Bulletproof Sombreros

Hey fellow Sombrero wearers. Long time no speak (as usual, oops). Let’s get it going…

Here it is, the Loisaida Playlist for 22 September 2010 (and going back a few months):

Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin
Sharon Van Etten – Epic
Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s – Buzzard
Azure Ray – Drawing Down the Moon
Ra Ra Riot – Daytrotter Session from 20 Sep 2010
Caribou – Daytrotter Session from 16 Sep 2010
The Black Angels – Phosphene Dream
How To Dress Well – Love Remains
Young Man – Boy & Daytrotter Session from 9 Sep 2010
Soulive – Rubber Soulive
The Walkmen – Lisbon
Of Montreal – False Priest
Au Revoir Simone – Night Light
Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard
Land of Talk – Cloak and Cipher
Beach House – iTunes Session EP (fucking iTunes and their proprietary shit…)
Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People EP (Age of Adz on preorder…)
Nite Jewel – Am I Real EP
Stars – The Five Ghosts
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Best Coast – Crazy For You
Delphic – Acolyte

Shows ticker:

Tonight: Caribou at Webster Hall
Tomorrow: Ra Ra Riot at Music Hall of Williamsburg (as part of their four night run in NYC)
Monday 27 Sep: JazzReach Benefit at The Blue Note (http://www.bluenote.net/newyork/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=8453)
Thursday 30 Sep: Elysian Fields at Le Poisson Rouge
and of course, October 19-23: CMJ!!!!!!!! (Second artist announcement was today: http://cmj2010.com/music/artists/)

Samples:

Popularity: 4% [?]

The New York Times – BERLIN — Despite facing long odds against a victory, Poland’s former prime minister on Monday declared his candidacy for president in a special election to replace his twin brother, who was killed in a plane crash earlier this month.

Well isn’t that convenient. It looks like in Poland they can just have the leader of their country die in a horrific plane crash and not even skip a beat. And he was already Prime Minister so there won’t be any awkwardness of meeting everyone for the first time and while your at it why doesn’t everyone just call him Lech Kaczynski.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Patriots.com - The New England Patriots will team with the National Football League (NFL) to give a $1 million unrestricted gift to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University School of Medicine to support the Center’s research. 

So if you didn’t know already Yukon Fox accepted the groveling of Boston University to attend there institution in the fall. I will be packing my bags from Loisaida and moving to Beantown. I’d like to think I got accepted based on my own merits but its good to know my friends over in Foxboro want me in Boston so bad for the ’10 season that they made a small donation to help get me there. Thank you Mr. Kraft and Mr. Goodell.

P.S. I do feel like I’m downgrading a little bit going from a Husky to a Terrier.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Just pretend Eddie is darker and looks like 50 Cent in above photo

Wow I hope Ray gets his shot back. Missing 2 threes? Ray, how about you stop running with your mom in the Boston Marathon and start thinking about the playoffs.

P.S. When did Cheryl Miller shave her head and start claiming she was the career three point leader in the NBA

Popularity: 9% [?]

With the NFL Draft upon us on Thursday the buzz on twitter is gaining more and more steam. So before you tune in to primetime on Thursday go to twitter first to see if you can get a glimpse of what your team may do in the draft.

@NFL - Obviously the first stop on your research binge should be the league itself. They will keep you up on official news league wide not only on mock drafts and prospects but also story lines leading up to and inevitably effecting the draft.

@MelKiperESPN - The question is would Mel Kiper exist if there was no NFL Draft.

Now I am just lazy. Here is a list of official team twitter accounts and then prospects via the New York Times blog, The Fifth Down.

