Really, how many times have I used “Strange Things Afoot at the Circle K” on here? One too many, but there’s a lot going on right now — and hopefully soon enough I can share some news about it with you. Rest assured, it’s really good, hilarious even. In the meantime you’ve got your weekly dose of me on WPRB every Tuesday. Will update with playlists later on, I think.

» I really can’t believe Rick D. is gone. Just doesn’t feel real. I dread the moment it actually sinks into my thick skull. Rick was an immense help to Plain Parade, especially after the crap we were going through at Doc Watson’s. I loved his snark, his leather vest. No amount of words can truly justify his legacy, or what we’re all feeling right now.

» In other, less important and entirely shallow news, I will be blogging here all week.

» I have a photo of Hot Chip in the current issue of SPIN, which is all sorts of cool. And they say bloggers can’t break into the print media! Har, har. I remember when Modest Mouse played Your Mother’s Birthday Party festival in Princeton’s gymnasium — a fantastic show all around, opened up by bands like Rome, Run/On and a slew of Balto math rockers I have since forgotten about. Ah, the 90’s! Still the best decade ever. It still seems sort of bizarre to think of MM as a wildly huge and successful band who warrant things like magazine covers. I think that’s where I got my first issue of Magnet, too.

» It was an amazing joke, but… what if Village Voice Media actually bought PW? Imagine it: music sections across the VVM/NT universe would be inundated with thinkpieces about “twinkly”, “shambolic” bands from West Philly, thanks to the syndication feature.

» I’m two years behind the curve on this one, but I’m in love with an all-girl skateboarding video that takes its name from a Girls At Our Best! song. More skateboarding cupcakes, please! While I’m on the subject, I have to point out that Wikipedia’s skateboarding articles are awful. I made this shameful discovery on my Sunday afternoon surf. If you consider yourself an aficionado of the sport/culture, understand basic grammar and spelling, please go clean these suckers up.

» What I didn’t do last weekend: Top secret Girl Talk / Matt & Kim gig at Terrace (wow, it must really be the 90’s if Terrace is booking cool shows again), Bonde Del Role at Bryn Mawr. I’m not waving these around like a badge of pride, because I did want to go to the Terrace show; I just majorly lamed out on Saturday night.

» What you should do this weekend: Friday, head up to NYC for either the Parts & Labor or 1990’s/Clockcleaner shows, or stay in Philly to check out Tennis & the Mennonites at the Khyber; Ryan from Brown Recluse Sings is DJing at Sal’s as well. Saturday, Jesus has risen and so has Pilam’s annual Human BBQ (now in it’s 29th year). First year it’s back in the house, so support these kids, who are one of the few non-craptacular things about Penn. Sunday: do something religious, or sacreligious (if that’s your bag).

» Beginning Monday, I’ll be blogging the Popped! festival over at the CP’s blog. I’ve owned the Calc-U-Phone for a month, it’s time to see what this bad puppy can do. I’m really looking forward to this!

» Advance warning: Mew Gallery’s hosting a fundraiser on 4/21 at Surreal Sound: 10$, all you can drink and good musix courtesy of myself and others. Even if Mew’s proprietress, the lovely Carolynne McNeel, wasn’t a good pal of mine (and a former band mate), I’d tell you to go. There’s not many of these crafty places in Philadelphia, and they need to stay where they are. 5/5 at Mew is a reading with Kara and Marisa, authors of How Sassy Changed My Life, and you know how much I love the book, so be sure to check it out. (Update: an actual copy [as opposed to a galley] just landed on my desk! Whee!)

» It’s not you, it’s me: I really want to write more here, but the commitment thing is a little rough. I’m in the midst of deciding my fate re: grad school. Hopefully we’ll all know something soon?

» Don’t forget (as if you really would): I’m on WPRB every Wednesday from 5-7PM EST from now on. I am the mid-season replacement, as they say in the TV biz.

» My new phone arrived and it feels like I’m talking into a TI-83. The name, E62, sounds like a hyphy artist. Couplandian propheicies fulfilled.

» Hell must be freezing over — I filled out a bracket for this year’s NCAA tournament.

» I enjoy the new Low album.

right now i’m thinking i should stick my head in a bag of rice.

It’s the final stretch for grad school applications; right now my stress levels are at an all time high. Please help me retain what [very, very, very] scant shred of sanity I have by observing the following:

1. *Don’t* expect any replies from me until this thing is over. It’s probably a good idea to just *not* email me right now.

2. *Do* listen to my radio show this week. (Wednesday, 4-6PM, WQHS.org)

3. *Do* keep your fingers crossed and think good thoughts during this phase.

This semester Her Jazz switches from a morning to late-afternoon shift — 4-6PM (1600-1800) EST.

Even though my time slot has changed, the place has not. You can still catch me on WQHS, University of Pennsylvania’s student-run radio station.

When: Wednesday 04:00 - 06:00PM EST
Listen: WQHS [internet only]

I am still on a self-imposed blogging vacation, mainly because I’ve begun my final descent into finishing off grad school applications. Don’t worry though, I still plan to share my top whatevers of 2006 with you all next week. This won’t make much sense to anyone until my Idolator ballot goes public, but found it very apropos of where I am thought-wise right now:

One is tempted to heed Rodney King’s plaintive cry of “Can’t we just get along?” Yet there is something almost charming about a musical style that commands so much devotion among its performers, critics, and fans that they are ready to joust with opponents of their views. — Dick Weissman, Which Side Are You On: An Inside History of the Folk Music Revival in America, p. 8

» In other news, my first piece for the City Paper can be found here. Rumblings on the internet seemed to indicate that Home Blitz would not be able to pull it off live, but I’m proud to report otherwise. They played a great set last night — it’s a shame Tritone and I didn’t mix very well last night (me: totally sick, tritone: totally smoky), otherwise I would have stuck around for much longer.

Christ, I haven’t written here in ages! There’s lots of things to tell you, but I have no desire to put e-pen to e-paper and do it. I’ll be back in a week or so.

» Radio show archive updated!

» Comments are closed indefinitely. Spare me your emails, I could care less.