We the undersigned demand the following...

"Thousands of Beyonce fans have begun a petition to have her new video banned."

Banned? BANNED! Why? you ask. Does she insult the Christians? The Jews? The Muslims? Not quite.

"Citing an apparent lack of theme, poor editing, and unsuitable wardrobe, the petition insists "Déjà Vu" be redone." [link]

Theme? Like The Remorse of Conscience? The Deceptiveness of Fate? What kind of fans are these?

We the undersigned demand that Beyoncé Giselle Knowles use imagery and metaphor to exemplify the Predatory Nature of Human Existence. Failure to do so will result in an immediate boycott of the video "Déjà Vu" until that video is repealed and reinstated in an altered version of high integrity. This is to be decided by this governing body. Thank You.

-Signed, a Pissed Yeti

Weekend in Review: Bloc Party, Editors, Elvis Perkins, Midlake, CWK, Sound Team, Of Montreal, Think About Life.

The weekend started early. Thursday evening we trekked down to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ for a short-but-sweet set by my favorite live act of last year, Bloc Party. "Waiting for the 718" was a snoozer of an opener, but eventually the party started and the kids of NJ got into it. One of the most singalongable bands, BP spells euphoric youth. It's an anagram only solvable in the fifth dimension. The venue was spacious, the beer stations plentiful, and the weather near perfect -with one small blemish. An electrical storm moved in, cutting the encore to only two songs. Two is ok, but theur main set was short in-and-of-itself. And no "The Answer"; it would be the first show they didn't close with it. An unforunate precedent was set.

When we saw them at MacCarren Pool on Saturday, the ability to get beer was hampered by having only two locations for 5,000 people. My sole experience of the Secret Machines is from that line. Bloc Party didn't deliver a longer set this time, finishing 15 minutes before the 10:00 curfew. For a band that has so many songs -even beyond the LP- they left a lot of their best material back in London. Short-but-sweet, and still no Answer.

The night before, Friday night, I saw the Editors play a few acoustic songs for Fader. That was alright, but I'm mostly drawn to their fist-pumping beats, amped up bass, and delayed vocals. When they don't sound HUGE they lose much of their appeal. Almost everything acoustic is lesser [unless the songs are envisioned that way]. The three little acoustic jabbers made me wish I could catch the real thing later... but alas, life is what you miss because you're busy with other plans.

I ran down to the South Street Seaport to catch the last song of N. Dunger and then nearly all of Elvis Perkins. I've written a lot on Perkins before, so I'll keep this short: it was the best I've seen him. It was magical. They played much off their album - AND YOU CAN NOW BUY THEIR ALBUM!- and two songs I never heard before, both of which were fantastic. Don't take my word for it. Go see them.

From there, it was off to the Merc. Midlake was better than my fears (and peers) had suggested. It's still not enough to compel me to listen to the Trials of Van Japanther over another, but they were ok live. Cold War Kids on the other hand were the shit. They were in top form, with the energy, songs and savior faire to go even further. Don't sleep on these guys. Sound Team closed the night off and seemed a little out of sync. I really like the album Movie Monster, but they strayed a lot from it, especially in the beginning fo the set. The band that impressed me at Webster Hall seemed unfocused here. Julseas told me on Sunday that they were pretty good the following night so maybe it was just a bad gig.

So, yeah... Sunday. After sleeping in, I went straight back to MacCarren Pool. Of Montreal got the crowd going, but I didn't have the energy or attention to give it my all. "You get what you put in," but I went all in for Bloc Party the night before and Sunday had to -as they say- "pay the fiddler." At one time all five band members had a guitar, but oddly enough very little guitar was being produced. My ears and eyes were debating over the discrepancy while the drum machine spat out it's beats. In simple terms, Of Montreal reminds me of a lesser Architecture in Helsinki. It's not quite "dance" music, but indie rock that's easy to dance to. Then again, my knowledge of Of Montreal is not very wide.

Later on, we went to Cake Shop for Think About Life from - or perhaps "of" - Montreal. Yet another show with a band that only has one album and who play so little from it. No complaints though. The songs I didn't know were fun. Think About Life are intense and hiding underneath the almost hardcore sensibilities are very catchy melodies. A great conclusion to a music-infested weekend.

One show I did not see this weekend was the Gaskets. I've spread the gospel as far as I can, so I'm glad others are beginning to take notice. Most recently, the Modernage. Laura exclaims that the Gaskets are her "new favorite band." Glad to hear that I'm not crazy.

