Jay-Z

December 22, 2009 - 12:03am
It's the end of the year and all anyone can talk about are the best albums of the year, but that's bunk, because so many individual great songs on mediocre albums get left out of the conversation. It's time to count down the top 10 songs of 2009 before the ball drops.

People aren't going to like my list, mostly because it doesn't inlclude any Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear or Girls. Sorry, go slobber over SPIN's list--which was predictable and incredibly obnoxious. My list isn't about album recognition. This list complies the top 10 songs that rocked my year from beginning to end. That's it--cut and dry.

[**NOTE** The List is not ranked in order of awesome-ness]

October 19, 2009 - 5:58pm
Being a part of a concert audience is an art form. In light of the upcoming St. Vincent show in Ithaca this Thursday, here's some tips on how to get the most out of your concert trip.

Just like any college football game, there's a lot of different elements that going into the preparation, viewing and reflection of a concert. It's more than just about going and standing idly as the music swoops in one ear and out the other. For the people who really love going to live concerts, they have a technique to get the most out of the experience. Fortunately, most of it is just a head game. Concerts embody a wild spirit that can only be harnessed with the right state of mind.

1) Do it Small