Expect Excellence this Saturday!

DUDE!

it's been a whole 2 months since the last Expect Excellence artist showcase night, remember?.

this Saturday you are warmly invited to come down to Kim and check out the new collection of work from TADA FASHION.

I'ma be dj-ing the night away. That's right, JAMZ.

Worryin'

Some nice photographs from last Friday with Shit Disco thanks to my pal Drea.

Check out the photos with Darren and Joe. Look how bright it is outside! Look at poor tired Joe. Look at Darren spilling his durum doner all over the mixer. Oh Shitdisco. Bless. I didn't realise it was a bank holiday this Monday. Hooray! How bout that tempest eh? You'll be happy to know I rescued my pot plants off the balcony. I hope you and your potted plants escaped unscathed.

Last week, to celebrate my first pay cheque I bought some records. One of them was a Phones release from last year with this excellent B-side. I can't believe 2007 is already half way over. WHAT THE ? I hope you are not worryin'. (Except about how you look when you're dancing to this.)

Phones - Worryin' (ysi)

Hey You're Blocking My Way to the Dancefloor, and You're Just Standing There Talking Shit About Me and My Friends

If only Shitdisco would roll in the door at 4am every time i was dj-ing! Dr Pong was even a place they had wanted to check out last time they were in Berlin. "We heard about it man...Surreal.." We like the same songs. Included in Darren and Joe's set were: the Passions mixxxx of "Homecoming" by the Teenagers; the nasty but so nice Princess Superstar v Mason on "Perfect Exceeder"; and the excellent Soulwax mix of "Gravity's Rainbow". Also "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic and Blur's "Girls and Boys". There's a little lamp that Joe switched on and off really fast, for that extra special disco effect.

Darren took some video footage, for a tour diary extravaganza which apparently will be shown on Transmission on Channel 4 in the UK. If anyone watches it, record it for them, they are sad to hand over (and probably not get back) all the tapes of their fun times on tour.

I have no idea about their gig other than the happy nods they gave me when I asked about how it went. I do know it was a Melt showcase night thing. (Melt Festival 13-15 July: Dizzee Rascal, Final Fantasy, Erase Errata, Hot Chip, I'm from Barcelona, Snap! (seriously!) the Horrors, Simian Mobile Disco..). My friend Thomas told me not to look at the message-board on the Melt website, as people were dissing my shitty flyer. "SHE MADE IT WITH PAINT LOL!!", or something like that in German. Shitdisco had posted the first one I made in a myspace bulletin, unfortunately. It's not exactly one of my best worx. I like the 2nd though. With the dancing couple. (Neither were created using Paint..!). We took some fun photos and videos during the night, I will post them soon!

Erase Errata are playing in Bastard tonight and A Hawk and a Hacksaw in NBI this Thursday..also that same night Sondre Lerche in Muddclub.

A Hawk and a Hacksaw myspace

And, i know this is only a myspace link, and this song is over 2 years old, but who can resist a nice little ditty like this with "boat race" being happily exclaimed in most excellent British accents? Boat race, boat race!

Shitdisco Dj Set / Dr Pong Fri 18th May 2007

Tomorrow night at Dr Pong, Shitdisco will come down after their gig at Magnet and take over from me for a wee dj set.

Speaking of wee, last night when they played in Cookies here in Berlin, the Black Lips frontman finished up the show with a certain degree of charm. He pissed in his own mouth (are you picturing that, are you?) and then sprayed it out over the crowd. I heard that over breakfast this morning afternoon.

This Is a Happy House

not only is KIM a new bar, now it actually has one!

christen the new bar at KIM tonight, spill your drinxxx all over it. i am djing there tonight. come and distract me from lining that shit up!

Disco Blood

Me and Shitdisco will be delighting the audience at Dr Pong next Thursday.

You Can Stand Under My Umbrella

Tonight, there was a drunk guy called Tarzan. Not only was he drunk and old and going by the name of Tarzan, but he had a picture of a dog on his sweatshirt and Shane McGowan's teeth are still pretty compared to his. And he rapped for us. He had that beat DOWWWWN!

Next month we'll have another night like that; Planningtorock, Max and I. Turns out we make an excellent team. Your turn!

