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Record Store Day 2017

For the music fans out there, this Saturday is the annual celebration of your favorite record shops known as Record Store Day. Every year there are special releases and events to mark the occasion. A list of these releases and participating shops can be found on the record store day website. There you will find something for lovers of all genres to get excited about.

Usually I would take the time to tell you what releases I am most excited about or what my plans are for the day, but this year I work with a record label and want to share the special little thing we’re doing. (Like I said, go check out the RSD site for all the cool things you can buy this year). When you’re done on the RSD site then head on over to Lonely Atom Records Bandcamp, where you will find we have a special sale going. Between now and April 23rd we will be discounting the price of shipping on all orders! International fans will pay $10, Canadians will pay $5, and members of the U.S. of A. will get FREE SHIPPING during this sale. You don’t need any special code for this either. Simply go to our Bandcamp and place your order as normal. We like to keep it simple when it comes to distributing music to the masses. As one of my favorite songs reminds us, “sound wants to be free”.

Happy shopping!

PS – don’t forget to share pictures of you with your shiny new records on our twitter or facebook pages! We love seeing people enjoying our baby.

Life Happens

Earlier this month I wrote my first post in over a year because one of my favorite shows turned 20 years old and I had to add my two cents on what that meant to myself and the industry as a whole. Writing that article made me realize I had one that was grossly overdue, a review of a comic for someone whose work I usually love. I wrote him an apology email today about how life got busy and I’m really sorry. And then I read the comic and wrote a thing on it and in that one article I came up with two others I should write – this being one of them (the other is a thing is on the current run of Doctor Strange and how much I LOVE it, but that can wait). The actual article I wrote about the thing I was supposed to will be coming out very soon, but for now I wanted to do yet another giant update on what I was doing that kept me here.

Mostly I got a new job that kept me very busy and RELEASED A RECORD.

Yes, Lonely Atom Records, the small start-up record label I work with, finally released our first 7″ record late February. The two bands featured are The Pandemics and InCircles (both bands from NYC/LI). You can either download the songs or purchase the vinyl on our Bandcamp. There’s also stickers and pins for sale, and we’re working on t-shirts.

Between releasing the record, booking shows, and my actual real job(s), I’ve been fairly busy. I honestly love writing on here though, so I’m going to try to pick it up again. I’ve been reading a lot of comics lately, and between that and watching The Wednesday Club every week on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel, I will probably want to talk about that more. Don’t worry though, I’ll still have plenty of music musings as well as just general stuff about the news and other random things. The site is called “News on Shuffle” for a reason…

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for the review I just finished and whatever other things pop into my head and scream to be written down into this void we call the internet. And remember folks, when life gets you down you gotta remember to just keep swimming.

OK Go Release New Video “Upside Down & Inside Out”

I haven’t written anything since before New Years and I owe you multiple posts that are beyond past due but for now we’re going to forget about all that because OK GO RELEASED A NEW VIDEO AND IT’S AMAZEBALLS.

If you follow the band on their social media, you may have noticed them incessantly hinting about this masterpiece. After much antici…PATION *ahem* the video for “Upside Down & Inside Out” has finally dropped into our laps. It starts with an introduction that says the entire thing is really truly shot in low gravity and there are no green screens or wires involved. What follows is a brilliantly choreographed masterpiece of maneuvers to wow the viewer.

OK Go are no strangers when it comes to viral video making. From their first big hit “Here It Goes Again” audiences have been entranced by their work. It’s good to see that they are still keeping with tradition over ten years later. Now to watch that new video about twenty more times…

To Spoil, or not to Spoil… That is the Question

I owe you a photo post from the Narc Twain show I went to and an introduction to the record label I’m working with now, but I just got into two conversations about spoilers (mostly regarding Star Wars but it’s a hot topic in general) and I want to get this rage post out of my system so I can enjoy the rest of my day.

