• Passing Strange – Review – Theater – New York Times
  “Passing Strange” is bursting at the seams with melodic songs, and it features a handful of theatrical performances to treasure.
  (tags: theater nytimes)
• Apartment Therapy New York | Jar Tops by Jorre van Ast
  These attractive lids and spouts from designer Jorre van Ast prolong the life of ordinary glass jars by reinventing them as pitchers, shakers and cruet sets.
  (tags: design gifts)

TMA favorite St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) will be ripping it up at the Bowery Ballroom tonight at a sold out show.

See ya there!

UPDATE: It’s official, St. Vincent can do no wrong. Annie let loose by wearing a charming sleeveless black trapeze dress and let her naturally curly “Tina, diva” hair do its thang, making this quirky beauty quite the belle of the ball.

The night was full of the usual impeccable song interpretations. Just like other great live powerhouse performers like the White Stripes and Ryan Adams, Annie Clark constantly reinvents her own songs during her live show. But the set was not limited to her own material, she put on almost unrecognizable, but no less stunning, cover versions of “Dig a Pony” by The Beatles and “Ring My Bell” by Anita Ward.

More photos and commentary after the jump…
Continue reading ‘St. Vincent at Bowery Ballroom Tonight’ »

New York City homies Vampire Weekend are quickly becoming as ubiquitous as MacBook Air commercials–currently gracing the cover of the music magazine for the “blawg-rockers”, SPIN and now they are featured in the new issue of Nylon magazine:

(Bigger photo on Vorrasi.com.)

The shots were taken at Tom & Jerry’s bar in the East Village by TMA friend Vorrasi. We were lucky enough to be on hand for the shoot. Here’s a behind-the-scenes shot:
Continue reading ‘Vampire Weekend Hit the Glossies’ »

The BSB writes: “This YouTube video show Yeasayer in a studio working their magic. They sure do a whole lot of work to get their sound don’t they!”

Enjoy folks:

As of tonight I have a lot in common with the Arctic Monkeys, Kate Nash, the Klaxons, and Facebook. We are all 2008 Shockwave NME Award WINNERS! Muwahahah.

YOUR VOTING was the key in helping this lil’ ol’ blog win a 2008 Shockwave NME Award for Best Music Blog.

I would like to thank YOU, the people who have faithfully visited this labor of love since 2001. Thanks for putting up with all my stupid posts about the White Stripes (who could forget the “Jack White in a bathing suit” post or “Meg White’s Disco Boobs” entry?), Ryan Adams (he loves puppies, remember?), and everyone else who created music pre-2003. Thanks again guys, couldn’t have done it without you.

If and when I receive my golden middle finger statue I will surely post photos.

This is a humbling video. His skills make Olympic athletes look like they’re learning to walk.

grab some tissues cause you’re about to start crying now:

8:29PM: Sitting down with a quart of Ben & Jerry’s right now in front of the television, waiting for the Oscars to start. Will update when something notable happens.

8:35PM: Daniel Day Lewis, earrings on both ears… yay or nay? Colin Ferrel, how/why is he allowed at the Oscars?

8:36PM: James McAvoy! Sitting next to wifey and nominee Saoirse Ronan.

8:40PM: I love the joke about the black/woman President, “how will we know it’s the future?”

8:42PM: Jennifer Garner, why is there a giant piece of hair falling all over the front of your face? Girlfriend has never met a boob-squishing strapless dress she hasn’t liked.

8:52PM: Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell. DID HE JUST SAY SH-T?? Or was it just “Shhhhhht”?
Continue reading ‘Live-ish Blogging The 2008 Oscars’ »

Did some sleuthing this morning and FINALLY fixed the RSS feed. Yay!

You can now subscribe to the RSS feed by plugging in themodernage.org/feed/ into your RSS reader of choice.

Here’s to minor victories!

Ok, so has anyone been going absolutely OUT OF THEIR MINDS since Old Navy started airing those ridiculously ANNOYING ads for their spring fashions? You know, the one that has some winsome-sounding girl singing about how her “arms get cold, in February”?

These commercials are so cloying that I end up screaming at them the whole time, shouting, “MAYBE YOUR ARMS ARE GETTING COLD BECAUSE YOU’RE ALL WEARING FREAKING SHORT-SLEEVE AND SLEEVELESS SHIRTS!” since all the models in the ad are prancing around in such said clothing. Not a g-ddamn long sleeve amongst them!

But the most grating thing about the commercial has GOT to be the song. But who, dear reader, has manifested the annoying spirit of Blossom’s Six LeMeure into musical form?
Continue reading ‘Old Navy Commercial Makes My Brain Hurt, In February’ »

UPDATE: Here’s the “Bitch is the new black” video, straight from the top. Read below to read my running commentary:

11:28PM: Yes it’s the first SNL since the writer’s strike has ended. The Backseat Blogger has decided that we should be live-blogging this event even though I’m feeling pretty lazy. So here we go…

11:29PM: Looks like the first skit is going to be a political parody of the Democratic debate.

11:32PM: Ok, so far no laughter. They are going with the angle that the moderators were all Obama supporters. Amy Poehler is Hillary, Fred Armisen is Obama. Armisen definitely has the Obama stare down.

11:37PM: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

11:38PM: Cast credits rolling…The only new “featured” cast member is Casey Wilson
Continue reading ‘Live Blogging: Tina Fey on SNL’ »