Apparently, none shop more victoriously than I. Browsing ebay for trumpets I happened to see an unrelated link to a low quality guitar. It was going for $ .01 with 80 seconds left! Being the impulsive fool that I am, I quickly bid for the win.

Look at all the accessories I got too!

Boo-yah!

1 cent shitty guitar to me! (plus shipping but whatever)

Low quality or not, I kinda like it. Very Johnny Cash.

In the future I am making a greater effort to cover local music. After all, it is usually the most personal and exciting.

This Wednesday I was a couple hours late for Matt Wertz. In fact when I got to the Canopy Club he had already gone and some new bands were getting ready to take the smaller stage in the bar. I was so upset I missed the epic performance style of Matt Wertz I decided to get wasted and cry my troubles to the bartender…

Had you there for a second! I hate Matt Wertz and the fact I have to share my first name with him.

Instead I grabbed a pint of Miller and waited until the good bands went on around midnight for only $7 ($5 advance)! One of these was World’s First Flying Machine.

World’s First Flying Machine’s Ben Campbell

Via their Myspace: “World’s First Flying Machine is a musical collective created by Ben Campbell and Chris Howaniec, and based out of Urbana, IL.”

Other members include: Laura Lynch: Violin, Backup Vocals. Zane Ranney: Drums. Brian McGovern: Ukulele, Glockenspiel. Kurt Werner: Ukulele, Glockenspiel, Bass.

After some awkward sound banter (centered around getting MORE UKE) Campbell got the band’s first show started. WFFM’s folk rock sound filled the room, managing to quiet some annoying bitch yelling shit from the bar. The band’s six members crowded together on the cramped stage, barely able to rock out during the more enthusiastic songs, but still capable of sending the crowd into bouts of dancing and cheers.

Each song was completely different from the next ranging from experimental instrumental (my fav of the night!) to the rousing collective folk rock of “Ferris Wheel”. A somber “Butterflies” featuring Campbell on acoustic and Lynch on Violin was almost ruined by the Canopy’s incredible ability to draw assholes that talk during good music. Seriously, if I find that relentless chatterbox bitch that always seems to care more about bar speak than what’s on stage I will make sure she never attends another show. Problem is, I think there is more than one of those.

From the Tops of Trees finished out the night nicely; more to come on them!

WFFM will be playing at the Iron Post this Saturday at 10 pm (only $3!!). Check out this excellent new addition to CU’s local scene.

If you haven’t bought your tickets for Lupe Fiasco @ Foellinger on Sunday, get to it fools. This guy is for rea.

While you are waiting anxiously for his arrival check out Lupe’s newest video of single “Superstar“. Is that the guy from “The Cool” walking dead down the red carpet? Luckily Star Course Hospitality lights don’t flicker like the ones in this video.

Where is the appeal?

Ms. Beehive herself… The worst performance of Lolla 07… Maxim’s second most un-sexy woman of the year…

Has canceled her tour.

Yay?!

She says she’s sorry. Why are you apologizing? I’m sending you a fucking Thank You card in the mail. I thought about even baking you cookies, but decided not to waste them on a cokie.

Watch that video, it’s amazing.

Ticketmaster, my arch-spam-nemesis, has figured out a new way to annoy people with upcoming show information. As if five emails a week wasn’t enough.

Surgeon General’s Warning: Buying tickets from this vendor will result in ridiculous fees.

Users of Ticketmaster’s new program in the US will be able to earn commission based on how many ticket buyers they draw through the use of website widgets and email widgets. The widgets can be easily embedded on personal websites or blogs. The email widgets are meant to be put in outgoing signature stamps at the end of each message, not sent out as spam. Users sending spam will be removed from the affiliate program.

Commission varies based on the price of each ticket sale. A $25 sale will net the affiliate 25 cents. However, a $50 sale will get $5. Affiliates are payed via direct deposit.

Buy.at will be helping ticketmaster track and report each sale as well as pay affiliates. Users are required to have a buy.at account as part of the program.

Obviously, this is a very clever promotional idea for Ticketmaster. For instance, if certain music blogs like stereogum or brooklynvegan used a widget like that, they could make thousands of dollars a week. Hopefully, they will resist the temptation and refuse to market for an extortionist vendor. I wonder if commission counts for the $8 “convenience” fees or the $2 they charge to have the tickets sent to you via email. Honestly if anyone sent me an email with that widget embedded I would just report spam to gmail anyway.

On another note, if you see a widget appearing on my blog dont hesitate to buy 50 Springsteen tickets from it!

I’m back you blog-reading freaks! Seriously, I just make most of this shit up and see who is gullible enough to believe it. Speaking of, I have some new updates from the break!