This all started with a friend on Facebook announcing he was planning on seeing Star Wars on opening night and THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. He suggested that if people don’t like it they can just stay off the internet. I pointed out how unrealistic this was in today’s society, and his friend proceeded to rage at me all the reasons I was WRONG. We went back and forth for a bit before I finally accepted the fact he would never see my viewpoint and quietly backed down. I then had almost the same exact conversation with a group of friends on another Facebook thread, but way more civil and less RAGEY. Which is good because I was ready to ragequit the internet for the next two weeks in an effort to avoid both spoilers and the assholes who post them. Of course one of my most awesome friends sent me a link to simply block all the spoilers if you use Google Chrome.  It got me thinking, however, about the unwritten rules when it comes to spoilers and how we consume media nowadays and internet etiquette and such. And that is what this post is really about…

First I’ll give you the argument that was given to me about why it’s ok for someone to post spoilers. Basically it boils down to the fact that the person’s Facebook page is theirs to do with as they please, and if they are excited about a thing then they are going to talk about it and you can’t stop them. This is all fine and good, but there’s also my mantra to consider: DON’T BE A DICK. I’m not saying don’t post spoilers at all. Just have some self-control and if you just can’t help yourself then please for the love of god warn a person before you ruin it for them. Yes, I get you’re a fan that’s excited about a thing. I am too, which is why I would like you to respect that not everyone can see a movie opening weekend. Hell, you’re lucky I’m seeing it a week later. The last James Bond movie I just saw last week and it had been out for a month at that point. I did not see a single spoiler for that movie though and had to go through very little effort to avoid them. But for some reason Star Wars has its own special rules where if I don’t see the movie opening night then it’s my own damn fault if I get spoiled. Which is unrealistic and somewhat childish IMO.

Now let’s look at the other side of things. In one of the discussions I had it was suggested the appropriate time to wait before one can no longer complain about spoilers is a year for movies and a month for TV shows. I, for one, do not watch TV the night it airs. I usually 1) work nights, and 2) wait until the next day when I can watch it online. I also have a life outside of consuming media and have seen almost none of the fall finales of my favorite shows because of this. I am very grateful to the corners of the internet I tend to frequent that they make it fairly obvious what posts to avoid if I don’t want to be spoiled on a thing.

Movies are a bit different. I rarely go to the theater unless it’s something I think the big screen and such will contribute to the experience (or I just can’t wait for the DVD). This usually means I only really see big ticket items like the Marvel franchise, and I wait for everything else. I pay for the Netflix DVD account, which is way cheaper than going to see all these movies when they premiere. Obviously I’m going to see Star Wars. I’m waiting a week though, so I can watch when visiting my family for Christmas weekend. I get that a lot of people will have already seen the movie by then, but I don’t think it’s fair to tell me I need to avoid the internet or have no right to complain when I get spoiled on things. We live in an age where that is unrealistic. For example, the record label I mentioned at the top of the page? It currently has a crowdfunding campaign going that I need to be able to promote ON THE INTERNET. I need to plaster it on Facebook and Twitter and send email blasts, otherwise how do people know I’m doing this awesome thing? And there are plenty of other nerds where it’s THEIR JOB to be on the internet. It is unrealistic and unfair to expect them to stay offline till they watch a movie just because you can’t put a simple “spoiler warning” on something you post.

That’s the thing that gets me the most… I’m not asking people to refrain from talking about it until I’ve seen it. I realize the world does not revolve around me, and you’re excited about this thing just as much as I am, but don’t be a dick about it. Give me a warning so I know to avoid that post and I can still get the same experience you got when you saw that thing for the first time. I’m sure when I finally see the movie I will want to post about it too. Might even write something up on this ol’ blog here. But rest assured I will either choose my words carefully and/or warn people about spoilers beforehand. It’s the little things like respect that make the internet big enough for all of us.

That’s all I have to say on the matter. Feel free to RESPECTFULLY share your opinion in the comments.

Pandemics + Pete Porker @ Characters

The Pandemics backed Pete Porker on a bunch of tunes back in January and in the final stages of me playing catch up, I finally uploaded all the videos to YouTube. Here they all are for easy consumption:

And here are photos from the show:

Your next chance to see The Pandemics will be playing with The Fad and a bunch of other cool bands at Hollis Woods Community Church this Saturday, March 28th. Details of that can be found on Facebook (of course).