A.F.C. East — @buffalobillscom @realpatriots @NYjets @MiamiDolphins
A.F.C. North — @CinBengalsNFL @1WinningDrive (Baltimore Ravens) @OfficialBrowns
A.F.C. South — @HoustonTexans @JaguarsInsider @TennesseeTitans
A.F.C. West — @Denver_Broncos @KC_Chiefs1 @Chargers @RAIDERS
N.F.C. East — @Redskinsdotcom @OfficialEagles @CowboysDotCom @giantspathanlon
N.F.C. North — @DetroitLionsNFL @ChicagoBearscom @Packers @VikingsFootball
N.F.C. South — @CPanthers @NOScom @Atlanta_Falcons @TBBuccaneers
N.F.C. West — @seahawksSpin @OneRamsWay @SF_49ers @cardschatter

Prospects – @ndamukong_suh, @gkmccoy (Gerald McCoy), @berry14 (Eric Berry), @lightning28 (CJ Spiller), @Earl_Thomas, @RealTaylorMays, SeanWSpoon12 (Sean Witherspoon), @BIGSHOT_17 (Kameron Chancellor), @BenTateRB, @Sapp7 (Ricky Sapp), @dmac_21 (Devin McCourty), @jdwyer21 (Jonathan Dwyer), @Jamar22Chaney, @MyronRolle, @jeffowens95, @JfordJ6 (Jacoby Ford)

Popularity: 5% [?]

VS.

We’re getting all buck wild over here at BPS with these toss ups.  So who said it best, Jim Nantz saying that Tiger managed a 69 through all this or Chan Ho Park talking about his diarrhea.

 Loading ...

Popularity: 3% [?]

VS.

We are going to try to start a new feature here at Bulletproof Sombreros.  Occasionally, probably mostly on Tuesdays since its catchy. we are going to throw out some Toss Up questions.  So what better way to start off Toss Up Tuesdays (see catchy) than with the question of which of these sandwiches is a worse idea.

In the first corner you got the Pacific Shrimp Taco from Taco Bell (eww).  According to Taco Bell’s website, the Pacific Shrimp Taco is “a warm, soft flour tortilla filled with six succulent shrimp marinated in a mix of spices, then topped with crisp shredded lettuce, Fiesta Salsa, and Avocado Ranch Sauce.”  Even if Taco Bell described this taco by adding at the end that it extends your penis 8 inches, I still wouldn’t eat it.  Something just doesnt sound right about going into a Taco Bell and ordering the catch of the day.

In the other corner you got KFC’s newest bacon, egg and cheese sandwich minus the egg and I guess they forgot the bread too.  KFC’s Double Down sandwich, which made its debut yesterday, is  two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel’s Sauce slapped in between two pieces of chicken filets. This product is so meaty, there’s no room for a bun supposedly.  So let me get this straight….KFC is trying to sell us a sandwich but they know the American way and instead of bread they slapp it in between two pieces of chicken.  This sandwich comes whopping in at 540 calories, 32 g of fat, and 1380 mg of sodium.  Early critics dared to tackle this monster.  Some of the early reviews have been “The “Double Down,” however, arrives at a new low: a greasy entree dish of chicken with bacon and cheese on it, slathered in sauce, that the company asks customers to eat with their hands. The chicken is watery within its soft casing of “crust,” the cheese familiar to anyone who has eaten food prepared by the United States government, the bacon chemical in its smokiness, the mayonnaise sauce tangy, salty, and sweet, all at once.” (Source: NYTimes).  Sounds like something I got to try.  What do you think?

 Loading ...

Popularity: 4% [?]

Twitter has become a very cool forum for scavenger hunts and contests which can cause jealousy amongst the non-twitter population. Some twitter accounts have been created for the purpose of trying to give away things, some contests come from

celebrities and some come straight from a business itself. If you want to get down on the free grab bags then here is who you need to follow:

@contests – This is a pretty straight

forward twitter account that specializes in giveaways. Recently they have been focusing  on everything iPad. So if you are interested in as many opportunities as possible to win the new Apple feminine hygiene product then they are a must follow.

@THE_REAL_SHAQ – Shaq was on of the first celebrities that made himself so accessible via twitter. He was never afraid to tell you exactly where he was and if you found him he always had a meal on the house or a pair of tickets to a Suns game. Since he has been traded I have not noticed if he has continued to be the generous big man he was in Phoenix but he is still good for a yo mama joke every once in awhile.