The Thermals - Pillar of Salt

The Thermals will release their third LP next month and it's a good one. They've slowed it down a bit, stretching the typical song from 2:30 to roughly 3:30. Their press kit mentions the lyrics "envisioning a United States governed by a fascist Christian state, and focus on the need (and means) to escape." I didnt even realize all the Biblical references until Jen mentioned them.

Now I wish they'd return to the East. So far only West Coast dates.

The Thermals - Pillar of Salt (mp3)

The Pillar of Salt story as described by Slate:

Two male angels visit Lot's house in Sodom. A crowd of men (Sodomites!) gathers outside the house and demands that the two angels be sent out, so the mob can rape them. Lot, whose hospitality is greater than his common sense, offers his virgin daughters to the mob instead. Before any rapes can happen, the mob is blinded by a mysterious flash of light. The angels lead Lot, his wife, and daughters out of the city, and God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstone. Lot's wife looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt. (God may have listened to Abraham's rebuke, but He surely didn't heed it. What of all the innocent children murdered in Sodom and Gomorrah? What of Lot's innocent wife?)

How Evil does one have to be before they want to buttfuck rape Angels? They didn't teach that in Religious Ed.

New Youth Group

Youth Group's sophomore album is out in Australia. I'm still running through it for the first time, but I rememer this song from their live show and remember mouthing Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" over the chorus. You will too.

Youth Group - Let It Go (mp3)

The similarities are too close to ignore. It would almost be a good song otherwise. Maybe it wouldn't be bothersome if the very next song didn't start off sounding like Radiohead's "High and Dry."

Anyway, here's a better new song:

Youth Group - Daisychains (mp3)

Drinking Coffee Patron with...

...Joey Ramone?

...Kip Malone?

..all alone?

Actually it was Craig Finn [and others], with whom I suppose I ought have been drinking gin. Friday night was Day Three of my birthday extravaganza which began with Jens Lekman at Mercury and closed with Jens Lekman at Bowery. Oh, and Coffee Patron is an actual product, not just a concoction you'd create at a mixer-less frat party. Despite the skepticism in the group, afterwards it was unanimously lauded as the Next Big Thing.

And then we saw Jens. He was backed by a band of four five SIX virgins GIRLS, all dressed in white. If I liked this more than his Wednesday solo show, the ladies were only one reason. The main reason wasthe bombastic horn section, turning eloquent, fragile and intimate narratives from Wednesday into all-out battle hymns.

Even last night at the ne'er faultering Sam Champion show, people were still discussing their love for Jens.

Jens closed the night at Bowery unmic'ed and unplugged, similar to his Mercury show last fall, and like the bulk of his show two days prior. But here, here...

I have never seen the Bowery Ballroom listen so intently.

Eagle Seagull Ventures Out of Nebraska

Eagle Seagull [website/myspace] will be returning to NYC on Saturday August 19th at Pianos. When their album first came out in 2005, a lot of critics dropped Arcade Fire comparisons. They seemed inadequate at the time, and now even more so... now that we have Sunset Rubdown. If they weren't from Nebraska you'd swear they were from Montreal.

All tour dates here.

Eagle Seagull – You’re Beauty is a Knife I Turn on My Throat (mp3)
Eagle Seagull – Hello Never (mp3)

EZarchive might be a little obstinate at the moment.
The band often -[always?]- puts and asterisk in their name, but I won't encourage it.

Road Trip

So I thought we had a ride to Asbury Park this Thursday for the Bloc Party show at the Stone Pony. A little car trouble has put an end to that plan. Now we're looking for alternatives. I thought maybe someone out there amongst the tubes would be driving down, or -more importantly- driving back. Getting into Penn Station at 1:13 AM is not my definition of "fun," and I have a pretty lenient dictionary. I also have an extra ticket or two you can have.

Please reach me at jerryyeti @ gmail dot com.

-Love,
Bloc Party fan

Kelly Clackson on Tour with.... Ford?

Chicago Blogger and friend Tequila Red writes of the Kelly Clarkson show:

It was all good. Until it happened. Until, right in the middle of her set, Miss Kelly Clarkson sold us all down the river.

"So, y'all know I'm on this tour with Ford," she drawled into the mic. "They are just so great. Giving away cars and stuff! It's awesome! So, we wrote this next song together. Y'all might have seen it on the TV, but in case you haven't the video will be up on the screen behind me. Sing along if you know it!"

