they were doing that performance/art thing in bryant park today. pretty cool. i kind of want a flaky white jacket now. good thing the artist didn't surreptitiously record and recreate one of my lunchtime conversations with holly...that would've been embarrassing.

from the dude who brought you sandwiches that you will like, pbs is now featuring a television show called a hot dog program, which you must agree is hilarious on the face of it. much guffawing in chez rivington last night.

after some serious pillockry, amy and i finally made it to volume friday night. les savy fav rocked it all over the damn place. they played a bunch of songs off inches, which is probably their best album. tim harrington engaged in his usual half-naked hijinks and also rode a mattress into the crowd (how fun?!). amy and i left sweaty and happy and thoroughly rocked. (volume really needs to up their a.c. game. hell, i'd take a few ceiling fans. also, $7 for a mixed drink in a dixie cup: not that sweet.)

little steven's underground garage festival: 20 bucks, a bazillion bands (including iggy pop and the stooges, the strokes, the new york dolls, bo diddley and the list goes on). august 14.

krucoff and crew are doing a weekly "party" where they "dj" (their quotes) an evening of old-school indie, punk, and hip-hop. ch- ch- check it out (sorry) at the 12-inch bar, where drinks ARE cheap (thank you god), thursday, 8 to midnight.

i spent lunch hour in the fashion district loading up on sewing supplies (prepare for randomly zippered tops, y'all). the old guy in one of the stores was intrigued by my shirt, which is a now-classic cut-up-and-stitched-back-together dealie like this one. he pronounced it "very interesting" and even "excellent" and was very encouraging. he was, in fact, so cute!

metascene fred updated on may 7! and april 30. two big-whoop days in just over a week for sir metascene! fred, i salute you.

speaking of wacky internet dudes i've liked since the beginning, sometimes adam kempa goes off the deep end. he does. he admits it. his detailed treatises on obscure techniques of vinyl manufacturing, for instance, can really stretch the patience of even the most ardent kempa-lover. so you skip stuff sometimes. but he's had some really interesting shit lately: a lot more stuff about vinyl oddities, including a japanese model kit that lets you record sound onto the lids of ramen noodle cups. (whoa.) anyway, what i'm trying to say is that there is all sorts of wacky, amazing shit (the results of his own years-in-the-making bottlecap mosaic; a hook rug that contains a portrait only visible when a reflective garbage can is placed on the rug) that kempa has dug up (probably with the help of his librarian girlfriend) on his site right now.

i caught fahrenheit 9/11 wednesday night, opening night, in a theater full of excited people. the woman in front of us really wanted us to share her popcorn, even. everyone was so ready to rejoice in the ridiculousness of our president. which is kind of weird when you think about it. the movie was very compelling, very funny, very emotional. it was also flawed and manipulative in places. i loved it. i laughed a lot and almost cried. i think michael moore is a fine american. yay for him for caring enough to make a really important film, for trying to do something that very well could change the minds of a lot of people.

todd pointed to this dude's "say something funny" piece in the onion: things i would vote for instead of george bush.

this is what i am going to name my kid.

because i seem to have taken it upon myself to let you know about any and all cool rock shows happening this summer, oneida and ex models are playing mighty robot the night of the siren festival.

and then this morning i was in serious need of an egg sandwich and the grill guy said to me, "don't look so intense, babe, it's just an omelet." sometimes he's almost genius.

this new fiona apple song sounds kind of like it belongs in a musical. [thanks productshop.]

i don't know why the fuck i am posting this, because seriously do any of you care? but eventually i might read this supposedly very thorough history of gbv, part 1 and part 2.

all these shirts are so cute: designs on the white house.

daily reasons to dispatch bush.

les savy fav is playing volume on friday. if there's anybody out there i haven't yet dragged to a les savy fav show and you are that body, you must come. they're not going to be around forever, you know. also possibly worth attending at this venue: erase errata, moving units, blood on the wall, blah blah bands i don't know, for $2 (!). and free red stripe. july 15.

changing the name of this dumb thing from "miss subways" to "ms. subways" really modernizes it, huh? hooray for the 70s! note: i still don't get this contest at all.

helpful guide to celebrity weblogs.

meet the quad cam. i got this as a present a couple of years ago and decided tennis on father's day was the perfect occasion to bust it out. the colors kind of suck, but oh the action!

earlier in the weekend...