@TonyHawk – The most well known professional skateboarder has taken the twitter scavenger hunt to the next level. If you can catch him on a day where he decides to run a hunt you want to be vigilant as to whether or not he has sent someone to your town. He sets up packages of goodies ranging from t-shirts to electric guitars and hides them all over the country. Just find the box with the #THTH on the side and send a twitpic to Tony that easy and you get a box of free stuff. Follow him closely because he could run a scavenger hunt at anytime.

@JetBlue – Jet Blue is celebrating its 10th birthday this year and is hooking everyone of its loyal customers i the process. The one thing everyone can get in on is the fact that they are selling flights for as low as $29.99 one way. But if you are fortunate enough to follow them on twitter and live in a city they fly to they have been showing up and giving away free round trip flights to any of their locations with no black out dates. They usually go to three stops in the city and all you have to do is bring them a B-Day card or wear blue or something like that and they hand you a voucher. They have already been to New York and Boston but they it seems as if they are planning their next destination so keep your eyes peeled.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Wow, has it really been a month? Sorry doesn’t even really cut it, I’ve been slacking. Let me try and recap what I’ve been up to…

Let’s see, in shows news, I ended up missing the Woods/Real Estate show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday 12 March. I wish I could have made it, as I heard it was excellent. The following Monday 15 March, the BPS staff all attended Hockey at Bowery Ballroom, which was GREAT! Tons of energy, and an excellent live show. Some time went by, I went to Vegas for CTIA, got sick when I came back, and finally recovered in time for jj and the xx at Webster Hall on 31 March. Before I talk about the xx, I should tell you that I went into the show actually more excited to see jj than the xx, and was sorely disappointed by them. I wish I’d read reviews of jj from SXSW, but kinda ignored them, and with jj’s jj nº3 in constant rotation around the apartment, I really had my hopes up. Talk about lack of stage presence. The singer (whose name I actually don’t even care to look up at this point) came on with an acoustic guitar and sang the first tune off the new album, which was actually pretty good, but following that, she made her way through a set of jj tunes with complete indifference. It was basically just boring karaoke – the dude would play the instrumental track on his laptop from the side of the stage, and the girl would sing along to it, totally uninspired. At one point the dude came on to join with a guitar for part of a song, but then left. Boring. I still rock the album, but would avoid seeing them in concert. Trust me. Now onto the xx – EXCELLENT performance! I personally think that Webster Hall was a bit of a big venue to suit their size sound (many others disagree with me), and they came off a bit timid, but definitely put on an amazing show. I wish I caught them at Mercury Lounge during CMJ, as I bet that was a better fit, but se la vie. The xx played through their (one album plus a cover) catalog very well, and definitely made for a great show. The most recent show I saw was Suckers at Brooklyn Bowl this past Tuesday 6 April, and man I can not get enough of these guys lately. I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait until June 8th for their first full length album “Wild Smile” to drop. Out of Brooklyn, these guys recently signed to my favorite record label (Frenchkiss), and dropped the new album’s first single “Black Sheep” to the masses (which is amazing). Their show was super energetic and enthusiastic – definitely keep an eye on these guys – they’ll be touring with Local Natives (also of recent Frenchkiss stardom).

And now, onto the Loisaida Playlist for 9 April 2010:

MGMT – Congratulations

There was a ton of hype behind MGMT’s new album – they had some secret contests, involving things like driving around in a van in Brooklyn listening to the new album, or their secret show at The Mercury Lounge under the moniker The Smirking Worm. After the album unofficially leaked, they figured they’d just leak the official version at their site (which I think they’ve since taken down). I’m really digging this album a lot. The single “Flash Delirium” didn’t get me at first, but I like it now. The last two tracks in particular are my favorite.

Brad Mehldau – Highway Rider

Something new (and a lot of it!) from Brad Mehldau. This album has received rave reviews from all over, and lives up to it’s hype. I (maybe selfishly) wished for more dope covers, but his original work is definitely excellent too. Check it out.

