Phoenix/Dirty Projectors/Wavves
Madison Square Garden
Wednesday, October 20

Better Than: Breathing normally

This year, the biggest show of CMJ had the biggest secret to keep.

I postulated recently -- maybe facetiously -- that this MSG bill fulfilled every part of the psyche. Well, the rampant rumors of a Secret Special Guest Wednesday evening similarly tested two broader outlooks: The pessimists lining the dank Lower East Side caves of the afternoon CMJ showcases refused to believe the whispers, rolling their eyes as they swilled their Rolling Rocks (that beer is ubiquitous this week), while optimists such as myself shrieked at the news, were threatened with physical harm if we gossiped beyond our present media-savvy circles (which I did anyway, vastly), and ultimately harangued and schemed our way into the packed arena, scalping comically high-up nosebleed seats if need be.

Seriously, no idea, besides the fact that inside that plushy dragon suit is Ed Banger label honcho Busy P, the song is Daft Punk's "Revolution 909," and everyone in that audience is under four feet tall. [@Alexmetric]

All photos courtesy of the Decapitator's Flickr stream

Spring Street on November 6, 2009

In case you haven't been following along, the street-artist known as the Decapitator has been in New York recently. And in addition to hiding headless Shakiras in the Union Square Barnes & Noble (one was found as recently as yesterday, according to a commenter here), the culture jammer has also strategically swung his wheatpaste scythe at public ads around our fair city. But instead of just targeting smug humans, s/he's gone after a French robot--specifically Daft Punk's Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo in one of those omnipresent DJ Hero ads.

Um, so those are "climate bill muscles," by way of articulating the position that "Congress must pass a stronger climate bill than the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES)," which they wussily passed back in June. Still confused? Tell us more, Daily Kos! "If the muscle suits didn't allude to the issue enough, each muscleman wore a t-shirt with "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" on them. The popular song by Daft Punk, later remade by Kanye West, correlated with the more specific asks of harder oversight on coal plants, better renewable portfolio standard and investments in international adaptation, faster emissions reduction targets and, more generally, stronger leadership and a stronger bill." All of which you can understand immediately, just by looking at them, of course.

Strongmen Storm the Capitol [Daily Kos]