These Days
These Days: Tuesday, June 30th, 2015
And so the wars begin in earnest and at first look, Apple has done a good job of integrating their streaming service into their Itunes library. I said at first look, I am already having problems on the client. I prefer the Itunes search engine to Spotify but otherwise, Spotify is superior
These Days: Monday, June 29th, 2015
One more day, one more day,just one more day and a whole lotta new albums with Miguel’s newbie actually already out. Can you feel the excitement in the air? I wasn’t crazy about his breakthrough album Kaleidoscope Dream, and was vaguely cool to his opening slot on last years Drake tour, but Wildheart is much better. Actually, it is really really good.
These Days: Sunday, June 28th, 2015
Murder isn’t baseball, Denis Hamill claimed in the New York Daily News today, it isn’t a staticians game. Essentially telling us all to sit down and stop fretting. Perhaps, but homeless men with machetes attacking defenseless women in Bryant Park is rife with symbolism.And if murder was baseball, New York City has transitioned from the 2000 Yankees to the 2000 Mets, and that is far enough or we will be the 2014 Yankees before we know it.
These Days: Saturday, June 27th, 2015
Patrick Ewing left the Knicks in 2000 and these guys are still rebuilding. After their worst season, how about a win now strategy? The Knicks aren’t rebuilding, they are a bad organization who can turn any one into losers with a toxic culture. Fourth round pick, Latvian 19-year-old, 7-foot-1 project, center forward
These Days: Friday, June 26th, 2015
The Supreme Court upheld the right to gay marriage in the US. Certainly, during Gay Pride week, I don’t know who would disagree that this is a great thing that should have never been an issue. Congratulations (or maybe I mean sympathy) to all homosexuals now legally ale to do what they did anyway. On a personal level, what I liked most about homosexuality was the indiscriminate sex men had before AIDS destroyed the fun. Just the entire constant seeing all over the places with tens, dozens of partners. Of course, it wasn’t marriage that killed it, but I am sure marriage will be the straw that leaves those days of glorious promiscuity to just a distant memory
These Days: Thursday, June 25th, 2015
If “Summer Of ’42” happened in the “Summer Of ’15”, the war widow would be in jail right now because Oscy and Benjie (“I’m a dangerous man, I truly am” ) secretly filmed her and Hermie and posted it online and somebody (everybody) snitched to the cops -who took a break from frisking black male teenagers for loitering in their backyard, to bust her. We live in a sharp elbowed, intrusive, ill mannered, nosey, aggressive, and pointedly ignorant of human nature, age.
These Days: Wednesday, June 24th, 2015
The prices are high for everything except dollar pizza, even Subway quietly bounced their prices by 20% and from your cable bill to your groceries honesty means getting away with as much as you possibly can. Which is the reason for this, of 120 grocery stores in the city, 70% put the wrong weight on food purchases thereby overcharging you. Wholefood -the most expensive is the most egregious and are about to get fined.
These Days: Monday, June 22nd, 2015
Live: I woke up today to 100s of reads of Edward Huerta’s admittedly excellent, Brian Wilson at the Greek review from Sunday. A pleasant surprise but how did that happen, right? How about this: Brian Wilson posted it on his Facebook wall. Considering all the negative being thrown our way it was a pleasant change of pace. Congrats to Edward and I hope we passed the audition!
These Days: Saturday, June 20th, 2015
I bet in some ways the Yankees wish A-Rod had crashed and burned this year, instead of just getting his 3,000 hit with a home run in a winning effort last night. I am so not a moralist on this stuff, I don’t see why he shouldn’t get paid his millions, if only for coming back from a horrendous couple of years and still being able to play the game at a ridiculously high standard.
These Days: Friday, June 19th, 2015
Wolf Alice were pretty good at Le Poisson Rouge last night, they are at a very exciting place in their career right now with the debut album dropping on Tuesday. But their connection with the audience left something wanting, That shouldn’t be a problem for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga tonight at Radio City Music Hall.
These Days: Thursday, June 18th, 2015
My album of the week, Hudson Mohawke’s Lantern remains my favorite album of the week with Rustie’s 2014 Green Lantern, which I unfortunately missed entirely last year, also getting time. James Taylor and Wolf Alice are taking up the rest of my life.
These Days: Wednesday, June 17th, 2015
Of all the disappointments is any sadder than Adam Lambert, who came out of American Idol as first runner up in 2009 and was the epitome of out gay cool chic and sexiness. And then he couldn’t figure out what to do with it. His role as Freddie Mercury stand in with Queen was the epitome of what a waste, and three years after the disastrous Trespassing album, the one meant to save him from a bad debut album, here is the inferior The Original High. Who wants to be George Michaels in 2015?
These Days: Tuesday, June 16th, 2015
Yeah, I blew off the Met recital -it was freezing? But now I have just one thought in my mind, Bennett and Gaga at Radio City on Friday. Will it be good? I loathed the album but I can’t help feeling that this will be a really great show, it will be a magic evening of American Standards by a pro and a protégée. Meanwhile, Active Child’s new album is very good: sort of ambient indie pop and he is performing at MHOW (sold out but it should be easy enough to buy one)
These Days: Monday, June 15th, 2015
I have this theory about the entertainment business, things should be exactly what they are. The proof is “Jurassic World”, the spliced up dinosaur meets the 21st century reboot, which has taken in $204.kM, beaten out only the The first Avengers. Congratulations to all and please lend me a million of it.
