Here is a brief selection of really cool places I dig:

» FiveSevenTenTwelve explores the art of records. From major label releases to handmade CDRs, if it’s thought-provoking, they’re gonna write about it.

» Jessica Gold Haralson is a co-worker of mine, as well as an up-and-coming writer on all things pertaining to sexuality. She’s one of the editors for _Quake_, the student-run literary erotica magaine at Penn.

» Katherine Gerdes was a contestant on _Project Runway_ Season 3. Since getting auf’ed from the runway, Katherine has been following along with the projects in each episode, as if she was still in the game. One of the reasons I dig Katherine (and Diana Eng from S2) is that she gets the concept of the internet, speaking directly from her own site rather than mailing in reports to sites like Blogging Project Runway. (Just so’s you know: I _love_ BPR but I like reading someone’s own blog better!)

» Bringing it back to the 215, Broad&Market is a street fashion blog based right here in Philly.

Teach them well and let them… play Sepultura?

Fucking motherfuckers — what a crap show. I should have known something was amiss when I didn’t hear the broadcast coming out of the office computer but I thought, “Well, looks like the speakers are unplugged.” Halfway through my first set I realized there was no stream at all. And then as I’m entering a song into the playlist software, the damn server crashes. One word to describe this: fan-fucking-tastic.

Luckily all the problems were resolved by the time the first side of _Muswell Hillbillies_ finished up. I managed squeeze in a few songs before leaving.

Oh yeah, note to all DJ’s out there: fucking clean up the studio when you leave, especially if you’re the last person of the night.

out hud - its for you - 12″

chavez - unreal is here - better days will haunt you - N
the breeders - wicked little town - wig in a box
laika - good looking blues - good looking blues
israel lopez - pueblo nuevo - echu mingua - N
boy ge mendes - nha tchon - lagoa
the blow - what tom said about girls - the concussive caress
otis redding - satisfaction - history of otis redding
bongwater - just may be the one - double bummer

the kinks - Side A - muswell hillbillies
larry & the lefthanded - disturbing you
black taj - woke up tired - s/t

lush - breeze - gala
family fodder - film music - savoir faire
the capes - first base - hello
sequence - funk you up - hip hop essentials volume 8

ghost to falco - the end - zum audio volume 3 - N
kinski - hot stenographer - alpine static
the original sins - nowhere to go (from here but down) - 7″
richard buckner - believer - since

the bongos - numbers with wings - 12″

Yes yes, more music & fun from me today, if you’re up early enough to catch it. Not one of those morning people? No worries, there’s an archive (podcast stylee) for you.

Log onto WQHS 10AM - 12PM and get your morning on »

Helvetia at the Trocadero, 10/07/06

What would happen if I got my chocolate in Pitchfork’s peanut butter? Probably something like this.

Check out more photos from this show »

Read more here. Yup, it’s time to call it a day and move on. But before we do, we’ve got four shows left. Please help me make them count!

Oxford Collapse “Forgot To Write”

Hello, I love the Oxford Collapse so much they asked me to write the bio for their brand new record on Sub Pop, which comes out today. Just so’s you know: I didn’t put “shambolic” in the bio. It’s a word I genuinely _haaaate_. Anyway, who did it? Wish I knew.

Buy this record so these douchehammers can hire a security guard to fend off the advances of FSU.

Seriously, what could be better than a bear lipsynching to “Rebel Girl”? Nothin’, absolutely nothin’.

credit: heather

Heather said it better than I did, but I just wanted to point out that I had a real 90’s flashback weekend. This may not be different than any other weekend in my life, but it certainly felt like it.

» Backstory on this photo: As Heather mentioned, some fan [an older gent I'll refer to as "Dad"] cornered Sean from HD and proceeded to tell him about how the new record isn’t as good as the previous one. What compels fans to say these sort of things? Do they ever put themselves in the shoes of musicians and wonder about how it feels to be told that you suck? Don’t answer these questions — I’m being rhetorical here — ’cause based on the way Dad totally assholed it up, I know he wasn’t thinking about any of this. But oh, this was merely the tip of the asshole iceberg; Dad proceeded to have Sean’s photo taken with his teenage daughter, who looked either embarrassed and/or terrified to be standing next to her musical idol. And so, we thought it might be a good idea to start up a series of staged awkward photographs. Of course, I just look like my normal, naturally retarded self.

» Saturday I checked out Helvetia, Camper Van Beethoven and Built To Spill at the Troc. Review forthcoming in a publication and I think it runs on Tuesday. Truth be told, my personal highlight of the night was not the show itself but finally trying one of those WaWa milkshakes — you know, the kind where you put the cup into the machine and it shakes it up for you.

» Sunday: Robert Christgau & Francis Davis read at AKA Music, as part of the 215 festival. I guess when you’re the self-appointed “dean of American rock critics,” no one will care if you recycle your most recent EMP paper for a reading. Yes, as expected everyone clung to each embittered, terse phrase that Xgau was willing to give us and fidgeted their way through Francis Davis’ beautiful piece on “The Best Years of Our Lives”. To be fair, I enjoyed the selections from the _Consumer Guide_ more than yet-another take on money & ho’s.

Henri Faberge & The Adorables “Out of Your League”

What the hell are they drinking up there in Toronto and how can I get my hands on it? After giving this song multiple spins, I’m convinced that if a song doesn’t contain at least three swears or insults/sexual references, it ain’t worth listening to. And this, oh man, this — this is fucking golden. Quite possibly the best thing I’ve heard all week. Besides lacing everything with a fine coating of FCC violatin’ purpleheaded prose, this collective straddles a strange space, simultaneously one-upping the sugary la-la-hyper-pop of bands like the Rosebuds and paying tribute to that much-maligned musical sequel — yes, I’m talking about Grease 2. No lie (see below for proof if you think I’m crazy), behold the insane genius of combining strummy guitars, cheerful bells and threats to personal property that kick in mid-song.

Henri Faberge & the Adorables are adorable. Indeed they are. But they’re also insane and dirty — just like all your exes.

[thanks, ned!]