And for the next four minutes 10,000 people were watching a car commercial... You might want to re-think your promotion when it makes even people who work in advertising projectile vomit.

Read the rest here.

Here's the tune (mp3 clip) she wrote "with Ford." Bill Ford Jr. really tears things up on bass. [rapidshare link to complete song here]

And despite many requests from the audience, she absolutely refused to play "Six Months in a Leaky Boat."

Decemberists graduate to Hammerstein; CMJ

PFM has the scoop that the Decemberists will be hitting NYC on Friday November 3, playing the Hammerstein Ballroom. The new album The Crane Wife will be out on Capitol October 3.

I guess this makes them the first confirmed CMJ gig, no?

More tour dates and tracklist here.

CSS Roxxx; Diplo and Bonde do Role pretty good too

I wasn't expecting much from CSS last night, but they immediately had me convinced. The frontwoman, who goes by the name Lovefoxxx, stripped though layers upon layers of costumes, dancing ecstatically and bursting with energy that never receded, not even after numerous forays in crowd surfing. So joyous, she embodied the "Sexy" in Cansei de Ser Sexy. The girls -there are four or five [I lost count]... [oh, and one guy]- dominated the Warsaw like proper headliners, proving why Sub Pop signed them in the first place. The album is good -and probably the only thing I'll listen to for the next week- but live they bring a party. I love parties. Lovefoxxx has the energy of the Grates frontwoman but also a rock and roll band with the wattage to match.

I was telling J earler that now that I am 25, the youngest I can date is probably 22, maybe 21. Conveniently, Lovefoxxx herself turned 22 last night.

Diplo was fun and had it been a weekend, I would have stayed longer. Bonde Do Role opened the night up. They are a trio who dance and sing along alla Kids Bop with one of them, Gorky, runs the turntable. They are pretty repetitive and not wholly original, but I found myself not caring about that too much. They'd be perfect at a 2 AM slot during CMJ when you need that extra kick in the pants to keep you going. They could be the Sparks of Indie Rock.

New Bobby Bare Jr. mp3

Bobby Bare Jr. is readying his third release with the Young Criminal Starvation League, The Longest Meow. He recorded it in 11 hours back in March with members of MMJ. "Originally, I wanted to do the whole album in an hour," he said. Which... would be one take. Like a "Live! From Nashville Recording Studio!"

Anyway, Scott got his grubby hands on a track and shared. It's alright. I'm a firm believer of studios always leaking the least interesting tracks.

Bobby Bare Jr. - Snuggle World Championships (mp3)

Also, unreleased -likely to be on The Longest Meow, (and one of my favorite Bare tunes):
Bobby Bare Jr. - Just Stop Crying, Live @ KEXP (mp3)

New Pela Mp3s

Worlds Fair is offering some new Pela mp3s that arent on the EP or future LP.
Pela is dope, and if I was free on July 27th, I totally be at the Mercury Lounge that night to see them with Human Television, the Diableros, and Project Jenny Project Jan. Solid line-up.

Pela - Good Foot On A Bad Doorstep (mp3)
Pela - Bars In The Rain (mp3)

Everything this band does I love. Even these rough cuts.

CSS, Diplo, Bonde Do Role... Condensed

SPLAT! 3xWes informed me that the big Bonde Do Role, CSS, Diplo show tomorrow night at Avalon has been cancelled and that only the Warsaw show will go on. Sub Pop wrote saying:
"It is now time to take a train to bummer city. Why? Because apparently the Avalon show has just been cancelled. ARGH! Really ridiculous, but the promoter hadn’t presold half of the tickets and pulled the plug."

Doubly sad because tomorrow's this yeti's birthday and -well- Thursday is not.

Hopefully y'all can make it out to the big Yeti 25 years and a Day Party at Warsaw still.

Picture via BB.

Siren Festival Recap, TnT @ Maxwell's

"I Hate Tapes," the buttons read. Everyone has an opinion on Tapes 'n Tapes. Some had buttons, others has frowns of skepticism, glowering How dare you like this band. Fans "Hate Tapes." Unfans don't understand the appeal. They glower.

Or at least I imagine they do. Josh Grier led us through a sudden 30 minute set -the exact same 30 minutes that it sprinkled cool raindrops from the heavens. Short and sweet. That's how I like my rock, rain, and rollercoasters. The performace was decent, relying on the strong songwriting, but it wasn't their best. They haven't yet mastered the magic of shrinking a crowd of thousands into an intimate and unique experience.

