February 5: Unfortunately the Super Bowl booked me first, otherwise I'd be at the Tonic to catch Miighty Flashlight (AKA Mike Fellows). Ever have an artist that you're a huge fan of but always have to miss live? That's Fellows for me - after Sunday, I think I'll be batting 0 for 4 with his recent New York shows. Dude's records are beyond reproach though - sort of like Stephen Malkmus for a lazy Sunday afternoon. (Fellows has played in the Silver Jews, incidentally.) "Chinese Homes" (MP3), from 2004's Limited Storyline Guest, is a mix CD staple for me.

February 17: Optimo will be back in NYC to take over Nighttime at Don Hill's. Both Twitch and Wilkes will be in the house, and you'd be a fool to a miss out. It'll be a night where virtually anything goes musically, and I am sure it won't disappoint. The latest Optimo web mix is a No Wave 101 - check it out. (Their excellent Tropicalia mix is also still up.) For something closer to what they'll probably spin at Don Hill's, check out their 2004 set from London's Our Disco party available here. (Lots of great stuff on the Our Disco site, actually!)

February 19: In case you miss them on 17th, not to worry - Optimo will also be the special guests at this month's Motherf*cker party at Avalon. BV reports that the New York Dolls will also be playing. I think this'll be the biggest Optimo party to date in NYC. Having two in three nights could be exhausting, but I'm up for the battle. (The quality of the events at Avalon is starting to really step up - other than this, they also have Trevor Jackson (Playgroup), Ellen Allien, and Vitalic playing there in the next couple months.)

February 24: The Bush Tetras play the Tonic. I missed a rare show of theirs last August due to my Asia trip, and I was really bummed. But now, thankfully, I have a second chance! More gigs seem a good idea - their punk/funk sound is more in vogue now than it was when I first saw them in 1996. That was a reunion gig as well - the Bush Tetras put out most of their material between 1980 and 1983. "Too Many Creeps" is the live killer, but for a taste check out "You Can't Be Funky" (MP3), a 1982 single that also was included on Soul Jazz's New York Noise compilation.

March 8: Kelley Polar plays the Knitting Factory, and he'll have an 8-piece string section on stage with him (!). Polar's Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens was my #6 album of '05 in December, and I might rank it even higher if I made the list again today. With live strings in the mix, I can't wait to see how his disco-pop translates to the stage. (Especially "Tyurangalila" (MP3).) It gets better - also on the bill are DJ sets from Morgan Geist (of Metro Area) and Dan Selzer (of Crazy Rhythms). And the best part - we'll be giving away some tickets to the show! Look for a chance to win in a couple weeks.