@supercooleric Over the past two weeks, mythical and mysterious indie legend Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel has performed four public shows. Some fans (optimistically) speculate that Mangum’s recent return to the spotlight signifies a coming reunion for Neutral Milk Hotel, a band that hasn’t played a show since 1998. I would not have speculated such things, but my pessimism took a blow earlier this month when I saw Mangum make an interesting remark during a set of shows in New Jersey.

Now I have to ask myself, “Could Neutral Milk Hotel really be getting back together?”

YES: He said it.

Well, kind of. During his Sunday night show at the stately Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, New Jersey, at All Tomorrow’s Parties: I’ll Be Your Mirror, Mangum repeatedly implored the crowd to sing along with him. Like his Friday show before it, audience participation was low. (This isn’t unusual for these recent set of shows. It seems fans are too awestruck at the sight of their idol to dare vocalize during what may very well be the first and last time they see him perform.) But this night, Jeff asked the crowd to sing the horn melodies and added, “Scott [Spillane, one of the four members of Neutral Milk Hotel] is not here to play horns. But he will be soon.”

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@ZackTeibloom Andy and I couldn’t be more excited to be back in Chicago for Lollapalooza this weekend. We hope to see as many friends as possible and see some shows and share a sandwich and catch up and all that jazz. Having said that, we’re gonna have to go over some things to make this as easy for all of us as possible. First off, we’re here to see music and we know what we want to see. We’ve made our schedules and we’re sticking to them. If you want to go to Eminem, talk to Andy. If you want to see Coldplay, I’m your guy. (Wow, never thought I’d say that.) And you better get to the Coldplay stage early, because I’m likely staying there from Bright Eyes on, unless I decide to make a dash for OK Go. Our schedules are below. Here’s a few things to consider and we’ll see you out there. Let’s get our festival on.  Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore For this story to make any sense, you need to know two things first. One, there is no exhaust fan in the bathroom of my apartment. Instead, there is a window. The thing is, the window is in the shower. Granted, it’s frosted and you can’t see in or out. The window opens from both the top and bottom. It goes from just above my junk to just over my head. Generally when I take a shower, I crack the top part a little bit. The other thing you need to know is that outside of that window is a large parking lot used by the doctors offices that are part of the hospital I live near. I suppose there is a third thing you should probably know…I tend to sing in the shower. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Caitlin drives us down to San Antonio, knowing we were going to get to meet the legendary Earth, Wind, and Fire at Bjorn Electronics and that they were partnering with Monster Cable. That’s all we know. We get there 45 minutes early and are not on the list, so Bjorn himself lets us in. We find our way to two of maybe a couple hundred seats in this make-shift press conference room that is normally an electronics store. Wheel of Fortune: Las Vegas is playing on a couple dozen screens and I guess the first clue of “We’re just getting warmed up” and gleefully note the irony. Then I notice there’s free wine, a fruit spread and chocolate covered strawberries and load up and check out the attendees. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Today is my dad’s 64th birthday. He’s been looking forward to this one for a while. Most people look forward to/regret turning 65 for the benefits/stigma of being a senior citizen. Only a cool dad like mine would look forward to his “When I’m 64″ Beatles birthday. The song is about a younger man thinking about his future and wondering if he’ll still be cared for as he gets older, “Will you still need me, will you still feed me?” I can say, unequivocally, that Suzy and I, and all your friends and family, need you more than ever. And we’ll happily feed you. Portillos, Sammy’s, fruit cocktail and everything else in your wheelhouse. Thankfully, unlike the 64 year-old in the song,  you’re not losing your hair. There’s no grandchildren to bounce on your knee yet, but I think that’s a good thing. Little Royal will have to wait. I can’t wait to see you this weekend. And like the song says, a birthday greeting and bottle of wine (and some pictures) are coming. Love always.

Obviously, you know the original with the “Yellow Submarine” version, but I’m pretty sure you don’t know the reggae version. Enjoy.

Here’s a look back at the 62 songs dedicated to you for your 62nd.

@ZackTeibloom SXSW has come and passed and we lived to tell about it, somehow. Looking back, you people just wouldn’t quit your bitching no matter how many endless opportunities were there for you. I mean, this was a week of incredible entertainment of all kinds, endless free drinks and food and all you could manage to tell the world was how you were standing in a line. For fucks sake. The quote on the Statue of Liberty says,”Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”  Sounds a lot like SXSW tweeters. Tired masses, yearning to breathe free drinks and shows. Good lord did you have things to bitch about. The lines, the out-of-towners, how SX used to be cool, inanimate objects, the lines, how your phone is dying, Kanye, Fuck Vevo, and even whine-ing about the whine-ing. Let’s start with that. You whiney, shit heads, you. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Zack and I dubbed Phish our favorite live band at ACL 2010. I couldn’t think of anyone that comes close. I suppose Girl Talk doesn’t fit into the “live band” category. Let’s call him our favorite dance party. Heck, he’s everybody’s favorite dance party (sorry Deadmau5 & A-Track). It’s been too long since Girl Talk’s last album came out. The long wait has come to an end. All Day drops to-day. Huzzah! You can download the full album, as one long track (as Gregg Gillis would prefer you do) or the individual tracks. Best of all, it’s free. Who am I kidding? Best of all, it’s new Girl Talk! Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Guys like this are the reason YouTube was invented, why America’s Funniest Video and Tosh.O get ratings and why I’m happy I own a mini video camera. Is there a record for longest fall by someone not on heroin? Are we sure he’s not on heroin? What is he on? Did he ever get up? So many questions. I’m just glad we’re here.

Also, I recommend watching until at least 1:52 for the water spill and Jess’ hilarious face.

@ZackTeibloom Today is my sister’s 24th birthday and I decided what better way than to dedicate 24 songs that remind me of her. We’ve built up a lot of good and bad song memories over the years.

A lot of people probably know we get down with Phish and Zappa and the Talking Heads, but Avril and Alanis and Bon Jovi and Ace of Base!? I know. And I even left off some really embarrassing ones like Spice Girls. It was weird, but we went on that musical journey together. There’s no one else in the world I’d rather have grown up learning to love music with. Have a wonderful 24th birthday, Suz! Can’t wait to see what we get into next.  Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Let me start this by officially congratulating the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the Stanley Cup. I do this, because the following post is a direct result of that victory. My phone got misplaced almost as soon as the Blackhawks scored the most awkward Stanley Cup winning, OT goal of all time. I was too busy not being able to sit back down, high-fiving friends and watching the Hawks skate the Cup around the ice. Read the rest of this entry »