Just added my first recommended album of 2005 to the recommended section- LCD Soundsystem's self-titled album on DFA. Totally hot dance-punk beats. I wish Daft Punk were playing at my house, my house.

So a band has recently moved in downstairs, and instead of renting a practice space like normal bands who live in apartment buildings, they practice in their living room. Now, this wouldn't bother me so much if they were actually GOOD. Instead, they appear to have the exact drum beat for every song (bang bang CRASH bang bang CRASH bang bang . . .), and they also have an absolutely killer cover of "The Ants Go Marching." Every Monday night for about two hours.

Arcade Fire on Conan tomorrow night! And then the Conan rerun on CNBC, Wednesday at 6 PM.

Sure- it's not exactly the most user-friendly of programs, and it can be slow, but once you figure it out, it is awesome because it's got everything, and for some reason, I've never seen it named in any articles about the RIAA crackdowns. Maybe most of the stuff on it is too indie for them to care.

Basically, if you just use the regular search function to find files, you have to wait in line for the file to download. There's a column for "place in queue" or something like that that tells you how many people are ahead of you. So if you download it, it won't download until everyone else in line ahead of you downloads it. That's why it's slow. If you take music from people on your userlist though, then you don't have to wait in line and you can download it right away.

The program is free, but you can also pay 5 bucks for a month to bypass the line for faster downloads.

For those of us not so adept--could you tell us how Soulseek works? Is it just like napster/kazaa but you can only share music w/ your friends? Is it legal and/or free?

Coachella lineup has been announced!

So someone from Tinymixtapes gave me a bootleg of the Broken Social Scene set that I saw at Coachella last year! It even has a track for where the guitarist proposed to his girlfriend on stage. I'm listening to "Anthems for a 17-Year Old Girl" and reliving the show right now.

Speaking of, now that I have Soulseek, if anyone is interested in taking that live show or any of the other music I have to share (not my whole music collection sadly, but about 1,200 songs from my computer), my username on Soulseek is Nicolemc99. If you're on Soulseek and have a username, let me know and I'll add you to my userlist.

Check out this Canadian radio website- it has archives of live sets from lots of great bands like Arcade Fire, Calexico, and many, many more. Just click on "Table of Contents."

Yet another example of why I hate 24 hour news channels . . .

Show #2 this morning went well. The recording of it is up now on the website for your downloading pleasure. I went with a lot of dance music this time, due to new albums coming out by LCD Soundsystem and Out Hud. Also, "Banquet" by Bloc Party is the hottest song of 2004 that I didn't hear until 2005. I could listen to that song over and over and over and over again . . . I also came away with copies of the new M83, Andrew Bird, L'Altra, and LCD Soundsystem. Woo.

Upon listening to my voice breaks this morning after the show, I think I need to give myself some constructive criticism:

Hey Nicole,

1) STOP SAYING "UH"
2) STOP SMACKING YOUR LIPS BEFORE TALKING

Yet more ridiculous news.

I am soooooo going to this this summer.

So it looks like zipping mp3 files doesn't do a whole lot in this case because mp3's are already very highly compressed files in the first place (thank you Chuck Campbell at WinZip's tech support). So since I don't want to sacrifice sound quality and am too lazy to break up the files into smaller pieces, you'll just have to suck up the hour-long download unless some other means comes my way.

Stupid, yet hilarious, news.

Hmmmm, yes . . . zipping . . . I'm going to look into that. All this new technology will be taken one step at a time until my show can be provided to you in the best possible way. Bear with me and my ignorance. Hopefully my new free subscription to Wired will help me along in the right direction.

In the meantime, I have finally, after over a year of trying, successfully downloaded Soulseek. They must have updated to a newer version that is more compatible with my computer. This means my downloading days have triumphantly returned. I had no real interest in checking out the new Bright Eyes, until I read surprisingly good reviews of it and got this wonderful new ability to download it at my beck and call . . . I only have Digital Ash in a Digital Urn at the moment, and to be honest, it's not really thrilling me. Just sounds like ol' Bright Eyes with some glitchy beats in the background. We'll see what I think of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning once it's downloaded- I have trouble believing it's going to be the "Americana Masterpiece" Pitchfork claimed it is.

Nicole, the first thing you can do to make the file easier to download is to make it smaller. You can do this with an archiving program like Winzip (Winace etc) and turn it into a zip file. Also, you could resample the sound file and change its compression rate (with Media player or sound utility program) but this would sacrifice sound quality. Lastly, you could spilt the file into multiple flies (like 1st half and 2nd half) with a sound utility program. You can find tools at download.com

So after all the amazing shows that came around in 2004, I wasn't sure there'd be anything left to see in 2005. After updating my planner to reflect all the shows that are already booked for the next few months in Chicago, clearly I was wrong. Looks like after taking the past few weeks off, I'm back on track for a show a week. Some stuff to look forward to in the next few months (I don't think I can wait until May 9!)

