A very prosperous loft party

With its high-energy, ska-influenced take on Southern indie rock, the Black Taxi live show is not to be missed. Plus, it's Meijin's birthday!

Mp3 - Black Taxi - Up Here for Thinking, Down Here for Dancing

Chikpiks (Halloween is overrated, who's with me? Edition)

In honor of the day, I bring you the 20 Worst Vampire Costumes, no doubt inspired by all of the quality vampire literature in bookstores these days. Since I couldn't find any Jane Austen/Mr. Darcy costumes on the webs, feel free to submit any you spot while you're out in the Halloween trenches tomorrow night.

Oh, and here are some scary Halloween events/parties, some of which I may actually appear at (no costume guaranteed).:


And at Mercury Lounge, featuring the insane live show of garage rockers Black Taxi (keeping ska alive in the best possible way), and awesome electro-glam duo Hank and Cupcakes, both of whom I've covered here:


Are you missing the Vivian Girls? Seems like they've fallen off from their previous 5 shows a week schedule since their sophomore album came out. Well here's your chance. I'm sure they'll be doing something scary.


SACRED BONES RECORDS HALLOWEEN

Wooden Ships
Vivian Girls
Crystal Stilts
Religious Knives

:: dj Keegan Cooke

| 171 LOMBARDY ST @ VARICK AVE |
171 Lombardy St @ Varick Ave | Greenpoint, Brooklyn
| 8pm | all ages | $12

| curated by Caleb Braaten |

And yeah, this is 20 bucks, but the description makes it sound pretty impressive. Plus, it's "secret." Yeah right.


The Last Masquerade

From the site: "Three vast spaces in the dark heart of Brooklyn have been re-imagined for
this all-night adventure. Over three dozen artists and performers will
infuse these forgotten structures with a pre-apocalyptic fairy-tale built
on music, mischief and a heavy dose of the unexpected."

260 Meserole St., Bushwick Brooklyn
and continues at two indoor loft spaces steps away...

7pm through 7am : Saturday October 31st.
$20 : Costumes will be rewarded : 21+
Arrive before 8:59pm and you pay only $10.

And for those who have far, far more endurance than I for looking at more bad vampire costumes:


Afterparty at Market Hotel

Starts at 1:30 a.m., immediately following the Mt Eerie/Liturgy show.

Djs include Veronica Vasicka (founding member of East Village Radio and electronic label Minimal Wave, lover of new wave, italo-disco, and house music) & Steve Summers (whose Back From The Future mix is below):

80% chance of smoke machine, $5 at the door (free for Mt Eerie/Liturgy showgoers).

Mp3 - Steve Summers - Back from the Future


And finally, Bobby "Boris" Pickett is sadly no longer playing in New York or anywhere else on earth, but the sole act of hearing "Monster Mash" once is enough to call my Halloween a success. So, via Audio Muffin, I present to you:

Mp3 - Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers - Monster Mash

May he rise as a zombie in peace.

CMJ begins, I follow (Chikpiks CMJ Day 1 Edition)

So...so Grooms are just The Muggabears with a different name.


This is one of the many, many fun facts you can learn at this year's CMJ Music Marathon, which begins today. Grooms, in fact, are playing right now, at the Pop Tarts showcase at Cake Shop, along with, among others, Surfer Blood, Small Black, and Holiday Shores, all tinted various shades of pop. However, don't fret if you don't happen to be there, because Grooms will also be playing tonight at Death by Audio. And again tomorrow. And again on Friday. And finally, on Saturday, at the After the Jump party at Brooklyn Bowl. But that's just CMJ.

Deerhunter side project Atlas Sound plays tonight at 10 at (Le) Poisson Rouge.


Gritty, Kings of Leon-influenced rockers Black Taxi also plays tonight at 10:45 at Arlene's Grocery.


The Social Registry showcase is tonight at the Knitting Factory, headlined by British psychedelic experimentalists Sian Alice Group at midnight.


To be sure, I'm dubious about the effectiveness of CMJ passes for actually gaining admission to CMJ shows, considering that larger ones like Atlas Sound already sold out to the norms ages ago. However, they certainly are useful for partying with a bunch of New Zealanders at the opening night soiree at Red Bull Space. Pity the girl with the press pass.

Mp3 - Black Taxi - Head on a Pike