I have a housemate up in this Jersey City ex-rectory named Brendan. He’s in the second year of the Seton Hall program I’m in. He is from Indiana originally and he loves doing things; he has a knack for finding free/cheap activities in New York City.

Last night, we went to the opera! Lincoln Center was enough of a treat to see, but my first opera was fantastic too.

My major hobby since moving to Jersey City is cycling. I take at least 2 small weekday trips and one major weekend one each week. I usually end up on the Hudson waterfront, and I almost always stop to take in the view.

I only wear headphones/iPod occasionally. But I was thinking tonight about what would be good New-York-City-view-while-cycling music.

Any thoughts?

I’m covering the CMJ Music Marathon again this year for PopMatters.. so once again, you guys got band recommendations?

The massive list of this year’s performers after the jump.

Doug, my coworker, and I need your help. This jingle just popped into our heads and we can’t figure out what it is. Like Paris, I had Doug call up my house line and leave a message. Enjoy.

Audio file is after the jump:

“You better watch out congress because she’s out to shake up Washington She’s our number one woman, We all love that Hockey Mom”

Video after the jump

Has anyone else heard Jenny Lewis’ new album Acid Tongue?

It occurs to me that I’ve probably mentioned them before, but twice in the past weekend have you, John, mentioned a band to me using the adjective “twangy.” Well, humbly, I submit the Avett Brothers, who are decidedly more folk/bluegrass/country than your submissions, but are nevertheless “really good” in my opinion.

Maybe my lack of listening to these genres in depth is to blame, but they’re kinda unique. Video after the jump.

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Everyone’s knows about and has done the Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz thing, but does everyone know about the thing with the climax of 2001: Space Odyssey as well? I had no idea until I read a recent wired article on the subject in honor of keyboardist Richard Wright’s death. Turns out the videos are prety easy to find on YouTube (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) and there’s no mistaking that it was done purposefully. It’s pretty absurdly cool, too, though it seems to miss the spirit of the movie. Something I’d definitely like to try at home sometime.

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Has anyone been using this new feature in iTunes very much? While some of the song selections are certainly questionable and despite the occasional annoyance of it not knowing a song, I’ve heard so much music from my own library that I’ve never listened to that I’m really enjoying. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the collected data of the next few months/years alters the song selection.

WOW. Just… fucking… WOW. I had no idea these dudes released a new album this year and it’s out-fucking-standing. Not 15 seconds into it and my brain is melting leaking out my fucking tear ducts. I quite honestly believe these dudes might be the best metal band making music right now.

I bought it on iTunes, though, so I can’t upload for you dudes. But I highly recommend going and finding a copy. It’s only $6 on iTunes (plus, of course, for higher bitrate and no DRM).

The band “the new year” just released their 3rd album today, if anyone’s interested…..if you’re familiar with the band you already know what it sounds like (they’ve made the same album for years) but like those other albums it’s pretty good.

if you don’t know who the new year are, it’s basically Bedhead with a different drummer/bassist.

i’ll FTP it when i get home.

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I really want to like it. They’re two of my all-time favorite musicians and I was so primed to love it. But man.

I fucking hate it. I really fucking hate it.

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I am not alone in the world. You see, I’ve been in more than my share of arguments about going out to a bar or club and how I picky I am about where I want to go. I can’t go to places with shitty music. I just can’t. It drives me insane. I can’t enjoy myself. People say I’m just exaggerating or being difficult and I wish it were the case, but it’s quite simple: if there’s shitty music, I’m not having fun. I can’t ignore it. I can’t block it out. It’s there and it’s awful and it makes me want to fight people.

If you clicked the link, you’ll see that somewhere else in the world there’s someone with this same complex who wrote a little comic about it. So next time I refuse to go to the Irish Pub or Silk City or all other manner of poorly DJ’d watering hole, you’ll know I’m not being difficult. I’m saving you the trouble of dealing with me being forced to hear Counting fucking Crows.

On the converse, if we go someplace with good music, you get to be around someone who is almost unreasonably happy and excited all the time. So it goes both ways, really.

Or do Iggy and the Stooges count as the true godfather? Which came first? Cite your sources. Or, just, y’know. Not. Sammy and I want to know and the internet hasn’t given us a satisfactory answer.

Tribal drumming, multiple vocal tracks, crazily strum acoustic guitars… sound like someone in particular? Yes. Yes it does, though perhaps with a bit more structure and ROCK and a little less weirdness. And that’s why I like it. A little less off the wall, sometimes even reminds me of Plants and Animals. Very good stuff.

Any Scrabblers in the Boston area? Aesop Rock will be at the Roxy tonight, tickets are 18 bucks and I’m fairly sure there are still some left. I’ll be there with bells on.

Just throwing it out there….