Take to the high seas with The Dead Weather in NYC Monday night!

Jack White's always reminded me of a pirate character, so it's kind of fitting that our friends at FILTER are throwing a listening party for the new album from The Dead Weather, "Sea Of Cowards" on a Hudson River cruise boat Monday night:



RSVP here.

Learn how to Tweet to get a free mp3 from the new album here.

SXSW Highlights - Kate Nash & Billy Bragg @ Filter Courtyard

I've been asked a bunch of times since I've returned from Austin what my favorite set of the week was, and I'm pretty sure it was Kate Nash's Filter Courtyard finale that entertained me the most.

I've never seen her live before, and she struck me as charming, smart, and very talented. And to top it all off, she sang one of my favorite songs ever, Billy Bragg's "A New England"...with Billy Bragg.

I found a clip of most of that performance on YouTube. It sounded WAY better than this clip (posted below) would lead you to believe.

And speaking of the Filter Courtyard, I want to thank the good folks at Filter for feeding me everyday...I seriously think I could live on that BBQ beef and iced tea if I had to.

Billy Bragg & Kate Nash - A New England/Foundations (Live @ NME Awards) MP3
(courtesy Turn The Page)

movie review: Chicago 10...and Free NYC Screening

A couple nights ago I caught a screening of the forthcoming documentary, Chicago 10, which uses archival footage, animation, and music to recreate the trials of the eight anti-war protesters who led the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Incredibly compelling and insightful, the movie pieces together the chain of events and allows the viewer to visualize the protesting, the absurd reaction by Mayor Daley and the Chicago Police, and the circus that the trials eventually became.

I'm not a big fan of animation in movies, as I usually spend the bulk of my time fretting over how things just don't seem to look right, but I bought into the realism of the cartoon versions of each player pretty quickly. The animated courtroom scenes feature voices by folks like Hank Azaria, Liev Schreiber, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, and the recently departed Roy Scheider as crochety Judge Julius Hoffman.

And the use of period and recent-day protest music is fantastic in the movie. Who doesn't get fired up hearing the MC5's "Kick Out The Jams", ever?

As documentaries about American history and activism go, this film is pretty important. As I left the screening room, the movie reminded me how important activism and agitation is, and why our liberties shouldn't ever be taken for granted. I encourage everyone to check this film out.

If you are in NYC, our good friends at Filter invite you to a free screening of the film at The Landmark Sunshine Theatre on E. Houston Street on Wednesday, February 27 @ 7:30PM. To get on the list, send your info to: rsvpnyc@filtermmm.com



Chicago 10 Trailer:



MC5 - "Kick Out The Jams" mp3 buy

ITCNY Party At The Annex Tomorrow Night

I'm amazed at the amount of emails I received over the weekend asking me about the In The City Of New York shows...

With the Mondays shows not happening now (and based on reports of some recent shows not being very happening even when they show up...), a seriously decent way to spend your Wednesday night would be at The Annex for the party our pals at Filter and ASCAP are throwing in conjunction with ITCNY...


Free Bass Ale? As the Happy Mondays once said, "Yes, please".

Jealous Girlfriends - "Heiroglyphics" mp3