ifightmonsters

check out my Song of the Day music blog at blankwave.vox.com

Hello All!

My birthday is coming up on July 10, a Monday this year, so I'm celebrating on Friday night instead! Turning 28, only two years away from death! It'll be starting at 9 pm tomorrow night at Soft Spot (L train to Bedford, first stop in brooklyn, then walk up Bedford a few blocks, on Bedford between North 9th and 10th, across the street from Reel Life). I hope to see you all there! We will have a time.

Now to my bad news, after djing last Tuesday night, one of my CD books went missing. It was luckily not one of my big books that hold 200 cd's, but it was a book holding 50+ cd's, mostly all new releases. Anyone who knows me knows that I faithfully purchase the actual physical, store-bought copies, and that I buy an average of 2 cds's a week. A costly, yet gratifying personal hobby. I don't download much music. I'm a sucker for the complete package. You can no doubt understand the impact of this recent loss, yes? SOOOOO, this comes as a very handicapping occurrence to my livelihood as a dj as I lost a book containing mostly all the new hits that I have to play every week, totaling a loss of over $700 worth of music. I'm not one to ask for much, but in lieu of birthday presents or buying me a drink on my birthday, I am asking for donations instead, teeny-tiny or large. If you can't help, that is absolutely no problem whatsoever. If you can help, I'll be collecting a pool tomorrow night at my party, or anytime you see me really. If you can't make it, or you live in another state/country and have any ability to help then you can send me a donation through PayPal. Preferably, you can go to my Myspace profile http://www.myspace.com/shitwindow and find an easy "Make a Donation" button link in my "About Me" section , which will take you directly to my PayPal donation account. Or, you can go to PayPal.com and my merchant email address is matthewserban(at)gmail(dot)com ANY help would be very much appreciated. Thanks you so much, and I hope to see all of you that can make it tomorrow night!

I am so tired of sitting in this same office with no windows, for 40+ hours a week, for almost 5 years now.

So how is it that when I go home from work having spent the day drinking coffee, soda and water while staring at a computer screen, I sit down with a beer and stare at another screen, until I'm ready to close my eyes and stare at the only screen that really does anything for me? And that screen which is the back of my eyelids likes to clear my memories of the images and resulting revelations every time I open them again, six to ten hours later.

Screen Life.

Kinda forgot about the old livejournal for a bit. i'll try and do something soon, or more often.

alive

my top 50 albums of 2005 list is up at http://satelliteheart.kaelliott.com/

enjoy!

Why am I at work today?

My building is empty, besides me.

Guess I shouldn't complain though. I had an amazing vacation down in the Caribbean.

I swam with sea turtles.

I'm hopping on the Queen Mary 2 for a jaunt around the Caribbean. I'll see you all in the new year!

Infidels
In a broken time
Our fathers bled the ground
Chained and bound

Castaway
Should the remnant die?
My hopes were growing numb
Overcome

She bewitched
With a Siren's cry
She beckoned, "Come and learn"
Is there no return?

Babylon
Born in your walls
Bred in your will
Captive until
I heard the heavens cry
Babylon
This is goodbye

Aftershocks
And the sorrow grows
Some make their slow descent
Some repent

Rescue me
These idols lie
I cannot bear the shame
Make this desert rain

Babylon...

Make this desert rain...

Jacob is turning 22 this Friday, Novemeber 11th. To celebrate, JR and I are throwing his party at Black & White, the birthday party destination for the well learned, distinguished New Yorker. JR and I will be taking turns playing the sweet beats on the ones and twos (actually I'll just be faking it with the threes and fours) all night long. So come and celebrate the birth of the best brother there ever was, Jacob B. Serban. Gifts are optional, but the kid loves Lemons, food and really odd little items. But he will be extremely happy if you just bring your smiling teeth face, and bag fulls of money.

Friday, November 11th@
Black & White
10th Street between 3rd and 4th Ave
21+
10-4
Rock n Roll all fucking night long

Nick and Matt are fantastic dj's and they've invited me to come down and join them for their monthy Manchester party, and they want me to bring all of you kids along with me! This Friday night! I'll be sticking to a decidely Brit Rock/pop set along with music that's heavily influenced by the same.

Info: Resurrection! a monthly manchester night!!

djs rocking the cream of manchester this month are residents:

NICK CAIN and MATT McCUTCHEON
with special guest MATTHEW


:::whereitsat:::
the Royale
506 5th ave.
bet 12/13 sts. (F train to 4th ave or 7th ave stops)
punk slope BK
718.840.0089

think: RIDE, the Stone Roses, the Smiths, the Charlatans .... you get the idea.

MySpace was down all day today and it helped me realize something. I have an addiction to MySpace. Now maybe it's only because it's Columbus Day, I'm the only person I know who's working and therefore the office is dead and no one is calling that's feeding to my constant checking to see if I can log in yet. But I fear these are just excuses from my brain trying to hide the real truth. I'm Fucking Addicted To Goddamned MySpace.

Jacob and I went to see Serenity yesterday. It was the most entertaining movie I've seen in ages. Of course it's a Joss Whedon (Buffy/Angel) vehicle so I was already excited, but I could not believe what I saw unfold in those amazing two hours. About two-thirds of the way through I turned to Jacob and simply said, "Fuck Star Wars!" It's got amazingly clever dialogue, and intriguing story, and boat loads of emotion. There is something here for every one. It's rare that movies like this are made, simply because Hollywood doesn't know how to market the good films out there. Normaly I don't really care, but I really do about this film. GO SEE IT! Send Hollywood the message that we want good entertainment like Serenity, and while you're doing that, you're going to enjoy one hell of a film. I aim to misbehave!