Arkells – High Noon

From the very first moments of listening to Arkells new CD High Noon I was hooked. It’s been awhile since I had something new excite me, but these guys definitely grabbed my attention. Their album is full of energy to get you pumped. Whether you need some motivation to finish that project, have a long drive ahead of you, or just want to have a dance party in your living room, Arkells have got you covered with an album chock full of jams that will get you revved up and ready to face another day. I am not kidding you when I say that three songs into this album I was checking my calendar to see when my next chance to catch them live would be (it’s May 5th at Rockwood Music Hall).

Clearly I’m not the only ones excited about this band, since this past weekend they won Juno awards for Rock Album of the Year and Group of the Year. Good for them, because it’s rare I get to see a band like this get noticed in a meaningful way. Rock music in general usually has to take a back seat to the pop artists and other Top 40 celebs. Even when a rock band does get mainstream attention, you’ll see plenty of posts on social media asking “who the hell are these guys?” (Arcade Fire’s big win in 2011 comes to mind). I don’t know if we’re going to be seeing Arkells with a Grammy nod, but the Juno is a good start and I’m happy for them.

https://youtu.be/2qf8oGI2Wlw

If you want to check the album out for yourself, you can do so at Amazon or iTunes. I’m also including a song off Soundcloud, which was my introduction to these guys and what made me want to review the album. I have a feeling it will invoke a similar reaction from you

Murphy’s Law play last Trash Bar show TONIGHT!

Happy St Patrick’s Day, everyone!

I might not agree with the statement “Everyone is Irish on St Patrick’s Day,” but I can agree with the fact everyone can have fun at Trash Bar tonight. Well, everyone who can squeeze through the door will have fun, anyway. It’s Murphy’s Law at Trash Bar day! Since Trash Bar will be closing soon, this is the last one of these you’ll be able to go to, so get your butt out for a fun night of music. The lineup for tonight is pretty solid:

  • Murphy’s Law
  • CJ Ramone
  • World War IX
  • Inspecter 7
  • Wombat in Combat
  • Gangway

There’s also the usual open bar from 8-9pm. So show up early and party all night. And remember that while you’re having fun DON’T BE A DICK. Nobody likes a drunken asshole killing their buzz.

The Interview: A review and commentary on digital media

I’m sure we all remember the big news surrounding “The Interview” and how it got pulled from theaters because of a terrorist threat. The movie was eventually given a digital release and is now currently available on Netflix Instant. I originally had no desire to see the movie. I was mildly curious but didn’t care enough to go to the theater or rent the DVD when it came out. Having instant access to it, however, I decided to give it a try. Worse case scenario the movie sucks and I turn it off if I get bored.

To say my expectations were low would be an understatement. True, Seth Rogen is funny enough, but the premise of the movie seemed so incredibly stupid I didn’t want to waste my time with it. I mean, I like movies that are stupid in a funny way, but that is not how the trailers presented this one to me. Boy was I surprised…

“The Interview” turned out to be a surprisingly funny and thoroughly enjoyable comedy experience. Yeah it’s about two guys trying to kill the North Korean leader, but there’s so much more to it than that. The character development was stronger than I would’ve imagined, and the actual jokes were honest to god funny.

I laughed.

A lot.

At this stupid movie that I had very low hopes of grabbing my attention or amusing me. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe sometimes you need to let go of expectations and see what happens.