Wait What – The Notorious XX

I’ve been listening to this one a bunch. Sometimes mashups like this can be kind of lame, and I’m not sold on the entire album, but the first couple of tracks are bangers. Unfortunately they had to take the download link down due to copyright issues, but I’m sure if you Google around you can find it. If not, hit us up and we’ll be glad to send it your way.

Suckers – Wild Smile (out 8 June) – “Black Sheep”

That band of the moment! Watch these guys!!!

Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record – All To All & Forced To Love

BSS released a couple of new singles to follow up “World Sick”. They are available to purchase on Arts & Crafts’ website, and I’m definitely looking forward to May 4th when the album finally drops. It seems like forever away from now, but with a little luck we’ll get there before the world ends (I’m also super stoked to be among the privileged few who will be in attendance at the super sold out Webster Hall show, along with The Incident and Yukon Fox).

She & Him – Volume Two

The second offering from M Ward and Zooey Deschanel is excellent. I feel like “Thieves” is definitely the standout track, and maybe I’m just saying that because they released it first and I’ve heard it so many times that it makes such an impression compared to the rest of the album. I’ll keep you posted…

Hot Chip – One Life Stand

If you don’t have this album, get it now! Unbelieveable! Currently in constant rotation around Loisaida, this album will get your body moving. More recently, a remix featuring Bonnie “Prince” Billy has surfaced, which has been my go-to.

More recently:

I just picked up Dr. Dog – Shame Shame as well as Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be, and will be sure to let you know what I think as soon as I’ve wrapped my head around them. The amount of buzz around Dr. Dog at the moment is incredible – I’m hoping it lives up to the hype. Other recent recommendations are David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s offering Here Lies Love, Sigur Ros’ lead singer Jonsi’s first solo album Go, and Laura Marling’s I Speak Because I Can.

Shows ticker:

Well, let’s see… I missed Atoms For Peace on Monday and Tuesday – I’m trying to pull myself away from bigger name shows more and more (due to all of my money going there plus feeling less in touch with the music), but after reading reviews I really wish I saw at least one of Thom Yorke’s two NYC gigs. In particular, I would have loved to have seen him play his cover of Miracle Legion’s “All For The Best” solo on Tuesday night. I also missed last night’s LCD Soundsystem show at Music Hall of Williamsburg which I truly regret, and was unable to procure tix for Webster Hall on Monday, gugh. Additionally, I’ll be in LA next week, which leads me to miss the Crystal Castles show at Irving on Wednesday, gugh… Something I’m meaning to make my way to is ?uestlove’s DJ residency at Brooklyn Bowl on all of the Thursdays in April. When I get back from LA, I’m going to see Elvis Costello as he graces The United Palace Theater on 23 April.

Well, it’s been enjoyable. Now I gotta get back to work! Hopefully see you soon!

Popularity: 3% [?]

The Master’s Tournament tee’d off this morning at Augusta National, and so begins one of the most intriguing tournaments golf has had in awhile. Obviously any tournament where Tiger Woods is in the field will garner some attention but this is the first time Tiger Woods has played competitively since he played Joslyn James’ back nine, if you know what I mean. He has been open to the media this week and for the first time you are getting a sense he is starting to believe himself when he talks about redemption and perspective. Now based on the previous Nike exploit of Tiger’s dead dad we know he is as mentally tough as they come but I don’t see him being 100% into winning this thing and he should consider even making the cut a victory in itself after all that has happened. The field is looking pretty good especially with Ernie Els coming off of a bad year to win, Tiger’s usual Master’s warm-up, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the World Golf Championships already this season. Along with the likes of Phil the field is pretty stacked in opposition of Tiger. And let’s be real after if Ernie and Tiger are the final pairing and sees that blond hair come towards him the wrong way with his 9 iron he might get a little post-traumatic stress and end up crashing his golf cart into the 18th hole sand trap.

Note: Masters.com has amazing coverage for everyone chained to a desk.

Popularity: 2% [?]