Friday, February 4: Earlimart w/ Light FM at Schubas
Friday, February 11: Low w/ Pedro the Lion and L'Altra at the Metro
Friday, February 18: Les Georges Leningrad w/ the Dirty Things and Breaker! Breaker! at the Open End Gallery
Saturday, February 19: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness w/ L'Altra and Grizzly Bear at the Empty Bottle
Tuesday, February 22: Kings of Convenience at the Double Door
Friday, February 25: Deathray Davies w/ Braves and Big Buildings at the Empty Bottle
Friday, February 25: M. Ward w/ Dr. Dog at Schubas
Saturday, March 5: Jens Lekman w/ the Impossible Shapes at Schubas
Friday, March 11: The French Kicks w/ Calla and the Natural History at the Empty Bottle
Thursday, March 31: Bloc Party w/ the Ponys at the Metro
Friday, April 8: Matthew Dear w/ Magda at Smart Bar
Saturday, April 9: Magnolia Electric Co. at Schubas
Friday, April 15: Death from Above 1979 w/ controller.controller at the Empty Bottle
Thursday/Friday, April 21/22: M83 w/ Ulrich Schnauss at the Empty Bottle
Wednesday, April 27: Animal Collective w/ Ariel Pink (early and late shows) at the Empty Bottle
Saturday, May 7: Adult. w/ Gold Chains and Sue Cie and Genders at the Empty Bottle
Monday, May 9: The Books at the Empty Bottle
Thursday/Friday, May 12/13: Prefuse 73 at the Empty Bottle

FINALLY! After much technical difficulties, financial investment, and a few tart emails between the website's tech department and myself ("Yes, we UNDERSTAND YOUR ISSUE"), I've finally learned how to put up my gigantic files on this website, and last week's show is up. If anyone is more technologically savvy than I and knows how to put it up in a way that doesn't take an hour to download, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm sure those of you who plan to listen can just download it in the morning while you're at work/class.

iFilms, the website that put up the clip of Jon Stewart calling Tucker Carlson a dick on Crossfire, has a clip up now of an interview on Fox News with Vanity Fair's Judy Bachrach, who was supposed to talk about the gowns at the inaugural and instead ripped on Bush for spending so much on the inauguration when our underfunded troops are in harm's way. And hilarity ensues!!!

Hot reality television news:

CBS and Mark Burnett will debut a new reality show in the Summer of2005 that will combine the world of rock music with relationship-style unscripted drama, performance competition and a weekly contestant elimination -- which will be determined by a combination of viewer participation, judges and INXS band members. The last singer standing will become the lead singer of the internationally renowned band INXS, and will embark on a worldwide concert tour with the band and be part of the group's new album.Those that make the casting cut will be housed together in a Hollywood Hills home. Each week will feature taped reality segments focusing on the relationships and conflicts that develop between the competitors, along with a performance competition and weekly results. For more information on venue locations, log on to www.CBS.com and click on THE NEXT GREAT ROCK STAR.

This is a really interesting article on underground music/movie piracy from Wired Magazine.

http://www.slate.com/id/2112548/ More on this internet radio broadcasting--but I'm still confused about how this works, and if it works at all w/ the i-pod-casting.

Here's an old Neko Case interview with Playboy. She's such a hottie.

Sigh, of course I'm having technical difficulties getting the file from yesterday's show up on the site. Hopefully I'll get that worked out soon.

I just bought an i-pod and I'm *kind of* in love with it - it's just so pretty!

FYI, my playlists are also going up again- just click playlists on the sidebar.

First show this morning went about as well as it could on zero sleep. I started off the show by announcing M83 was up next, then proceeded to play Black Mountain. Then when taking the el to work, I dazedly got off at Monroe instead of Jackson, looked around dumbfoundedly for about 10 seconds, then ran back onto the train like a total idiot just before the door closed.

Anyhoo, the show has been recorded and will be up on the website by tomorrow.

Cute Bright Eyes article from Nerve.com

ALRIGHTY. I've gotten it all figured out how I'm going to work this whole radio show on the internet thing.

I've got myself a program that allows me to record my show on the internet in advance straight to mp3. My website has just enough room for me to fit probably two shows on it at a time. After my first show tomorrow, when hopefully everything works like I'd planned, I'll post the recording to the website in a new "archive" section, and you can download it to your computer/iPod for your listening pleasure.

