The All Time Lows

The COACHELLA MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL line-up (as of 1/31) is as follows:

Saturday, April 29th:

Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Rós, Common, Damian Marley, Atmosphere, Carl Cox, My Morning Jacket, Ladytron , Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tosca, Cat Power, Animal Collective, HARD-Fi, Derrick Carter, Devendra Banhart, She Wants Revenge, The Walkmen, The Juan Maclean, Audio Bullys, Imogen Heap, Lady Sovereign, Deerhoof, The Duke Spirit, Editors, stellastarr*, Lyrics Born, Matt Costa, The New Amsterdams, The Zutons, Platinum Piped Pipers, White Rose Movement, Chris Liberator, Colette, Joey Beltram, Hybrid, Wolfmother, The Like, Living Things, Nine Black Alps, The Section Quartet, Infadels, Youth Group, Shy FX & T Power, Infusion.


Sunday, April 30:

Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, Paul Oakenfold, Scissor Sisters, Matisyahu, James Blunt, TV on the Radio, Sleater-Kinney, Mogwai, Coheed and Cambria, Gnarls Barkley, Coldcut, Phoenix, Digable Planets, Amadou & Mariam, Little Louie Vega, Mylo (DJ Set), Seu Jorge, Wolf Parade, The Go! Team, Kaskade, Metric, Art Brut, Dungen, The Dears, Jamie Lidell, The Magic Numbers, Los Amigos Invisibles, Jazzanova, Michael Mayer, Mates of State, Gilles Peterson, Gabriel & Dresden, The Subways, Minus the Bear, Be Your Own Pet, Giant Drag, Kristina Sky, The Octopus Project.

No, I ain't going.

Download the Mesh Mix podcast below!

Sufjan Stevens Chicago Sufjan Stevens: Illinois
The M's Future Women Future Women
Kid606 Done With The Scene Done With The Scene
Editors Someone Says The Back Room
the Ebb and Flow Overvexed
Dengue Fever Sni Bong Escape From Dragon House
Ester Drang Hooker With A Heart Of Gold Rocinate
The Aislers Set The Red Door The Last Match
We Be The Echo Supermodel Snakepit Stanislaw Stories
The Headlights Centuries The Enemies EP
The Gun Club Moonlight Motel The Las Vegas Story
31 Knots Hearsay Talk Like Blood
Empty Rooms First Things First Empty Rooms
Hot Snakes I Hate The Kids Suicide Invoice


Download the January 24th Mesh Mix by clicky clickying this flier right here:

The staff of The Rickshaw Stop held a surprise bash for the two owners, Waldo and Chris, on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of the venue. Waldo's band was the headliner of night's festivities, though this was unbeknownst to Waldo before he arrived. We've held two events there and really enjoy working with those fine folks. As a matter of fact, now might be a good time to give you a sneak preview of our upcoming event there on Saturday, March 4th featuring The Herms, Tussle, DJs Marco Vega & Jenny Fake and art from Porous Walker and friends! Stay tuned for more info...

Congratulations to Chris, Waldo and everyone at The Rickshaw!

I caught a performance by Tough Love at the Arrow Bar last night. The show was in honor of Arrow Bar manager and Tough Love guitarist Lennon's birthday. The Arrow is in such an insanely gnarly stretch of San Francisco's 6th Street that the makers of Rent used it as a pre-cleaned-up East Village in their recent horrible movie of that horrible musical. You gotta love going to a bar in a neighborhood that you feel like you might get shanked in at any moment.
Tough Love took the floor at midnight in the back of a packed Arrow. Featuring Chris Applegren, formerly of The Peechees and The Pattern, the band is a departure from his former groups, more aggressive, louder, and seemingly angrier. The band kicked into set of fast, kinetic rock 'n' roll and PBRs were up in the air throughout its perfomance. Mixing punk, moments of classic rock, and all-out thrash, the intimate setting provided a close-up and personal experience with sweaty bodies slamming their heads in enjoyment. Applegren's indecipherable, bratty howl had its usual compelling power sespite the obvious sound limitations and rallied the crowd in excitement everytime he yelped into the mic. Tough Love is the real deal.

...well, we played some of our favorite bands instead. Download the January 17th Mesh Mix by clicky clickying this flier right here:



Check out the playlist...xoxo:

* The Constantines Soon Enough Tournament of Hearts
* Mogwai 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong Rock Action
* Kelley Stoltz Memory Collector Below the Branches
* Finest Dearest Sleep Until the Weekend Pacemaker EP
* Winechuggers Long Circuitious Path Self-Titled
* The Ian Fays Pink Sheets
* Deerhoof Scream Team The Runners Four
* Moggs Interglacial Marriages The White Belt Is Not Enough
* GoGoGo Airheart Turn Out the Lights Rats! Sing! Sing!
* Pinback Manchuria Some Voices
* Arab Strap Amante De Una Noche Monday at the Hug and Pint
* Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hyperballad Live
* R.L. Burnside Shake 'Em On Down A Bothered Mind
* Black Keys Hard Row thickfreakness
* The (International) Noise Conspiracy Smash It Up Survival Sickness

Richmond, Virginia hearthrob and former Engine Down frontman Keeley Davis is now guitarist, and I would guess co-vocalist, for Sparta, a band whose first EP, Austere and debut album Wiretap Scars, were pretty good, but whose last album, Porcelain, I could really give a rat’s ass about. Engine Down, however, remain one of my favorite bands. Hopefully this move will take Sparta in a more interesting, less glossy direction.