It was the only performance I managed to see at the Main Stage all day. I spent most of my time in the beer line, bathroom line and at the Stillwell Stage where the speakers and mix was just godawful: absurdly loud and unbalanced. Man Man were awesome as usual, but the mic's on the drums dominated. The Cribs were also as good as I remember, but they were quickly outdone once Art Brut took the spotlight.

Art Brut is the supernova of performers. They are the stellar explosion that out shines all others in the universe, and no matter how many times you've seen it, it makes everyone rock out. It was they tenth show in eight months in NYC, and already the fifth I've seen. I'd hate to be the band that plays afterwards. Sorry, Stars, but you couldn't hold your own on this one.

I so badly wanted to see the Scissor Sisters, and should have found a way -there's always a way- to push forward over at the Main Stage. But we were already close for Stars, and I like Stars, and they should have been great, but but but... they were just.. just ok. The DJ rubbed salt in our eyes by played "Filthy Gorgeous" however. That was nice.

Charles, Marty, Suellen, Ang, and I stayed at Astroland playing games for quite a while winning prizes, tickets, memories. I blew all my cash on skeeball and Charles bought me a a round or two of a game... one where he won a doll we named Skanky Hoe Candi, and another where I won a rainbow beast we called Marty Dusty.

Quick Note: Tapes 'n Tapes at Maxwell's ruled. They were in top form and as good if not better than their small club shows back in January. Glad to see them rock out and the crowd really into it. We all hate tapes.

"My lady dont like it no more"

You know that Sugar Ray song that goes "Every morning there's a halo hangin
from the corner of my girlfriend's four post bed"? We found the bed. [via helen]

"The Bed ____Must SEE ________Must GO
My lady dont like it no more"



$10? Holy crap. You could rent that thing out on Casual Encounters for $10 an hour.

Staring At The Sun

Space Shuttle Old Yeller landed safely this morning with its crew all in one piece. Well, technically speaking, the crew is in in six pieces. USA Today reported recently on the traditional alarm clock NASA uses to wake the buggers out of their slumber. NASA pipes in songs chosen by their loved ones back on terra firma. The Billboard chart of top tunes goes something like this:

1. Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder, 13 times
2. Anchors Aweigh, 12 times
3. The Marine Corps Hymn, 10 times
4. I Got You Babe, 10 times; by Sonny & Cher
5. What a Wonderful World, 6 times; by Louis Armstrong
6. I Got You (I Feel Good), a perennial favorite, by James Brown

Other Past Selections:
Waltzing Matilda, Sweet Home Alabama, Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes, Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Probably just off the chart:
We Are Scientists - Ode to Star L23 (mp3)

You'd think Thus Spake Zarathustra would be a biggie. Maybe it's the whole "murdered by the computer" subtext that lessens its popularity.

Girl Talk... Name that Sample

Late Friday night, trying to find a few last mp3s before canceling my eMusic account, I listened to a clip of Girl Talk after a recommendation by Dodge. When it came up shuffling on my ride home, I was hooked. As a mash-up album, it’s a medley of familiar pop songs, rap songs, and staple rock songs. Unlike most mash-ups you might be familiar with, instead of combining two or three sources, Girl Talk's Night Ripper uses dozens of samples on each track, making it nearly impossible for those with ADD to find a point to disembark. Why Gregg Gillis chose the pussyname Girl Talk for his moniker I do not know.

Night Ripper embodies the same appeal that a DJ creates on the dance floor during those brief 30 seconds when both tracks overlap. Here, the whole album is in that state of contant transition. Some samples feel ornamental [Smashing Pumpkin's "Today" lick for one] and every once in a while when I catch myself saying -"I love this song!"- I remind myself: Of course I do. The album is designed to be loved. Not to get all Ayn Rand on y'all, but Gillis is manipulating us. He's pulling our heartstrings by sequencing our favorite tunes from 6th grade through... well... a few months ago.

Coincidentally, this morning, PFM rated it Best New Music. When you are sampling MIA, LCD Soundsystem, Kayne West all of which were Best 2005 Music, you are bound to be loved. If you buy one album this summer that has 200 partial songs, this is it.

