Supporting New Jersey's Local Music Scene Since 2000 |
Hi Everyone, The BlowUpRadio.com newsletter is back! I know it's been a few weeks since the last newsletter, and I apologize for that. Sometimes real life gets in the way. It was year end wrap up at my day job (which besides being extra hours, also means added stress), my wife's ankylosing spondylitis condition has been flaring up, and then I caught a nasty sinus infection. And of course, this is the holiday season... Which brings me to a little commentary about the holidays (those that want to skip this part should scroll down to [end commentary] [begin commentary] Roland S. Martin, a correspondent for CNN, wrote an article on CNN.com entitled, "Commentary: You can't take Christ out of Christmas", you can read his entire article here: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/20/roland.martin/index.html Here's are my thoughts on his article: I am an atheist, and yet I agree with some of the points Mr. Martin makes. Yes, Christmas is about the birth of Christ...well sort of. Technically, Christmas was an invented holiday in order to take back from the pagans their Winter Solstice holiday. Most religious scholars agree that Jesus was born in the spring, around Easter, and not in December. That said, Christmas is a holiday about the birth of Christ (a shortened version of Christ's Mass), but these days most kids and adults are more likely to associate the religious holiday with Santa Claus and presents. The same holds true for Hanukkah, which was never about presents, but has become so in order for Jewish kids to get presents in Dec. also. The crass commercialization of both holidays is pretty sad, but let's be honest, people complain about it every year, but we all end up buying gifts for people anyway, because it's expected. So here's what my friend and I came up with many years ago. For those who are religious, have your Christmas, Hanukkah, and all the other faiths' holidays, but remember that those holidays are about the religious aspects and not the gifts. Then set aside any day in December for the new holiday of ACHOO. ACHOO stands for Another Commercialized Holiday Of Overspending. This way we are being honest about what the holiday is. Now that I've said all of that, there is one thing I disagree with in Mr. Martin's commentary, and that is: "Because of all the politically correct idiots, we are being encouraged to stop saying "Merry Christmas" for the more palatable "Happy Holidays." " As someone who has never celebrated Christmas in his life (as I was raised Jewish), I am personally offended when people presume that I am Christian and should be wished a Merry Christmas. Should I assume you are Jewish and wish you a Happy Hanukkah? Or that you celebrate ACHOO and wish you a Merry ACHOO? If you know the person well and know their religious beliefs, then sure, feel free to wish them a happy whatever, but, when I'm out at a store or at a show, it's always better to wish people the more generic happy holidays, it's more polite, and less presumptuous. [end commentary] ~~~~~~~~~~
Now onto a few other things... LAZLO'S TOP 25 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR It's that time of year again, and below is my top 25 albums of 2007 in alphabetical order. The list includes several really great NJ bands who put out albums this year. If you'd like to find out the actual order from 25 to 1, tune into Lazlo's Den beginning Wed. Dec. 26th. Wed. Dec. 26th I'll play songs from albums 25-21 Thurs. Dec. 27th I'll play songs from albums 20-16 Fri. Dec. 28th I'll play songs from albums 15-10 Mon. Dec. 31st I'll play songs from albums 10-1 As with previous years, let me make the following comments before you see my list: I hate doing these things, for several reasons: 1. I have changed this list several times in the past week, and looking at it now, there are still changes I could make. My favorite anything tends to change regularly depending on what I'm in the mood for, so ultimately, the list below is a snapshot of what I liked from 2007 at the particular moment that I finalized the list. 2. It's totally subjective. The list below is strictly my opinion, and does my opinion mean more than anyone else's? To some, maybe, to me, I'm just another music fan making a list. I think it would be very cool to have people reply to me with their own top 25 list of albums for this year, so I hope some of you do that. 3. My list is only comprised of albums I've actually listened to from beginning to end. Thousands upon thousands of albums come out each year, and I maybe get to listen to a thousand or so albums in a year, so there are likely many good albums I haven't had the chance to listen to. So take the list below for what it is, my opinion of my favorite albums of the year, at a moment in time, that I've had the opportunity to listen to. And now, in alphabetical order, here are my top 25 albums of the year: Beatallica - Sgt. Hetfield's motorbreath pub band Big Head Todd & The Monsters - all the love you need Citizens Band Radio - CBR Critical Me - promised land Drew & The Medicinal Pen - dream, dream, fail, repeat Kosmic Daydream - psychosomatic playground Lifeguard Nights - the church of song Mason Dixon - hurry through the night Mike June & The Dirty Doves - lovesick Miles Hunt - not an exit Office - a night at the ritz Ozomatli - don't mess with the dragon Paul Sanchez - between friends Readymade Breakup - isn't that what it's for? Slo-Mo - smokey mountain The Chilling Details - innerdialogue The Future Kings Of Nowhere - The Future Kings Of Nowhere The Go - howl on the haunted beat you ride The Milwaukees - American anthems vol. 1 The Mother Hips - kiss the crystal flake The Successful Failures - ripe for the burning The Winter Sounds - porcelain empire VHS Or Beta - bring on the comets Warm In The Wake - American prehistoric West Indian Girl - 4th & wall Remember to tune in starting Wednesday to hear the actual order these 25 albums are in from 25 to 1. ~~~~~~~~~~
Two notes on Lazlo's Den: From Dec. 24th thru Jan. 1st tune into Lazlo's Den for your chance to win some cool prizes. I'm cleaning out the prize vault, and that means DVD and CD prize packs! On Thurs. Jan. 3rd, 2008, Kosmic Daydream (www.kosmicdaydream.com), will be hanging out in the studio for a full hour, talking about their new CD, "psychosomatic playground", an album that is one of my favorite 25 of 2007. ~~~~~~~~~~
And finally... HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Peace, Lazlo |
ARTIST | ALBUM |
Zigman Bird | don't wake up |
Concert Picks of the
Week
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Concert Picks of the
Week
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Wednesday December 26th |
Son Of Dad @ Brighton Bar
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Thursday December 27th |
The Greyboy Allstars @ World Cafe Live
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Friday December 28th |
Milwaukees, The Hammer @ Loop Lounge Buzz Universe @ Old Bay Super Satellite @ Mercury Lounge Clutch, Murder By Death, Puny Human and Priestess @ Starland Ballroom |
Saturday December 29th |
Sunday December 30th |
Ghost Town Trilogy @ Brighton Bar Patti Smith @ Bowery Ballroom Chuck Berry @ B.B. King's Go Go Valante @ Otto's Shrunken Head |
Monday December 31st |
Patti Smith @ Bowery Ballroom Thursday, Circa Survive, The Gaslight Anthem @ Starland Ballroom Mike Doughty @ Mexicali Blues Cafe Slo-Mo @ World Cafe Live Juggling Suns @ Stone Pony The Sex Zombies @ Brighton Bar American Watercolor Movement, Dean and Britta @ Maxwell's |