Get Your Vitamins

"Does not compute" drink of the night at Oscars party: vodka & vitamin water!? Sadly enough it's prob just a matter of time until vitamin vodka hits the market.

2/28/2005 | Permalink | 

Clever Clever

"Jah Division" = NYC band that plays instrumental reggae versions of Joy Division songs. Tells you plenty about the NYC zeit.

Tyler: How's that working out for you?

Narrator: What?

Tyler: Being clever.

Narrator: Great.

Tyler: Keep it up then.

2/27/2005 | Permalink | 

[Photo] Bundled Up (NYC)

The Gates in NYC on 02/20/05 (view the entire series at flickr)

2/25/2005 | Permalink | 

[Photo] Gator (NYC)

The Gates in NYC on 02/20/05 (view the entire series at flickr)

2/23/2005 | Permalink | 

[Photo] The Tunnel (NYC)

The Gates in NYC on 02/20/05 (view the entire series at flickr)

2/21/2005 | Permalink | 

Using Craigslist to Find an Apt Share in NYC

My East Village apt rocks (big, cheap, great location, cool roomies). Huzzah. I found it through craigslist — actually, my roomie found me — and since a couple of apt hunters I know have asked, here's my advice for finding a cool share via craigslist...

Use CL as a last resort. I still say avoid craigslist if possible. Tell everyone you know that you're looking for a share. Try to convince someone from out of town to move to NYC. Post bulletins on friendster, myspace, etc. A friend of a friend is better than a random.

Dump it. Be willing to get rid of stuff. If you can fit all your belongings into a single bedroom you'll be a contender for apts that have an open room but are otherwise furnished.

Start on offense. First, post a listing of your own describing you and what you're looking for in an apt/roomie (go here: https://post.craigslist.org/nyc/H/sha). Repost it every few days.

Spell it out. Be really descriptive in your post. You want to know a lot about your potential roomie and chances are the feeling is mutual. Too many people offer generic, brief bits. If you post a long message that says specifically what you want to find in a place/roomie and who you are and what you're like to live with, you'll do better.

Make a funny. Crack a joke and/or keep the tone light. The apt search can be stressful so make sure you don't come off sounding like an uptight prick (unless you wanna live with an uptight prick).

Work it. Hype the stuff that's good about you: Are you a great cook? Love to clean? Out of town on business all the time? Shout it from the mountaintop.

Be a little naughty. Admit something bad. Maybe you're a little bit sloppy or you like to smoke weed or whatever. Be upfront about it and the potential roomie is more likely to trust the rest of what you say. Don't overdo it though — wait until you've moved in before you reveal your sick fetishes, that you deal, or that you're a Republican.

What do you dig? Talk about bands you think rock or movies you dig or that you love Jon Stewart or other stuff that you think will help get across who you are as a person. My rocker roomie wrote to me 'cuz my post mentioned that I like Bowie, the Velvets, and Spinal Tap.

Cut and paste is your friend. Now that you've got a good description together, search through the posts from people who are offering housing here: http://newyork.craigslist.org/roo/. When you find a potential match, send them an email that includes the description you used in your own post (send the actual description and not just a link). Your detailed message will put you way ahead of the 10 other schmoes who respond with "Hey...place sounds good. Still avail?" Plus, you'll eliminate people who don't wanna live with your smoking or cats or late hours or working from home or whatever.

Rinse and repeat. Check back every few days since new stuff shows up all the time. Advance planning won't really help since most people only seem to post a week or two before they need someone. Narrowing your hunt down by neighborhood and price range will save you some time. If you find something promising, see it quick.

Don't expect to find a best friend. Be happy with someone you can simply live with. Acquantaince roomies are just fine as long as they don't piss you off or make you feel uncomfortable in your own home.

Hang with 'em. Find a decent match? Sure, check out the apt but also try and hang out with the person. Go out for a drink and meet their friends if at all possible. Bring a friend along with you too (non-threatening females work best). Sniff around each other and dig for dirt (i.e. "What'll be the worst thing about living with you?").

Trust your gut. If you get a sketchy vibe, bail. Crashing on a friend's couch for a few weeks is better than living with some creep who pawns your stuff or sniffs your panties (especially if you're a guy).