Now, if “The Interview” had been given a more traditional release it might have done okay in theaters, but I doubt it would’ve done great. Plaster it all over the Internet though, and now you have something. I know the terrorist threats attached to it definitely gave them some buzz, and there are even some who believe this was all planned for just such a purpose. Regardless of what you believe, I think movies like this in general would do better if they skipped the theater and just got released online. With how expensive movies have gotten, it’s no surprise that people have started saving the trip to the theater for the big blockbusters. I know the last time I went was probably the last Thor movie to come out, and I don’t remember the last time I went for anything other than an action movie. It’s not that i don’t like comedies. I just usually save them for home viewing. Maybe I’m in the minority on this one but I definitely enjoyed being able to watch “The Interview” while it was still relevant and not two years later when it finally made it to the top of my Netflix queue. If more movies did it like this then I would be one happy movie consumer. I might not want to pay $15 to see a movie in theaters, but I’ll pay half that to watch it instantly at home. The experience of theater-going has changed. Why not change with it?

Murder by O’Death @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Some background before I begin this one: I work at a music venue and have a musician boyfriend. This means that my entire life is spent getting paid to go to shows (oh no, my life is so hard!). Seriously though, it’s a blessing and a curse because since the above fact is true it means I rarely go to shows that I’m not working or my boyfriend is playing. Which is why this past Sunday was such a treat for me.

This was the first big show I went to in forever where I got to go back to being just a person going to a show. I remember walking into the room with the feeling of excitement at seeing two big acts and having no responsibilities other than to have a good time. The band started playing almost immediately after I arrived. I slowly weaved through the crowd towards the front of the room, where I found a friend of mine who was also attending that evening’s performance. I stayed firmly planted in that same spot up front for the entire night, only moving when Murder by Death’s crowd started to get slightly rambunctious up front and to my right. I was so engrossed in the performance that I barely noticed it happen. All of a sudden I was getting pushed to the left. I didn’t care; it was all in fun. It was all part of the experience.

And what an experience it was! O’Death I have seen before several times and they have never disappointed me. The first time was opening for one of my favorite bands of all time, The World/Inferno Friendship Society. I remember not knowing what to expect that night, and being absolutely in awe of them by the time their set was over. This time I was there mostly to see them, and barely knew any of Murder by Death’s music. Obviously I’ve listened to them before, but I’ve never been to see them live and had no idea what to expect. Despite not knowing all the words to the songs like what seemed true for the rest of the kids in the front, I still had a fantastic time. The band held a captivating performance, to the point where I had forgotten how long I had been standing and had fun trying to get my legs to move again at the end of the night. It was a great show, and I highly encourage you to catch them either during this tour or in the future. Bonus points if you can get both bands to play on the same bill again. Individually they are both great, but the pairing makes it even better.

Both bands are at Union Transfer tonight, which is a fun coincidence since I will be in Philly seeing World/Inferno. (I love it when life comes full circle like that). The rest of the dates are as follows:

  • March 7 – Black Cat – Washington DC
  • March 8 – Kings Barcade – Raleigh, NC
  • March 10 – The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
  • March 11 – The Social – Orlando, FL
  • March 12 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA
  • March 13 – Mercy Lounge – Nashville, TN
  • March 14 – The Bluebird – Bloomington, IN

All dates are with O’Death

Housekeeping Stuff! plus Out of System Transfer release a thing!

Hey all! I did really good with the writing stuff for a couple days in January and then dropped off the face of the Earth. Sorry about that, folks. I meant to give you a review of “The Interview” and the Murder by Death/O’Death show I went to on Sunday but somehow never did. I probably will go back to those over the next week since I seem to have a lot of free time ahead of me and there’s only so much Adventure Time you can watch before Netflix starts questioning your life and the choices you’ve made (or at least asks if you’re still awake). Right now there’s a thing I have to talk about IMMEDIATELY because it just happened and is BREAKING NEWS and something I’m super excited about.

The breaking news is that Out of System Transfer, a band I am friends with and think they are awesome and stuff, just released a NEW SONG on bandcamp that you can go download for FREE. As in ZERO DOLLARS. Or for as many dollars as you feel like, as it’s a pay-what-you-want type deal. So go judge what they’re worth and download a new song. Also, come see them AND Brook Pridemore AND Pat the Bunny play a show tonight at Palisades in Brooklyn. Prewar Yardsale open up the show at 8pm. It’s gonna be a fun night that your’s truly will be attending. I’ll probably be the girl with the camera, bouncing around and taking pictures.