate - Blender's 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever.

I'm not really sure I understand the inclusion of albums from the '60s and '70s after prefacing their list with saying indie-rock was born 25 years ago. Thoughts??

Bloggy Goodness

Here's what some other people have going on....

Bodies of Water are The Band of the Week over at Pop Tarts Suck Toasted - find out why here.

While you were out Trick Or Treating a few weeks back Music Snobbery took in a performance of the Lord of the Rings musical - read the review here.

CYSTSFTS doesn't think Rogue Wave's latest album Asleep At Heaven's Gate lives up to their previous offerings - read why here.

Didn't make it to the Madison Pop Fest? Fear not Muzzle of Bees has got the skinny on Saturday night's festivities - find out what went down here.

Out The Other is halfway through their 30 Albums In 30 Days retrospective - see what made the list so far here.

Finally MFR wants you to learn how to dance from The Pipettes - learn The Shocker, The Star, The Shoop Shoop and more here.

And as always head on over to Hidden Track for their daily distractions, and also check in with Uncensored Interview while you're at it too.

Queens Of The Stone Age Kicked Out Of Rehab

Perhaps in a sly nod to Johnny Cash playing San Quintin, the boys of Queens of the Stone Age arranged to play a show at in-patient rehab center in LA. - kind of nice of those guys, right? Well seems like the folks who run the facility didn't take to kindly to them when - with tongue firmly in cheek - they opened their scheduled six song set with their ode to self-destructive behavior "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" and had the band forcibly removed. Read about it here.

Poor taste? Maybe. Makes for a hilarious story? Most definitely!

Langerado Line Up Revealed

After last weeks' fake out, the initial line-up for the 6th annual Langerado Music Festival has been announced and it's quite a doozy - especially when your headliners are REM, Beastie Boys and Phil Lesh & Friends - though I'm sure Phil is just on retainer for festivals at this point. Here's the full bill to drool over and disect......

R.E.M. • Beastie Boys • Phil Lesh & Friends • 311 • Matisyahu • Thievery Corporation • The Roots • Gov’t Mule • Ani DiFranco • Ben Folds • G. Love & Special Sauce • Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood • Built to Spill • The National • Les Claypool • Umphrey’s McGee • The Disco Biscuits • Mickey Hart Band • of Montreal • Robert Randolph & the Family Band • The Wailers • funky Meters • Citizen Cope • Antibalas • !!! • Dark Star Orchestra • Ozomatli • Sam Bush • Minus the Bear • Ghostland Observatory • Arrested Development • Blind Melon • Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars • The New Deal • Benevento Russo Duo • Perpetual Groove • Railroad Earth • Martin Sexton • The Avett Brothers • Grace Potter and the Nocturnals • The Walkmen • Dr. Dog • Indigenous • State Radio • Vampire Weekend • The Bad Plus • The Felice Brothers • Pelican • Yard Dogs Road Show • Brett Dennen • Earl Greyhound • The New Mastersounds • Dan Deacon • Josh Ritter • Pete Francis • Ryan Shaw • Blitzen Trapper • matt pond PA • The Dynamites feat. Charles Walker • Bassnectar • Balkan Beat Box • The Lee Boys • Shout Out Louds • Golem • The Wood Brothers • Busdriver • Raq • Will Hoge • Spam Allstars • Phix • American Babies • The Heavy Pets • Backyard Tire Fire • The Postmarks • Steel Train • Hoots and Hellmouth • Jonah Smith • Pnuma Trio • Awesome New Republic • That 1 Guy • Trevor Hall • American Bang • School of Rock All-Stars

A really nice mix of indie and jam, tickets go on-sale this Friday, November 16th at noon.

Self-Promotion

This is my first review for Glide in awhile, but check it out.....

Patton Oswalt - Werewolves & Lollipops

Music Video Mondays

So in honor of the big semi-Blind Faith reunion (which I did score tickets for today) thought I'd go with some '80s Steve Winwood - so here's "Higher Love".....



Man does that sound so dated and full of cheesy '80s production.

Giddy Up

The initial line-up for the 2nd annual Stagecoach Music Festival - you know that country music fest from the folks that bring you Coachella every year - has been revealed. Check it out....

The Judds, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Big & Rich, Carrie Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, George Jones, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Earl Scruggs and Ralph Stanley, Kellie Pickler, Shooter Jennings, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski, Ian Tyson, Jack Ingram, the Isaacs, Bucky Covington, Riders In The Sky, Kentucky Headhunters, Michael Martin Murphey, Cherryholmes, J.D. Crowe, Wylie & The Wild West, Red Steagall, Luke Bryan, Halfway To Hazard, Billy Joe Shaver, Ryan Bingham, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Waddie Mitchell, Crystal Shawanda, Jypsi and the Greencards

Ok most of those names don't mean much to me, but apparently their big score is The Judds who will perform for the first time together since 2000. The event is taking place on May 3rd and 4th, tickets are on-sale now.