My favourite traxxx:

from PTR

- Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Peek-a-boo"

- Yoko Ono, "Walking on Thin Ice"

from Max

Stacey Q - "Two of Hearts"

It was just one of those nights. On my way home a hilarious drunk actor escorted me up Kastanien Allee to the M10 tramstop when we both arrived at the M1 stop 2 minutes late. When I got in, I poured myself a bowl of cornflakes, or should i say, "Guten Morgen flakes mit vollkorn!" and i found a heart-shaped one on the top of the pile.

The first time i heard it, I really didn't like what the Teenagers did to "Fallen Snow". But then the "naked / naked / naked / naked / naked / naked" build-up kinda won me over. Now it's not so much won me over as it has knocked me over and tattooed THE TEENAGERS on my bum.

mp3 of love: Au Revoir Simone - Fallen Snow [Teenagers Remix, like totally.]

This video is wierd. And it has Jay-Z in it.

Where Are You Running To?

Someone googled, "new song lyrics it doesnt have words it goes wee ooh ooh ooh" and it brought them here. Hm. It sounds like "Atlantis to Interzone" to me, but that certainly does have lyrics.

"Peace on earth forever!", says Lavender Diamond. "May warm winds balance with cold winds", says Lavender Diamond. The nice lady from Lavender Diamond can't skate real good but she makes up for it with just being really class.



mp3 of love: "open your heart" - lavender diamond

Oh! The album just came out yesterday. Funny that. It's called "Imagine Our Love" and you can listen to snippets of it on their dot com.

There is a free gig happening in the Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin on May 21st at Bud Rising. The Noisettes & Maximo Park. Ooh.

I don't think I can make it to Primavera festival, Sziget looks dead boring, Electric Picnic is too expensive and i would ELL OH VEE EE to see Interpol at Hurricane festival but it rained on us for 4 days the last time i went and it's too far away and too bloody organised.

Berlin festival, to the rescue!

So far,

Shit Disco
Au Revoir Simone
Midlake
Peaches
Uffie
Peter Bjorn + John
Datarock

and

omg

THE PRESETS

!!!

Now Try the Brakes..

Dude it's already way past bedtime..BUT ANYWAYZ.

This week should be a bit of fun.

this Friday May 11th, the Noisettes are playing, in ROSIS.

It looks like Rodrigo Y Gabriela's Sunday show in Lido is cancelled. I wonder what happened...Not sure I would even have gone to see them actually, I saw them perform once in a tiny pub in Sligo. It was spellbinding. Don't really wanna mess around with that memory.

This Saturday there is a big fleamarket event thing happening on the "riverside terraces" of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. It even has a myspace page yo.

Also that day/night - Whitest Boy Alive will be breaking heartz in the mysterious Tape. I say mysterious just because i don't know anything about the place. Very mysterious indeed.

During the past week at various record sto's and today at Boxhagener platz i got alot of records. ALOT!!!! It's all old. Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Shannon (multiplied by 2), the Waterboys, Sade and Wham! I was looking for this amazing record by Neil Diamond. (Yes, i did just say "this amazing record by Neil Diamond".) This album was released aroundabout the time that everything was going psychedelic. Or something. I was at my friends house a couple of weeks ago, and he was playing all his psychedlic 70s Turkish records, and then this album from Neil Diamond. It has the original versions of "Red Red Wine" (it's gorgeous! ..it's hard to like that song after it was covered, I can't even bear to type their stupid name) and "Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon", another song of which the cover i bloody hate. It's so nice to hear it the way it was meant to be. i sound like a geriatric with all this Neil Diamond related giving out. But come on, who actually likes Urge Overkill? I didn't know either of these songs were covers. This album is really a delight. I can't remember the damn name of it though, and googling it is futile as it only brings up a dearth of "BEST OF" results. Bleh. Ok eh, enough about Neil Diamond.

What else? If you're out & about on Tuesday night, come to KINGKONGKLUB. I'ma be djing with my friends Max and Janine....All going well, as the fromer is sick in bed and the latter (see t shirt in photo) is flying in from Brussels that day! ooer.