I just haven't been able to bring myself to write an entry. Mostly I've just been watching a live stream of a New Orleans CBS station, to see what's really going on, also reading tons of blogs, etc. I have a hard time making it through an hour of work without having to go in the backroom and just breathe and/or cry a bit. I'm so angry at our government's inability to help its own citizens. We can get aide and troops to other countries overnight, but we can't get to the South? And now I'm reading reports that Firefighters, Police and Troops are being used to pass out FUCKING FEMA flyers and STAND behind THE FUCKING PRESIDENT during conferences and photo ops?! BULLSHIT. I've never wished in my entire life for the death of anyone, but I have to say I wouldn't mind waking up in the morning to find our pres had been FUCKING SQUASHED by the hand of this God he supposedly believes in. I think this is proof that Bush doesn't believe in anything besides greed and his happy rich friends. Have you heard his speeches about this tragedy? He stumbles through everything and [on Sept 2] talks about how it's going to be a great day when we're "cuttin' ribbons on those stores reopening in New Orleans." This isn't the time to be talking about it, not when those people are so far from being rescued. He shows no compassion. He certainly doesn't sound like a man of faith either. Then I look and see that The Republicans, Democrats and almost all the other pols out there are already just talking spin!!! This is not the time for political maneuverings!!! Worry about that when the people of the Gulf Coast are all in shelters and fed! I promise we'll pay attention then! But not now, NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT. And I'm not just saying this today, a week and three days since the storm, I've been saying this for the last 8 days. I'm glad to have finally posted it. Sorry to be so heated, but I'm just going insane. I have to keep going about my daily life while my fellow Americans, my brothers and sisters are dying in New Orleans and the [massive] surrounding areas. It's not right, and while our government is proving itself incompetent, maybe it's time we fired this administration and do the job ourselves. Mr. Bush, FUCK your supposed "Values," FUCK your "War on Terror," FUCK your lack of care for your fellow man, but most importantly, FUCK YOU.

I apologize if any of my comments seem rash, but the sorrow in my heart turns to anger at those who have done nothing to save our poor and destitute American Citizens.

I have donated what I can and will continue to do so as much as possible; I am taking action as I can.

Months from now when the death toll is counted and the damage assessed, we must not let this go. We must not let the image fade in our minds. We must take steps to insure that those who dropped the ball on getting rescue and relief into the South PAY for their CRIMINAL NEGLECT. I'M LOOKING DIRECTLY AT FEMA, OUR GOVERNMENT and THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

i'm really enjoying shout out louds full lenght album. i'm also getting drunk and asking out friends friends... kinda lost. kinda happy. kinda the same as always.

this summer has just been consistently better all the time. and this break from the heat is so very welcome.

there's no reason to feel bad or dwell on things that used to kick in my depression every year around this time. there just comes a time where you realize that everything happens anyway, no matter how you deal with it. and massive tragedies aside, there's no use complaining. no reason to be a dour doris.

audioscrobbler just released the new site and i like it more than ever. your own personal billboard charts are just a click away...



also just loving loving loving the summer time. bbq's, cut up faces, listening to all the albums of fall 2005 before they come out. good times.

Yay! Just got a surprise last minute ticket to see Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds and Ben Lee tonite in the great outdoors, well, Prospect Park anyway... Thanks Betsy!

Also... I'm in like with a girl...

i knew ny would do something to make me as crazy as ever about living here. my summer just got a whole lot cooler...

For the week ending July 24th, 2005, from my iTunes at work. Not too much change this week. That AAR ranking is going to be dropping off a bit now. I geeked out enough on it for a while...:

Weekly Artist Chart
Week prior to Jul 24, 2005, 08:00

1 Nada Surf 180
2 The All-American Rejects 117
3 Pink Floyd 105
4 New Order 91
4 The Notwist 91
6 Delays 84
7 Brad Mehldau 76
8 R.E.M. 56
9 Elbow 35
10 Eels 19

Weekly Track Chart
Week prior to Jul 24, 2005, 08:00

1 Nada Surf - Concrete Bed 19
1 Nada Surf - Imaginary Friends 19
3 Nada Surf - In the Mirror 16
3 Nada Surf - Your Legs Grow 16
3 Nada Surf - Comes a Time 16
3 Nada Surf - Blankest Year 16
3 Nada Surf - Do It Again 16
3 Nada Surf - All Is a Game 16
3 Nada Surf - What Is Your Secret 16
3 Nada Surf - Always Love 16

Top Artists
Last generated: July 29, 2005

1 Nada Surf 597
2 Oasis 487
3 The High Dials 418
4 The All-American Rejects 249
5 Modest Mouse 195
6 Longwave 186
7 Eels 148
8 Benzos 112
9 Pink Floyd 108
10 Radiohead 106
11 New Order 104
12 The Notwist 94
13 The Helio Sequence 93
14 Delays 88
15 Badly Drawn Boy 87
15 Ryan Adams & the Cardinals 87
17 Blur 82
18 Brad Mehldau 80
19 R.E.M. 79
20 The White Stripes 73
21 Coldplay 72
22 Better Than Ezra 68
23 The Wallflowers 64
24 Husky Rescue 63
25 Embrace 62
25 The Montgolfier Brothers 62
27 Underworld 61
28 Elbow 58
29 Weezer 52
30 Sufjan Stevens 50
31 Endochine 47
32 Hot Hot Heat 46
33 Engineers 45
34 Echo & The Bunnymen 41
35 Matt Pond PA 38
36 Sloan 30
36 The Shins 30
38 Rufus Wainwright 28
39 Moby 27
40 Ben Folds 25
40 The Magnetic Fields 25
42 Ryan Adams 24
42 The Promise Ring 24
42 Kaiser Chiefs 24
45 Gorillaz 21
45 The Dears 21
47 The Smiths 19
47 The Music 19
47 The Beatles 19
50 Eminem 17