These Days: Sunday, June 14th, 2015
We are off to the Presidential races with Hilary Clinton out of the gate and Echosmith performing their hit single “Cool Kids” -an astoundingly irrelevant track but so what? It’s the thought that counts
These Days: Saturday, June 13th, 2015
“That’s how bad it is. … The level of displacement would be like nothing we’ve ever seen before. It would be devastating to working people in this city, and it would be the beginning of the end of New York City as we have known it as a place for everyone.”
These Days: Friday, June 12th, 2015
That was after Ronald Reagan sold out the free airwaves and gave Rupert both citizenship ahead of millions and an equally slimy handshake. 20th Century Fox Chairman Rupert is stepping down to be replaced by his son James. The biggest changing of the guard by a major despot since Hafez handed over the reigns of Syria to Bashar.Al Assad.
These Days: Thursday, June 11th, 2015
This is beyond anything we can consider decency. In a cleavage bearing mini black dress, while kids around her smile at the camera, while her teenage kid is being buried, is just incomprehensible. At least hide your indifference. The smug inhuman waste of space should be ostracized from society.
These Days: Wednesday, June 10th, 2015
Belle And Sebastian’s recorded work is so large at this time in their career that, with the exception of a handful of tracks circa Sinister to Arab Strap, and the dreaded newbie, the rest could go anywhere they choose. The opening acts, Diarrhea Planet and Real Estate, look pretty terrific as well. Radio City Music Hall is a pretty excellent venue as well.
These Days: Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
Last week’s debut album by Algiers was the album of the week, a place where Gospel and hard rock cross pollinated with the blues and tonight at Mercury Lounge, 630 doors, they will be greeted as stars. A huge gig for them, but if you wanna be difficult the UK rockers the Vaccines at Warsaw.
These Days: Monday, June 8th, 2015
Hot 97’s Summer Jam is always a chaos filled evening of fun and games, I once saw 50 Cent throw chairs at the audience who were booing him in the middle of a lousy set. Yesterday it erupted into chaos as folks without tickets tried to storm Metlife and the cops tear gassed them. Meanwhile, people with tickets were being denied admission.
These Days: Friday, June 5th, 2015
I remember when I hated Governors Ball the way I hated all music festivals, good if you’re a boy scout who didn’t mind camping out all night and good if you enjoyed seeing concerts from a stage further away than the last row at Metlife. BUT VIP tickets get you close and Governors Ball is an urban gig, reachable via subway. So here we go… today: Rudimental, Florence + The Machine and Drake are the highlights.
These Days: Thursday, June 4th, 2015
The True Groove All Stars begin their residency at The Classon Social Club in Brooklyn, the Max’s Kansas City Annual reunion day one at Bowery Electric, shoegaze ancestors Ride at T5, Chromeo at Apollo, Refused at MHOW, Wire At Bowery Ballroom.
These Days: Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015
Sepp Blatter stepped down as President of the Football Association FIFA amid allegations of huge corruption, kickbacks, bribery, you know, like Albany only for sports. Incidentally, if FIFA had given the US the next world cup instead of Qatar, I wouldn’t if the US would’ve pursued the corruption charges quite as vigorously?
These Days: Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015
While Richard Branson saw the space age as a cheap holiday for billionaires, Elon Musk, the inventor of Pay Pal, saw it as a way to cut itself right into the industrial complex with its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifted off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Excited: How about the Air Force allowing Space X to bid on Air Force launch business. The price of a launce has been $160M, Elon says he can do it for $100M. Wow.
These Days: Monday, June 1st, 2015
Senator Rand Paul filibustered a delay on the revised Patriots act vote, thereby delaying it till Tuesday or Wednesday. I may not agree with much that either the Tea Party or the Kentuckian does, but institutionalized spying should be illegal without a warrant. Paul is running for President.
These Days: Sunday, May 31st, 2015
Sajak’s penultimate song last night was a cover of The Stranglers epic self portrait “(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)”, one of the tastiest licks you’ll hear. Meanwhile, Dawes fans are upset I gave their new album a “B”…. they don’t seem to understand how I can like the playing and the lyric but think the songs didn’t make it.
These Days: Saturday, May 30th, 2015
The dream is over, the Rangers lost in seven and all we can do now is wipe away our tears and thank the Lord we didn’t pony up $650 for a ticket to the game at MSG. Henrik Lundqvist is the Patrick Ewing of New York Hockey… time to go home. Just wait till next year.
These Days: Friday, May 29th, 2015
Game Seven of Rangers Vs Lightning Hockey at MSG and the cheapest seat is $750. You would be a fool to bet against the Rangers, they’ve won their past four game sevens. Another step closer to the Stanley Cup if they win.
These Days: A New Column For The Day Ahead: Thursday, May 28th, 2015
The Rolling Stones have been teasing out alternate takes from the new Sticky Fingers deluxe upcoming release for weeks now. Translation? No unreleased new songs old material on the album. Jagger has noted he wished he hadn’t given it all to Exile On Main Street. Too late now.