Check back this weekend for what hopefully is a fully-accessible hour of the Perfect Face for Radio!

Recommendations for new cds? Here are a few I think you'd like, depending on what you are in the mood for:

Electronic/dance music:
Annie- Anniemal (see: Kylie Minogue)
Erlend Oye- DJ Kicks

Folky:
Bonnie "Prince" Billy- I See a Darkness (a MUST-own)
Joanna Newsom- The Milk-Eyed Mender
Sufjan Stevens- Greetings from Michigan

90s Brit-Pop:
Pulp- Different Class

Meanwhile, I'm still looking into internet radio recording programs, I'll probably try something out in the next week and let everyone know what's up. If anyone else tries one out or has more info, let me know.

Also, my little Neko review is up on www.radiofreechicago.org

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6835214/

What? I can record radio shows on the internet and then play on my ipod? I have serious technology issues. Nicole, have you actually figured this out and can you recommend a program that works well to record the songs?

Also, so sad to say that I missed Colin Meloy due to an evil cold, so no reviews to devulge as of now. However, I am now in the market to expand my music collection as it has been far too long since my last trip to the CD store. Any suggestions for me other than Arcade Fire?

Very bad week. It is now raining like the armagedon in Seattle. It's like god is trying to make it so I never leave the library.

My iPod is now filled with my albums A-Z. All that's left is my Various Artists section and I'm finished! It'll add up to somewhere around 5,000 songs and 20 gigs of music. That gives me room to completely double my music collection before this thing is filled up. Now I finally return from my room to the real world.

New Chemical Brothers album out later this month and it sounds like another triumph.

Here are some music video links

I highly recommend them all.

Well, I start class and my next lab rotation tomorrow so it's off to the dreamworld now.

Are you looking to be driven slowly insane? Then check out William Basinski's Disintigration Loops. This dude came upon a bunch of old tapes containing random loops. Strangely, the tape had begun disintigrating (hence the name, Disintigration Loops!), and causing strange things to happen to the sound. It's literally the same loops over and over again, occasionally interupted by the sound cutting in and out where the tapes had gone bad. Very strange.

Alright, I've done further research on the whole podcasting thing, and I found some links having to do with internet radio.

http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2004/11/09/ipod_tricks.html
http://radio.about.com/cs/recordingstreams/index.htm
http://radio.about.com/cs/recordingstreams/ht/RecordStreams.htm

Someday soon when I'm technologically savvy enough, I'll figure out how to become an official podcaster by recording my show, posting the files on a blog, and then putting it in a directory where podcast listeners can subscribe to my show, meaning that every time I put another file up, it will automatically be uploaded onto their iPod. This may take me a little while though, so stay tuned :)

Saw Neko Case last night at the Metro, the woman every man wants to be with and every woman wants to be. The woman was voted "hottest indie rock babe" by Playboy for god's sake, and deservedly so because she is extremely hot. She's also one of the silliest, most unpretentious musicians I've ever seen play. She kept cracking jokes between songs and saying the most random things as if she had no control over what came out of her mouth ("this is a sad song about birds. WOOOOOO PARTY!!!!!"). It was great. And of course her voice is amazing. I'll be writing up a review for www.radiofreechicago.org, so look for it there shortly.

Looking forward to your show Nicole.

Hey Daft Punk Fans,

Daft Punk is releasing a new album in March.

This is an older news article but is further evidence that most politicians suck and Daft Punk rocks.

Hey Maggie! I really have no idea how to podcast yet. I'll do more research this weekend and see what I can find out.

In the meantime, here's something cool to listen to at work next week:

The Arcade Fire will perform Monday, January 17th at 11:15 am PST on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. There will be a live performance followed by an interview with Nic Harcourt. Click HERE to listen and watch.

And a tinymixtapes mention in Newsweek . . .

Already excellent releases from 2004 are making their way into my hands in 2005. My new obsession: Erlend Oye's DJ Kicks- the dude remixes (and sometimes sings over) really random dance songs like the Rapture's "I Need Your Love," Royksopp's "Poor Leno," and that 80s song "Venus." It is awesome, the kind of album I could give to any of my friends who aren't into music and I know they would like it. Also loving: The Streets "A Grand Don't Come for Free" and Annie's "Anniemal."

A classic illustration of irony

Yes! I want to send Bibles now!

Sigh. This is what happens when I'm working with Christian radio stations all day.

I am EXTREMELY excited about the new Books album and the ensuing first-ever tour.