Happy hunting.

2/17/2005 | Permalink | 

[Photo] End Around (NYC)

DJ at Happy Ending in NYC on 02/01/05 (view the entire series at flickr)

2/15/2005 | Permalink | 

Viewing The Gates

The best spots for viewing The Gates according to this NY Times review:

There are no bad locales for seeing them. But there are some spots at which the work looks best: around the Heckscher ball fields, where the gates are dense and lines of them swarm in many directions at once; at the base of Strawberry Fields, where two parallel rows march in tight syncopation; at Harlem Meer, where they cluster up to the shore and then clamber, helter-skelter, up the rocks. Also at Great Hill, near West 106th Street, where they encircle the crescent field, then descend a flight of steep steps...And at North Meadow, a wide-open vista, where the gates wander off toward the horizon, separating earth and sky with an undulating saffron band.

2/14/2005 | Permalink | 

[Photo] Mover (NYC)

DJ at Happy Ending in NYC on 02/01/05

2/10/2005 | Permalink | 

On The Radar

2/12 - The Gates (Central Park)

2/23 - Kings of Leon (Webster Hall)

2/28 - Eating It (The Zipper Theater)

2/28 - Ratatat (Knitting Factory)

3/1 & 3/2 - Interpol w/ Blonde Redhead (Radio City)

3/4 - Mark Olson and Gary Louris from the Jayhawks (Bowery Ballroom)

3/5 - Secret Machines w/ Moving Units (Irving Plaza)

3/9 - Hot Hot Heat (Bowery Ballroom)



And according to Coolfer: "Spoon's 11-track Gimme Friction will be released on May 10th." Sweet.

2/10/2005 | Permalink | 

[Photo] Stream and Fade (NYC)

DJ at Happy Ending in NYC on 02/01/05

2/09/2005 | Permalink | 

After the Tsunami Photos

After the Tsunami (audio/photos) features NY Times photographer Chang W. Lee looking back on his experiences with the survivors in Sri Lanka. Some amazing photos and touching narration.

2/08/2005 | Permalink | 

DJ Jarvis

Cool = Jarvis Cocker (from
Pulp) spinning at Misshapes on Saturday night. Pretty surreal to see one of my fave songwriters behind the decks (and at a pretty tiny venue to boot). I got a kick when he started off his set with "2,000 Light Years From Home" by the Stones (off the groovy/underrated Their Satanic Majesties Request).

2/07/2005 | Permalink | 

The Giraffes

Saw NYC rockers The Giraffes last night and was quite impressed. Shades of metal but really more in the Black Sabbath/Zeppelin vein of hard rock. Tight as hell and boys had some real chops, including some guitar shredding that would've made Slash proud. Lots of intricate bass/gtr harmonies and melodies and some good attitude on the vocals (think Electric Six minus a lot of shtick). Free MP3's available at thegiraffes.com and full length coming out soon on Razor and Tie.

2/04/2005 | Permalink | 

[Photo] The Road to Rhodos (Rhodos, Greece)

2/03/2005 | Permalink | 

Album Available at CD Baby

My debut solo album "I Never Do This Sort Of Thing" is now available at CD Baby, an online indie record store that's really super. Go to the site to order a CD or listen to 2-minute clips of all the tracks in streaming audio. More info on the record is avail at my music site: www.mruby.com. Rock.

2/01/2005 | Permalink | 

Flying Blind and Doing Fine

I like this whole "I don't know where I'm going but once I get there I realize it's really damn good" thing. Last night: great sushi at Cube 63, just a few blocks away, (Mmm...Volcano roll. And also discovered best replacement for the ol' prephoto "say cheese" thing...try "say sushi" instead for true freshness) and then a jam session of jazz/funk players in the west village at Arthur's Tavern (some bland funk but also some real talent and good vibes there).

Upcoming events that I'm curious to check out: The Big Quiz Thing (cool trivia!?) and Eating It (Standup show where only new material is allowed...Feb 28th features two of my fave funnymen, Demetri Martin and Fred Armisen).

2/01/2005 | Permalink |