Girl Talk - Too Deep (mp3)
Girl Talk - Minute by Minute (mp3)
Girl Talk- Bounce That (mp3)

With 150 samples, most of which will are used under the pretext of Fair Use, it's as if they should have titled the album, Here Come the Lawyers. It makes the Grey Album look like trilobite. Buy it while you can.

"The Internet is a Series of Tubes" - the mp3.

Recently, Senator Ted Stevens made hilarious misguided remarks about how he thinks the internet works:

An internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why? Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet commercially... the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck. It's a series of tubes. And if you don't understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and its going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material.

Now it's a dance track, and one that makes Steven's remarks seem even more inane.

DJ Ted Stevens Techno Remix - A Series of Tubes (mp3)

Of War and Peace

I'm somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 into Tolstoy's War and Peace. Don't worry, a proper book report will follow in the near future. I'm taking my sweet ass time. For those who have seen me out and about with it, it's a doozy. It weighs as much as a brick... or two. Anyway, with all the war going on in the world [be sure to check out the Rapture Ready Message Board!!!] I thought I'd distract you by relating this entertaining Amazon.com review of this anchor I've been tethered to:

This hardcover novel brings the freaking pain, June 23, 2006

Reviewer:

J. D. Woody (Los Angeles)

Leo Tolstoy left his mark on world culture when he gave us this specimen of a thick, hardcover book which is bound to pack a wallop. His sociopolitical analysis of life amongst the well-to-dos of Russian society comes to you bound in all its hardcover glory and is sure to be painful when used as a weapon. The other day my friend popped me up the noggin with his W&P copy and my ears are still ringing. This book measures 9X13X3" and SNAP does it smart. One time I got mugged and I clobbered the mugger with a copy of Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot" and it might as well have been a small town newspaper with half the pages missing. Literary experts disagree about the proper use of this classic novel. The conventional approach is to tug the lower corners, swing, and catch your victim on the chin. I follow the version endorsed by Barnes & Noble, Weekly Reader, and library.com which clearly emphasizes grasping both ends evenly, and pancaking your victim right in the mush. I could go on and on about this classic piece of literature from one of writing's greatest voices, but if you live in a bad neighborhood, War and Peace is the book for you.

What I Did On Vacation, Part One

What have I dont this past month? I've seen plenty of gigs but none of which I've bothered to share. Until now.

My Summer Vacation from Reviewing Shows

On a Wednesday night in late June, I sat in the back of the bar at Joe's Pub taking in the vocal stylings of Clap Your Hands Say Say frontman, Alec Ounsworth, who was having an affair with Flashy Python and the Bodysnatchers. While it may sounds like a B-movie monster flick, it's just Ounsworth's revisitation of his folk roots. It was a quaint evening including a few recognizable tunes, one of which was a stylized version of "Details of the War." Ounsworth used play around with embellishing melodies like this with his Clap Band, to the peeve of critics everywhere. He has sinced ceased that habit, but now does so freely with these side projects.

Later that night we saw Ounsworth's stunt-double-with-a-beard, O'death. O'death comes at the folk angle from the percussive end, jamming on a bluegrass reel like a tornado tearing through West Virginia. I wanted to get up and square dance, but the cramped quarters in Pete's Candy Store refuses such revelry.

That Saturday, the 24th day of the sixth month, Final Fantasy played a show a long time in the making. While I can't stand He Poos Clouds, the charm of the music is in the performance. Owen single-handedly creates layered compositions that leave me in awe. He shouts into his violin to create a backing chorus and each segment of a song emerges one by one as the previous melodies loop over and over. Amazing. One girl pushed her way to the front row and danced like... like... I cannot describe it. I will anyway: like she wasn't listening to what I was listening. Final Fantasy plays again at the Merc at the end of August and I suggest cancelling your travel plans to attend. I'll be dancing this time.

Tuesday night, June 27th, I caught Tokyo Police Club, the Lovely Feathers, and the Grates at the Mercury Lounge. It was a one-two-three punch that didn't do much except ruffle my shirt and maybe give me a bruise. Tokyo Police Club were decent but lacked the talent I expected from them. Those damn blogs had me fooled! The Lovely Feathers write good songs, but unfortunately that's all I can remember of them. I could investigate them further, but eh.

From The Grates I had never heard a note before, but word on the street was that they were killer. I was especially excited from the shots that were beamed back from SXSW. The pictures sounded awesome. The Grates themselves, however they try, didn't have me convinced. They are bursting with energy and, yes, they are great to watch, but the songs left me wanting. Don't judge a band by their images, less you be a judge.