The below cartoon is completely random, but I find it HI-larious.

Welcome Tori! Almost two years after the inception of the PFFR blog, but better late than never!

Colin Meloy is playing here in a couple weeks. No clue on how he'll be live, but judging by how fabulous the Decemberists are live, I'm sure he'll bring it. Let us know if he previews some new Decemberists songs from the upcoming album and if they're any good.

Yeah, I just learned to blog! This is my first post! I have nothing good to say. Other than Colin Meloy of the Decemberists is playing in Seattle Thursday night solo, which I think I'm going go see him. Any word on how this one man act is supposed to be?

This review pretty much summed up my Arcade Fire experience, word for word.

Yes! Reality television ROCKS.

Christian conservatives and rednecks collide in the red states over Kid Rock.

I realize I've been posting a lot today, but that's because it's so hard to work on Thursday, because it's almost Friday.

I've continued to listen to the Streets and am very much enjoying it. There's an entire song about trying to return a DVD. I find it highly refreshing.

January is extremely dry for good shows, but February picks up nicely:

Friday, February 4: Earlimart w/ Light FM at Schubas
Friday, February 11: Low w/ Pedro the Lion and L'Altra at the Metro
Friday, February 18: Les Georges Leningrad at the Open End Gallery (!!!!!)
Saturday, February 19: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness w/ L'Altra at the Empty Bottle
Tuesday, February 22: Kings of Convenience at the Double Door
Friday, February 25: M. Ward at Schubas

And looking further down the road . . .

Friday, March 11: The French Kicks at the Empty Bottle
Thursday, March 24: Xiu Xiu w/ On! Air! Library! and Dead Season at the Bottom Lounge
Saturday, April 9: Magnolia Electric Co. at Schubas
Wednesday, April 27: Animal Collective w/ Ariel Pink at the Empty Bottle (!!!!!!!)
Saturday, May 7: Adult. at the Empty Bottle

Some bars in Chicago that have iPod DJ nights for the common man.

A fun interview with the scariest woman alive.

Huzzah!

From newsblues.com:

-CNN has ended its relationship with the conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and will shortly cancel its long-running daily political shout show "Crossfire."

CNN/U.S. President Jonathan Klein sided with comedian Jon Stewart, who used a "Crossfire" appearance last fall to rip the program as partisan hackery. "I think he made a good point about the noise level of these types of shows, which does nothing to illuminate the issues of the day," Klein told Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post. Viewers need "useful" information in a dangerous world, he said, "and a bunch of guys screaming at each other simply doesn't accomplish that."

I've finally gotten around to checking out the new Streets album, A Grand Don't Come for Free. Much less use of the word "geezer" than in the first album. Also, the song "Dry Your Eyes" is bizarrely tear-jerking.

There is huge feature about the oft-linked Pitchfork in today's Chicago Sun Times.

And to think, I remember when it was just pitchfork.com and the reviews were out of 100. I remember when Ryan Schreiber gave daft punk's homework a 76/100 and, beleiving that rating to be too low, I discredited all reviews on the site.

Nicole, after reading the first line of said article, I know why you moved to Wicker Park.

Link: http://www.suntimes.com/output/entertainment/cst-ftr-pitch03.html

Goddamnit! We have a friend come down from Minneapolis for just a weekend, and she get's a Craigslist missed connection written about her, while I've been waiting to have one written about me for months!!!

Here's some information on how those of you with iPods or other digital music devices can listen to my radio show whenever you want to (i.e. not at 4-6 am Friday mornings). I'm going to look into it more- maybe I can figure out how to post files of the show on the website.

New Year's weekend rundown:

RJD2 was very cool live, he set up four turntables and a video projector and ran around the stage changing records and scratching and whatnot. He played my favorites, "The Horror," "Ghostwriter," and "Good Times Roll Pt. 2," but unfortunately there were technical difficulties during "Ghostwriter" and he actually stopped playing for about 5 minutes while we waited for them to be sorted out. Other than that, the night was pretty underwhelming- I didn't drink nearly enough and I'd forgotten how annoying it is to be sober among hundreds of ragingly wasted people. The train ride home was no better.

Last night, however, was some of the most fun I'd had in awhile- live band rock n roll karaoke at Schubas. Becky and I sang "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure and some guy later told us we "moved his heart," DJ Lazer did the Hives' "Hate to Say I Told You So" and brought the house down with his dance moves. We are definitely going to make a regular night out of this, and I highly encourage anyone else living in Chicago to do the same, and anyone who lives in a city that doesn't have this to find a way to get it going. You got to be a rock star for 4 minutes!