...heather wore the hat. and check out all the BABIES on the pita these days!

the new old 97s gives me goosebumps in sticky 90-degree new york weather. unnecessary track-by-track review coming soon.

today i bought a bag of cherries on the street, and they were ALL doubles. siamese-twin cherry butts. that's either really creepy or really good luck.

checked out franz ferdinand last night at webster hall. people really go crazy for that band. they were extremely tight, a well-oiled scottish-dance-rock machine. the lead singer kept pointing at the audience in this overtly rock-star pose, which i found funny and strangely luke skywalker-esque. not concert nirvana, but good. jen thought the bassist was cute, whereas i thought it was quite obvious that the only reason those hard stares would be netting him any girls was the geetar hanging in front of his scottish gut. also of note: webster hall, while pretty, serves EIGHT-DOLLAR CORONAS. (jen said nine, but i guess she tips. when the beers are eight bucks, i tip once and never again.) there is no excuse for charging that much for a beer. webster hall, you suck. here is an account of the vip balcony scene. she did miss one indie-rock notable up there though. kids today. guess that means it's time for a blind item: WHICH indie-rock great was seen hanging over the edge of the balcony for exactly two songs, his chin practically dripping wet with derision? of course, maybe it was the insane heat and indoor humidity that was plaguing us all. i repeat, webster hall: no buzz.

came across a couple nice photologs recently: big pictures and joe's nyc.

gmail is too creepy for some people (like older brother paul, who believes that "google is the devil"). wait, no, you shouldn't be afraid! shit, i'm so confused. meanwhile, where you at, hotmail?

the last couple fridays i've been listening to maura.com's dj set on wprb. it fucking rules. she makes my afternoons, when everyone i know is out enjoying their "summer fridays," so much better. go tune in now! i also recently started listening to kexp in the morning. internet radio, making life worth living! wooh.

those crazy dutch. they are so innovative. and crazy! check out these floating houses.

i caught mellowdrone at rothko last night. i call bullshit on the skimpy half-hour set, but everyone should go see them. especially if you like, say, early beck or folk implosion or the eels. mp3s abound; i recommend "fashionably uninvited" as a good starting point. the dude was not what i expected. he wearing the tightest pants i have ever seen. tall, scarily thin guys ought not wear these pants. i think they were made of a stretchy material. i could see his ass cheeks flopping around through the cavernous hole between his thighs as he bopped up and down. anyway, i feel bad taking up so much pitaspace talking about his pants because he/they are brilliant. i was really glad i went. they're playing twice more next week at rothko, wednesday and friday. i was too impatient to wait around for someone to man the merch table. i might have to go back.

fun album alert! i've been playing the shit out of the exploding hearts album that little matt burned for me. it's fucking great. retardedly catchy punk-pop. reminds me of the ramones. gets the catherine's pita seal of i-love-you. really sad that most of the band died in a van accident last summer.

teaching the indie kids to dance again has a couple new radio 4 tracks up for download. i don't know if it's me or them, but i'm not really feelin' it, dawgs.

lindsay has a great cab story.

even though i've never set foot in most of those crappy bars, it's still sad they're clearing out upper orchard street to make way for more big dumb apartment buildings.

why you should sign up for mailing lists when they pass around the clipboard: occasionally it will result in discovering a website that amuses you for several dozen minutes, such that you have to force yourself to step away from the website. such is the case with reallysmalltalk.com. this piece was especially funny, possibly because i think i actually heard a couple of those comments as they were uttered.

okay, the river to river festival is totally kicking summerstage's ass. check out this (incomplete) list of artists they've got set to rock the seaport and battery park this summer: ted leo (YAY), aimee mann, sufjan stevens, the black keys, the stills, fountains of wayne (YAY), the hold steady with joanna newsom, old 97s (YAY), the soundtrack of our lives, beulah, and more.

and that's all i got today.

it was a good weekend, filled with babies, beer, and laughter. can't beat that. the only low point came when i was called a "fuckin' bitch" twice for the generous act of giving mugsy, who wanted things to get more "interesting," a sip of my gin-and-tonic (delivered through my straw at high speed). how rude!

remember that link about the rock version of american idol? it seems the band they're finding a new lead singer for is inxs.

mr. hold steady, craig finn, does this crisp songs thing where he gets bands to record exclusive tracks for emusic. there are a couple new hold steady songs up there now: i heard "you gotta dance (with who you came with)" live recently and it instantly ruled. extra points for hand claps. "modesto's not that sweet" is...different. and of course there are a bunch of other songs by bands like get on get on (how best is that name?). the only catch is you have to sign up with emusic, but you can do a free trial thing where you get 40 songs at no charge. i'm downloading the whole sampler. rock and roll, my friends. (braggy side note: craig is using a picture by yours truly for his bio. i feel special.)

and finally, there are a couple new spoon demos! exciting! check out i summon you and sister jack. [via catbirdseat]

losing my edge has relaunched, with a new (awesome) look and an mp3-blog kinda slant. note: i don't want to make any promises, but sometime in the near future catherine's pita is going to start providing mp3s. and then it will be ON.

interview with jeff tweedy.

i was going to tell a funny lady-doctor story, but decided against it. in any case, everyone please have a rockin' weekend, and stop sending me gmail invites. i have way more than enough at this point.

photobloggers on the proposed subway-photography ban. some nice shots in there. plus, word of a subway-photography contest. [thanks juli]

this looks like a pretty interesting art project. i wonder if one of my lunches in the park with holly will be recorded and reproduced for posterity. this art-blogger dude also has pictures of the insanity that took place at the new club called the delancey. bouncers is crazy!