Watch out Berlin, Nina Hynes and the Husbands are moving in! Kitty Go are taking care of them. (Also taking care of Chikinki, Shout Out Louds, YELLE, the Bishops and more...).

Almost Tropical in Purple Crush Angst Shocker

i don't know what was going on there, i'm telling you every other second of that show i was HAVING A GREAT TIME, but for the 1 second of that camera click i look like i'm watching someone tear apart my favourite teddy bear. WHAT THE EFF??

Anyhoo, this Tuesday I will be dj-ing at KING KONG KLUB. Playing the JAMZ especially 4 U. I shall be joined by a special guest dj. Say nuffing.



on 18th May there is another Expect Excellence party, and SHITDISCO will be joining me for a dj set.

You're not really invited to this birthday party, but this flyer is too fun not to post.



I missed Frida Hyvoenen and the Boredoms tonight.

Oh well, last night I burned the midnight oil with my friend Drea (pictured above, see amazin' purple hatted lady) and her friend Jamie and his manager Philip. Philip manages the Rakes and also JAPE - who just got signed to effin V2! Jape is from Dublin and I've been a big fan for a long time and I'm very exirah and delirah for Ritchie, V2 will re-release his debut album "The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me". Great news altogether.

What do the Rakes like to do in their spare time, you wonder. They like to go jogging every morning, in shiny shell suits, even if they only got to bed at 6am, it's a strict regime of jogging every morning bright and early. They also fire eachother on a regular basis and spread malicious rumours about their wicked manager. They think nobody likes them in Ireland, which is a bit funny since both Jamie and Alan have irish mammies or grannies or something, i can't remember. From Roscommon. FROM ROSCOMMON!!!!!

Haha bye!

Tell Me We Both Matter Don't We?

DFA are re-releasing Planningtorock's album "Have it All". There will be bonus traxxx, including "The Havers". Needless to say, BLOODY HELL THAT'S BRILLIANT!!!

[[[The next Expect Excellence party is gonna be on May 8th in King Kong Club. ]]]

25 ain't bad so far. i just had a major crash from my sugar high and slept the last 3 hours. so much cake and muffins and chewy sweets and lemonade i had today! birthday booty is the bestest. i received Shit Disco's "super limited edition" new album "Kingdom of Fear" from Katja, a Ptr t shirt, Polka dot gloves and a dress from Janine, a beautiful hand-embroidered tote bag from amazin' Andrea (click it! she just uploaded a huge stash of photos from SXSW 2007! Architecture in Helsinki, Ra Ra Riot, Simple Kid, Peter Bjorn and John und mehr!).

[Shit Disco in Magnet March 18th, if Joel has recovered from his illness by then!]

PURPLE CRUSH played here last night. Oh my.

Purple Crush - Running Up That Hill

I've been searching high and low for that track all week, and finally struck gold today at Chazology, which was a most excellent find.

The first band of the night was Trash Fashion. They are from London and have excellent London accents and do some kind of glam rock, indie rave, bedroom-rappin' thing that is pretty hot and funny.

New Young Pony Club were also in the line-up last night. BUT THEY WERE ONLY DJING!!! The last time they were supposed to play in Berlin they cancelled.

The free ice-pops sorta made up for it though. Yeh, free ice-pops!

This week should be nice.

>>>>> The Rakes + the Bishops in Lido, Teusday May 2nd.

Everything is Worth a Kiss

hey pals, this weather is CLASS.

Are you coming out to get your pop on at Magnet on Friday night? Simian Mobile Disco (who have come a long way from "we are your friends") are playing a special Melt Festival night with Trash Money and Para One.

Saturday night i'm djing at KIM (Brunnenstr.10) from ELEVEN TIL ONE.

You can't touch this. The glitz, the glamour.

1 2 3 4

The photos from the 1st Expect Excellence party are up!


MAJOR BUMMER. I forgot SURKIN was playing in Berlin tonight!

SHAKES Sunday 22nd @ Magnet
the HORRORS Tuesday 24th @ Magnet

Poopsy Club is tonight (Saturday) at WestGermany.

Watch out for me at KIM (BrunnenStr.10) next Saturday (28th) doing a little dj set from 11 0'clock. There will be a special exhibition on there from 5PM and also other djs throughout the day & night.