I acquired a copy of Daft Punk’s new live album Alive 2007. It is everything I wanted it to be. Simply put, the concert is a greatest hits show done like no other. The robot duo’s house prowess come through with each re-mixed, re-kickass beat. I feel like throwing an album release party at my apartment, dance floor and crazy lighting included. Anyone know where I can get a six foot pyramid?

I will be retreating into the far reaches of the wilderness (aka SW Michigan) for the next week. Flint and tinder will replace my trusty mac as survival tools in a world without the internet. Until then, check out my favorite music blogs for all of your hood rat needs:

Stereogum
This is where I go to get my music news. These guys can usually beat Pitchfork to the punch. Savvy, funny, and in great taste. Check it out.

The Hood Internet
Mash up city! Check out Spoon vs Ghostface, I really love it. Congrats to them on 1 million song downloads!

La Blogotheque
Might be a bit confusing if you can’t read French. However, check out Concerts a Emporter for some awesome videos. If you don’t know what I mean, go here.

Hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving! THIS year, tell that asshole relative what you really think of them.

oh, and check out this post whore’s blog.

Paul McCartney predicts The Beatles will be making their way [legally] to the internet in 2008. As he is the most likely public figure to be privy to insider details, I would bet this is true, give or take 6 months.

Excellent, now we can access the most listened to music in the history of the world! Oh wait, high quality versions of every Beatles album, out-take, movie, b-side, lock of hair, and photograph are already available for free. Still, if daddy doesn’t want to part with his vinyls anytime soon, little johnny can hit up itunes, ruckus, or emusic to learn what good music really is.

This video is nothing short of awesome. It was filmed during a rehearsal in The Crystal Ballroom when Wincing the Night Away came out. Kick ass.

Here is the album you should be listening to right now. Well, actually a compilation soundtrack.

Dylan obsession aside, the idea for this movie and soundtrack is great. I have yet to see the film, but it is number one on my list of thirty or more movies I don’t have money or time for.

These are the best Dylan covers I have ever heard. The artists involved are all at the top of their respected genres, although I usually don’t like to praise Jack Johnson for anything.

Disc: 1
1. All Along the Watchtower - Eddie Vedder & The Million Dollar Bashers
2. I’m Not There - Sonic Youth
3. Goin’ To Acapulco - Jim James & Calexico
4. Tombstone Blues - Richie Havens
5. Ballad Of a Thin Man - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
6. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again - Cat Power
7. Pressing On - John Doe
8. Fourth Time Around - Yo La Tango
9. Dark Eyes - Iron & Wine & Calexico
10. Highway 61 Revisited - Karon O & the Million Dollar Bashers
11. One More Cup Of Coffee - Roger McGuinn & Calexico
12. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll - Mason Jennings
13. Billy 1 - Los Lobos
14. Simple Twist Of Fate - Jeff Tweedy
15. Man In the Long Black Coat - Mark Lanegan
16. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power) - Willie Nelson & Calexico

Disc: 2
1. As I Went Out One Morning - Mira Billotte
2. Can’t Leave Her Behind - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
3. Ring Them Bells - Sufjan Stevens
4. Just Like a Woman - Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico
5. Medley: Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind/A Fraction Of Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie - Jack Johnson
6. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Yo La Tango
7. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
8. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? - The Hold Steady
9. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues - Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
10. The Wicked Messenger - The Black Keys
11. Cold Irons Bound - Tom Verlaine & the Millions Dollar Bashers
12. The Times They Are a Changin’ - Mason Jennings
13. Maggie’s Farm - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
14. When the Ship Comes In - Marcus Carl Franklin
15. Moonshiner - Bob Forrest
16. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine - John Doe
17. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door - Antony & The Johnsons
18. I’m Not There - Bob Dylan with The Band

I can’t stop listening to Jim James croon on “Goin’ to Acapulco” and Karen O is sexy as usual covering “Highway 61 Revisited” with The Million Dollar Bashers. Yo La Tango is great on both tracks, but “I Wanna Be Your Lover” is masterfully done. Mason Jennings (opened for Guster last semester at Foellinger) comes straight out of the Civil Rights era with “The Times They Are a Changin’”. Even mah boy Sufjan chips in! Awesome.

The two artists that win the award for sounding most like this American icon won’t surprise, well maybe. Jeff Tweedy (the musician I consider the best songwriter alive after Dylan) is nothing short of kick ass covering “Simple Twist of Fate”. If any of you saw Star Course’s Tweedy show last year you could only expect such things from the Wilco man. Chan Marshall, the spunky kitty Cat herself, sounds so much like Dylan you could argue it’s actually him trying to sound like Cat Power. Listen to “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again” and decide for yourself.

I love Bob Dylan and would be extremely upset if something didn’t do the man justice. I’m Not There does him every bit deserved.