The line-up the following night was more solid. The Little Ones proved that they are more that a couple catchy songs on a EP. The bassist is a round Asian dude that bops around and entertains, and the whole band is tight. Land of Talk, who have been everywhere recently in NYC, were also impressive... more so that the Knitting Factory gig. Nothing compares with Elizabeth's voice.

The next night I trekked out for Brooklyn Vegan's Slaughterhouse Showcase. When I finally found the Syrup Room in Bumfuck, Brooklyn -yes I did get lost- the Ballet were playing. I immediately started humming Jens Lekman's Black Cab despite knowing they problably sound nothing alike. Later I found out I wasn't so off base. The similarities to Lekman in style and phrasing are not just the crazy thoughts in a room that couldn't have been less that 102 degrees. It was scorching.
Listen: The Ballet - Personal (mp3)

Ramesh of Voxtrot followed by playing two new songs that may or may not evolve into future Voxtrot tracks. Solo, it's hard to distinguish how these will flesh out with the band, so I'll reserve judgement. Ramesh then played "Whiskey" and "Raised by Wolves," both of which were nice. Tokyo Police Club took over and played like the band I expected them to on Tuesday. This was the band at which the exhaulted praise was directed. Maybe I can trust blogs afterall. Land o' Lakes Talk closed the night off with "You Are My Sunshine." Ok, maybe not. I left a tad early, having lost 10 pounds in the sauna they call a venue.

Coming up in Part Two: Shows, shows, and more shows.

News Items

There's only really two big news items today: the passing of an English legend, Syd Barrett, and the bewildering success of an American reject, Chris Daughtry. Oh... and LeAnne Rimes' infected leg... but was I going to really mention that in the same breathe as Syd? Believe me, I fought. Daughtry? Infected Leg? Daughtry? Infected Leg?

On a sad note:
"[Daughtry] will form a band 'and has already begun to work with A-list collaborators' to write and record material for an album, expected to be released later this year. Daughtry turned down an offer to be lead singer for the band Fuel last month."

Fuel already went ahead and did auditions to fill the spot for lead singer. Whodidtheypick whodidtheypick? Well, the band is keeping it a secret: "Regarding the new singer, we can't make an announcement until it is totally and completely done ... and even then, don't know if we will. Gotta keep the suspense ya know."

Sure. The suspense.

Be Back Shortly

I'll be back from this little vacation from blogging shortly. Not much has been happening. The new Rapture track is only so-so, and the new Killers track definitely blows. At least the new Thermals track on the PDXPOP compilation is a nice revist of old skool Thermals. Unlike their forthcoming album, which I'll go further into in a future post, this goes back to the lo-fi sound that made More Part Per Million so raw and exciting.

The Thermals - Product Placement (mp3)

Italy 2 - Germany 0

The final minutes of the Italy-Germany were intense, made only more so by this Spanish commentator. [youtube]

Almost Goal:
"Goooooo-- aawww."

First Goal:
"Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool! Grraaaaaaaasssoooooooooooo. Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool"

Second Goal:
"Golaso! Golaso! Golaso! Golaso! Golaso! Gooool-Goool-Goooool-Gooool-Gooool-Gol! GolAAAAAAAso! GolAAAAAAso-GolaAAAAAAso-Golaso! -Aso! -Aso! -Aso! -Aso! -Aso! Asssso!

Bonus: The Arabic version is awesome also.[via mefi]

Belle & Sebastian Pics

Belle & Sebastian played Battery Park yesterday's River to River Festival. I wrote a little about it for the BeeV. Here are a few more pictures.

Fireworks!

I hope everyone had a great holiday. I sure did.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

On arriving at Coney Island, you can't see anything of the contest due to the booths and camera crews. Further down Stillwell Avenue, the two top contenders rise on platforms in front of the big photo-mural and countdown clock. The clock counts down 365 days of the year to this event. It was a little disappointing to see the contest start at 0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, and 10 seconds. Can't they sync the two together? Imagine watching the ball drop in Times Square ten seconds too late.

Once it starts, the crowd is so dense that for the next twelve minutes you can only see the blue signs with the numbers of consumed hot dogs. It was neck and neck as Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut traded leads but in the end Chestnut only ate 52 hots, while Kobayashi beat his old record by .25 to consume 53.75.

Oh the Glory!