Sparta bassist Matt Miller on the band’s new album/film score: “It’s a big evolution for us. In the past we’ve been on a constant cycle of touring, quickly writing and recording a new record, then returning to the road. Now we’re taking our time to write, rehearse and shape the new material. What’s coming out is a sound with more layers and textures and songs with solid structure. And Keeley definitely brings a more defined melody to the band.”

Sarah Tucker, a 26-year-old San Francisco woman, was struck and killed by a black Honda CR-V at 2AM Thursday morning. The driver fled the scene. Witnesses said there is a large, noticeable scrape on the passenger door. Anyone with information should call the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 553-1641 or an anonymous tip line, (415) 575-4444.

Article in San Francisco Chronicle.

I am currently caught up is some kind of existential, Catch-22 universe due to my god-awful cell phone provider, Sprint. Sprint is currently experiencing a system outage throughout the West Coast apparently. So my phone don't work and I can't check my voicemail. I was on the phone last night when my phone actually turned off and I couldn't turn it back on at all. I plugged it into a charger. Nope. I took the battery out and put it back in. Nope.

This morning it still wasn't working, so I went down to the Sprint store on Castro street, because I thought my head would explode if I went to the one downtown again (hmmm, I can't find my post about that... conspiracy?). There was a small sign on the door that said "Due to a service outage, we are unable to access your account information". It didn't say that the store was closed, but the door sure was locked. And the shitheads inside were just standing there staring at me, not mouthing we're closed or anything. Just staring at me. I call the Sprint 800-number from a pay phone, and just get a busy signal everytime.

So I blow my lunch break going down there, get back to work and try calling the Sprint 800-number again. Get a busy signal again and again. Call Sprint-Nextel corporate headquarters in Virginia (703-433-4000), but they're offices are closed for the day. Never-fucking-mind that millions of their customers don't have phone service right now, they had to go home for the day. Finally find a way through that number, pressing tons of buttons, talking to a robot to get ahold of a real, live person. Sandra won't give me her full name, but after waiting on hold for 15 minutes and listening to an endless loop of Gloria Estefan and smooth jazz classics (and considering bashing my head in with the receiver) she tells me that my phone won't turn on due to the service outage. I tell her that I don't really see what the hell that has to do with my phone's power not working, but she insists. I then ask her if I'm going to get a refund for their terrible service (lost service most of the day on Thursday too). She says she can mark a refund on my account if I just hold on. I'm on hold for another 15 minutes when I hear a click, I say, "Hello? Hello?" then a dial tone.

I call back to Sprint corporate headquarters, dial the secret code, talk to a robot, then get hold of Vincent. I tell him my day of Sprint hell, including about the store not being open. He says he'll check to see if I'm affected by the service outage. Smooth jazz. Suicidal thoughts. Yes, sir, you are affected by the service outage, but I can't be sure if that's the reason that your phone is not turning on. For that, you'll need to go to a Sprint store. All the Sprint stores are closed right now sir and I don't know when they will be opening again. To which I respond, "Wow! This is amazing! Phenomenal!" I ask him if Sandra's rebate is marked on my record. Put on hold. No, sir, I don't show that. So now what happens Vincent? I can offer you a $25 rebate right now sir for your inconvenience. Okay, Vincent. Please wait while I credit your account for $20. You just said $25. Yes sir, $25.

Still, I'm stuck with no phone and no way to get it looked at, no idea when service will be restored. Amazing Sprint is.

Now Pat Robertson says that Ariel Sharon's stroke was caused by God, who was angry that Sharon pulled out of Gaza.

The LA Times reports that Jon Stewart is going to host the Oscars. I hope he rips into Bush while hosting.

Like when you read about right-wing, Christian hypocrites like this shithead.

Katie called me tonight to let me know that David Letterman was busy bitch-slapping Bill O'Reilly. I turned it on to hear Letterman tell O'Reilly "I have the feeling that 60% of what you say is crap." He also scolded him for his attacks on Cindy Sheehan, exclaiming, "Honest to Christ!" Watch the clip here.

All but one of the miners who were trapped in a West Virginia mine are dead. This despite initial reports that 12 of the 13 were found alive. How the hell does that happen? Families were told that there relatives were alive, only to find out a few hours later that they were dead. Here's the initial, incorrect report.