Did you have a look at that flyer? If you're in London, that will be a pretty good night. POWERS are setting sail for foreign shores to play their first show outside of Berlin. Performance sound like they are gonna be very interesting live. Check out their myspace player for a killer track, "The Ending".

Feist is taking Grizzly Bear on tour with her! Oh, just imagine.

BOO!

Je Revois la Ville en Fête et en Délire

I didn't realise that landing a job would be so exciting. But, it is! I haven't been this excited since I was 12 years old and at Irish college for the first time. Seriously. This guy Philip, with an undercut and a Sepultura t-shirt thought I was 16 so asked me to "shift him on the way home". Henceforth we were inseparable. I grilled him about obscure* indie bands and he said "no" alot.

" do you know Gene?"
"no"
" do you know Pulp?"
"no"
"do you know Elastica?"
"no"
"do you know.."
"frustrated-what-have-i-let-myself-in-for-sigh".

but i was just so excited, i didnt know what to do! my first boyfriend! wittering about music is a great fallback. i just hope i don't arrive into the office next Tuesday badgering my new co-workers about bands.

*obscure in the 12 year old girls from Ireland set anyway. rih?

It's basically a platform for crafty people to sell their fancy goods. I have a had a great year working un/underpaid internships for Planningtorock and City Slang, but despite the tremendous fun, I didn't have much bread on the table. And now I got a really nice job. I'm so excited!

British Music Week is coming up soon!

April 10-30 in venues across Berlin.

Pencil me in for Lady Sovereign at 103 Club on Sat 21st April; Shakes on 22nd April in Magnet [with the Magdelenas and Olympus Mons] and the Horrors on 24th April [with the Voom Blooms].

Not really part of BMW, but noteworthy nonetheless Shit Disco are coming back to make your disco blood boil. May 18 we shall be having a reactor party at Magnet. Watch out cos I know Kung Fu, OK?

Their latest video is very good:



Last night at Eel Pie was most excellent. Katja Hentschel graced us with her presence, and her big ass camera. I'm setting up a new website dedicated to the Expect Excellence party. Katja's snaps coming soon.

Don'tcha. No You Don't.

"What are you doing up so late?"

"Looking for a Pussycat Dolls mp3".

"Er."

"The "I don't need a man" song."

"THAT SONG IS FUCKING AWFUL!"

"IT'S NOT FUCKING AWFUL! ...Granted, the lyrics are rubbish. But the beat and melodies and saxophone bits are great."

"That saxophone is coming from a button on a keyboard."

"That's why it's so good."

"Right."

"Xiu Xiu did a cover of that other song they had, "Dont'cha"."

"Right."

"Oh my god. If you go look on the hype machine you can hear "Don'tcha" and "Let's Dance" by David Bowiew in a mash-up. IT'S SO GOOD!!!"

"Wha- I'm going to bed."

Expect Excellence this Friday 6th April at Eel Pie

It's a photography showcase (and also a party) featuring documentation of SXSW 2007 by Drea Augustin; photography and video footage of Au Revoir Simone, Dandi Wind, Peter Bjorn and John, the Presets, Simple Kid, Architecture in Helsinki and much, much more.

I will be djing// Doors at 10pm // Adm FREE!//

..and now all the halves wander the world over seeking one another.

This guy wants to be my boyfriend on myspace.

i won't be able to afford to go to any of these shows, but a girl can wish.

APRIL HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

4th the Shins Postbahnhof

8th Camera Obscura Lido

9th Joan as Policewoman Volksbuhne

9th Cocorosie Postbahnhof

12th Cansei de ser Sexy Maria

13th April the Presets Maria

14th April Akron Family Festsaal Kreuzberg

15th Deerhoof + the Blow Festsaal Kreuzberg

25th Joanna Newsom Volksbuhne

This week I missed Nina Hynes and Manowar..I'm just finishing up "the unbearable lightness of being". Now that I'm nearing the end, I only read a couple of pages at a time. I really, really don't want it to be over. It's reassuring to think of all the other books of his I have yet to read.

This Wednesday I am djing at Magnet. I'm on first, 10.30pm til midnight.

Do You Miss Home?

MP3 of Love

You Are Gold And Silva-a-a