Written by Patrick McNamara

CMJ is over and that’s all I have to say about that until next year. Yeeeeehawwww!

Moving on to present day now, I’d like to chit-chat with you about The Best Shows This Weekend, which, as of this writing, haven’t even happened yet. So maybe we’re all moving in the future, man. Unless you’re reading this in the middle of the week. Then we’re all moving in the past. Whoa. Let’s get started before things get too heavy around here. Because right now they’re almost too heavy for even Superman to lift.

Thursday - October 24th, 2013 A.D.

But a good poker player also knows that while losing is inevitable, sometimes winning is too, partner. So I’m buying back in, Wednesday. And I’m betting big.

FIDLAR (which stands for “Frequently Invoking Decibels Loudly All Right”)(I know what it really stands for, but this is a family program, this ain’t fuckin’ VICE) play Bowery Ballroom tonight (with The Orwells - who are really good too - I linked their name to my thoughts on that). You know what? FIDLAR just want to have fun up there. Is that too much to ask? Oh you also want to watch a video where Nick Offerman is being funny? You got it, man.



Heavenly Beat play Glasslands tonight. The band’s excellent new album is super smooth. Get it. Their live show is now the same. Do it. By the way, I recently wrote about Nicholas Nicholas, the wonderful weirdo pop project of someone (not named Nicholas) in Heavenly Beat’s band. Check that dude out too because why not? Let’s spread the Heavenly Beat love around a little bit.



Frightened Rabbit, perhaps also known as “the thinking man’s Counting Crows,” (the careful Rockness reader will note that this is the 2nd Counting Crows reference in this thing - now that’s what I call dynamic muzik blob content right there) play Webster Hall tonight (and again on Friday). They’re a good pop band from Scotland. And Scotland has had a lot of pop goodness over the years (this good Scottish pop band never really got their due - just sayin'). Maybe it’s a reaction to the sad looking skies over there. But one can never be certain of these things.



Other notable shows = Boys Noize at Output (but I already told you about that) + Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene at Mercury Lounge + Little Dragon at MHOW.

Oh yeah, you should see these guys below at Roseland if you want to feel like you’re in a John Hughes film for an entire night. There are worse ways to spend an evening, for sure. Unless it makes you feel like you’re a Ducky surrounded by a thousand Jake Ryans. (i know those are characters from two different John Hughes movies but whatever it’s really all the same movie except for maybe “Home Alone”...and “Curly Sue”.....and “Beethoven.”)



SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY SHOW PICKS.

Friday - October 25th, 2013 A.D.

I think I’ll cool it with the poker prose. It started as a joke and things got a little too heavy.

Kurt Vile + Lee Ranaldo and The Dust + Beach Fossils play Terminal 5 tonight. And that’s going to be a 1-2-3 good show right there. Also, is Kurt Vile ever going to tour with Joanna Gruesome , you think? If METZ could play Shea Stadium (and they did) then Kurt Vile can tour with Joanna Gruesome. (burgeoning bands: quickly rename your band Todd Disgusting and chances are good you can open on this as-of-now hypothetical tour).



BAM has a good and interesting thing going on tonight. I find that to be the case a lot with that place. This show is called “Electronium: The Future Was Then.” And if it ain’t high concept, it ain’t BAM! You can read more about it on BAM’s site, but basically Questlove got a bunch of good dudes to “celebrate the pioneering works of electronic music.” These good dude include How to Dress Well + Dan Deacon + others. Here’s something very Dan Deacon-y and very sublime. The patient viewer shall be rewarded immensely.

UPDATE: DAN DEACON IS NO LONGER PLAYING THIS SHOW "DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES" SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AND THAT'S WHY I'M YELLING.



Kathleen Hanna’s band, The Julie Ruin, play Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight. They make good scuzzy punk. And I feel like a dirtier and better person just by mentioning it.



Other notable shows = Minus the Bear at The Best Buy Theater (and later at the Radio Shack Arena) + Kylesa at Saint Vitus + The Beets at Shea Stadium + Frightened Rabbit at Webster Hall (which I already told you about) + Hector’s Pets at The Acheron (which I already told you about) + where IS that annoying echo coming from?

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY SHOW PICKS.

Saturday - October 26th, 2013 A.D.

Speaking of Kathleen Hanna, JD Samson & MEN (you know the connection between these two women, I know you do, because I believe in you) play Union Pool tonight with (the Frankie Rose associated), Beverly. Careful. Things may get dance-y out there. So watch yourself. The last thing you want to do is have a good time. Here’s a good song. Posted for you and only you. It could be played on mainstream radio. If mainstream radio weren’t mostly totally almost entirely dumb, that is (my ‘think piece’ on this issue will be on the screen of this muzik blob shortly after i write it which i never will).



And speaking of dance-y (such dynamic transitions and segues this week), Hercules and Love Affair play Gramercy Theater tonight. It's an "all night Halloween celebration." On October 26th.



And speaking of dance-y (and that damn annoying echo again!), Vito & Druzzi from The Rapture are doing a late night DJ set (along with one from Body Language) at Glasslands tonight. I don’t know why tonight seems to be all about dance-y stuff, guys. I just play it as it lays.



Other notable non-dance-y shows tonight = Baby Dayliner at The Grand Victory (actually, he’s kind of dance-y) + Teen Daze at Glasslands (i mean i guess perhaps you could probably maybe make a case for their dance-y-ness-ish, but…..) + Unstoppable Death Machines at Shea Stadium (DEFINITELY 100% not dance-y).

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY SHOW PICKS.

Sunday - October 27th, 2013 A.D.

Of Montreal plays Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight. But this is a difficult time for the band as they’re currently embroiled in an epic controversy. It appears someone did a little digging and discovered that these guys have been lying to us this whole time. It turns out Of Montreal are actually….from Athens, Georgia! And not since Milli Vanilli really being sung by the recording studio’s janitor* have I been so outraged.



(*or something like that, right? wasn’t it the janitor? maybe that’s urban music industry legend - i’d ask Wikipedia but i’d rather leave it open-ended and discuss with you - because you’re real - keep it that way.)



The rest of tonight is a little light. Unless you want to go see The Black Crowes or Drake or something. That decision is up to you. But either way, Sunday should fold this hand for sure.

(i went back to the poker thing for one last draw. i don’t know why. but i did. tell me not my faults. for i already know them)

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY SHOW PICKS.

Thanks a lot for reading this thing again this week. I hope it was dynamic enough. But if not, hey, at least it wasn’t another recap of CMJ. YEEEEHAWWWWWWW!