fountains of wayne b-sides collection by the end of the year.

uh, so, i have been testing a bunch of beauty products lately. this is a yearly part of my job that is at once fun (free makeup!) and a pain in the ass (brown bags everywhere). as a service to the female readership, i'd like to highlight a few products that could, i am so totally serious, make your life better. i hope this isn't too weird.

revlon colorstay overtime lip color in ultimate wine. this shit stays on all day and doesn't crack and look like shit, unless you eat a sweater or something. you just put some of the gloss on when you get that not-so-fresh feeling. red lips all day! it's not a ridiculous red, either. i once pulled it out at a blogger function and lindsay was all, "ohmygod i have that lipstick!" even if you hook up with someone, you will STILL have a stain on your lips the next morning and will have to scrub it off. this is kind of a drawback, but that last-night's-makeup look is often hot. i'm going to get it in more colors.

lush "big" shampoo. this is the funnest shampoo i have ever used. it comes in a cardboard tub (like ice cream) and looks like a body scrub. it has sea salt in it and lathers up like woah. it makes your hair feel squeaky clean, and it smells awesome. i have been out at social events and actually started thinking about the shampoo. (not even kidding; perhaps i need new friends?) also it has a little sticker on it that says it was made by paul in april 2004, with a little cartoon representation of paul. cutest shampoo ever!

almay bright eyes color cream shadow in golden gleam. i have shunned eye shadow most of my life because it gets in my eyes and makes me miserable, but amazingly, this cream formula stays on my lids -- again, all day. okay, so it might eventually settle in the crease after a few hours. reblend with a pinkie finger and you once again have shimmery eyes that don't scream "i have colored eyelids!" best trick ever: put a little bit in the corners of your eyes, just like the magazines say. you will then be a superstar, or at least not look so hungover. this is possibly the best eye shadow ever. plus it is named after a cute emo boy.

also for the record, i really, really cannot stand !!!. dumbass california hippies who accidentally got some buzz, am i right or am i right? they use the word "primal" on their website. and this track is a pile of poop, you must admit. they must know this because they put only mp3 samples on their site, and mp3 samples are, as the catbirdseat more astutely put it, dumb. i rest my case.

very dubious selections on this 50 coolest song parts list. [via the morning news]

oh, internet. just when i think you are boring the pants off me and i need to go on an internet dating service to find a cooler internet to hang out with, you go and blow my mind with something like this: "My name is Ulrich Haarb¨rste and I like to write stories about Roy Orbison being wrapped up in cling-film." [thanks dude]

this is a pretty fun flash game that features a bunch of songs by the polyphonic spree, whose new album comes outnext month.

rock idol? suspicious.

watch the trailer for fahrenheit 911, and then the one for the corporation, which i heard was really good (and scary).

i put another of my t-shirt alterations up on the fotolog. this one is a little bit dubious, and for some reason, for the photo, i decided to make my hair into a bouffant. it makes me laugh so i guess it's good enough to put on the internet, right? wooh!

finally, everybody do the worm for holly norton; it's her birfday today! pictures after the weekend, i'm sure...

it was pretty gray this weekend, so i decided we needed some yellow.

gaze upon my ass: i made another skirt last night. comments welcome (uh, about the skirt). i've already gotten "crazy" and "slightly insane" in addition to "awesome."

am i a horrible person? shit, i think i might be. at least i am an asshole new yorker. officially. allow me to confess: this morning i was at the metrocard vending machines, trying to hurry my way through the process, because i was aware of a homeless guy bothering the person at the machine next to me. at the end of my transaction, as i was waiting for the machine to spit out my card, i became aware that the homeless guy, an older, slightly bedraggled black guy, was trying to talk to me. i say "became aware" because it's not like i heard him. i walk around in my own little music world (sans ipod) on my commute, and indeed most of the time i go anywhere. the guy was holding out two dollar bills to me for some reason. i guessed that he wanted someone to get him a metrocard from the machine. which by the way is not hard, but maybe he can't read, i realized later. i, horrible person, did not bother to remove my headphones and find out for sure. i looked up, saw his sad, sad eyes, said "no" at an unknowable volume and flounced off. then i felt so bad i smiled at another homeless person once off the subway. does that make it okay?

randi and i saw my morning jacket the other night with 800 other schmoes (aspen extra gold, anyone?). they're good (really good), but man, their hair is really important to their identity. i do like the crazy silhouettes and stagemanship associated with the headbanging, but at what point does it cross over into self-parody? hmm. jim james even told a story about a dream he had where they had to go onstage without any body hair, kind of alienlike, facial features being the only identifying characteristic. maybe he's worried too. also: this is the first time i was kind of annoyed by the extreme reverb. turn it down, man!

cuteness overload. please send help.

whoa. they're talking about face transplants now, in which facial tissue and blood vessels will be transferred from a cadaver to a new patient. creepsville. by the way, i recently decided i want to donate my body to science when i die, after reading this book stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers. pretty fascinating.