Not much in the way of downloads that I can find from last year's event, but here's one (via Dimeadozen).....

Sara Evans - 2007-05-05 - Empire Polo Field - Stagecoach - Indio, CA

Vampire Weekend Album Details

I've been trying to work in a post about Vampire Weekend for awhile now - especially after catching them at Other Music during CMJ. Well I've finally got some news to post about the much buzzed and blogged about band as details of their XL debut have been revealed. The self-titled album will hit streets on January 29th with the following track-listing (those familiar with the band will recognize a number of them).....

Mansard Roof
Oxford Comma
A-Punk
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
M79
Campus
Bryn
One (Blake's Got a New Face)
I Stand Corrected
Walcott
The Kids Don't Stand a Chance

Ok so odds are you haven't heard these guys yet, so give a listen to the infectious Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa and I know you'll be hooked.

For more music head over to their MySpace page.

Bloggy Goodness

So I think Thursdays will now officially be Bloggy Goodness day around here - gives a bit more structure to the week. So here's what some other people have going on....

First off a big welcome back to Justin and Live Music Blog, after a self-imposed hiatus LMB is back and will be cranking out some posts real soon - head here.

SuperDee was at the I'm Not There concert last night and offers up some thoughts, with some major (and justly) fluffing of My Morning Jacket - read it here. Stereogum was there too and has a ton of great pictures of the evenings festivities too - here.

Haven't heard of Dan Bejar's new project Hello, Blue Roses well The Yellow Stereo has the scoop - find out more about them here.

It's Grizzly Bear week over at Ear Farm - read a Q&A with lead singer Ed Droste here.

This week's edition of Soul Filled Wednesdays over at Analog Giants features Staten Island's much buzzed about Budos Band - if you like all things funky definitely give them a listen here.

And as always head on over to Hidden Track for their daily distractions and stop by Uncensored Interview as well.

Almost-Impossible Rock Quiz

Think you know rock trivia? I did too until I took Rolling Stone's Almost-Impossible Rock Quiz - they're not joking with that title. I managed to score a 37, and that was with a lot of guessing too. Leave your score in the comments, and no cheating!

Thanks to Hidden Track for pointing out the link.

I Love Tuesdays

Here's the only purchase for the week....

Gram Parsons - Archive, Vol. 1

Eric + Steve = 3 Nights MSG

Big news classic rock fans circle February 25th, 26th and 28th (and most likely the 27th too) on your calendars you're going to want to be at the World's Most Famous Arena as Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood will grace the stage together for a three night run. I know it's Monday and you might still be shaking off your weekend hangover, but yeah you read that right. Other then Led Zeppelin I'd venture to guess that Blind Faith has been on the tops of people's lists for a reunion show. Read about it here.

No news on if Ginger Baker will be apart, but let's keep are fingers crossed.

Tickets go on-sale for AMEX holders starting next Monday at 9 AM, via Ticketmaster and if tickets remain the general on-sale will be the following Monday. So crack open those piggy banks now, this isn't going to be a cheap one.

Here's the duo with Can't Find My Way Home from this past summer.

Music Video Mondays

Been digging Josh Ritter lately - The Animal Years has been getting a lot of spins on the 'ol iPod lately - so here he is with "Lillian, Egypt"....



Josh also has a new album out called The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter - which I think I'll need to pick up this week.

Word Up

As friend alerted me to this fantastic news....

Longtime friends and collaborators Chris Chew, Cody Dickinson, Luther Dickinson (of North Mississippi Allstars), John Medeski, and Robert Randolph will be reuniting as "The Word" for four very special concerts this December. A limited number of pre-sale tickets go on sale this Saturday, November 3, at 10am EST. Visit the pre-sale site by clicking HERE

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 9. For information visit www.thewordtour.com

Dec 26 Hartford, CT - Webster Theatre
Dec 27 New York, NY - Terminal 5
Dec 28 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
Dec 29 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

I caught them back in '01 at the then Irving Plaza and still rate that show among the best concerts I've seen over the last ten years - so you know I'll be at Terminal 5 on December 27th.

Here's a show off that same tour for your listening pleasure (via bt.etree)....

The Word - 2001-08-01 - Grassroots Festival, Oregon Ridge Park - Cockeysville, MD

And here's their appearance on Conan from the night before the aforementioned Irving show...