Rest In Peace
August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012

It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam “MCA” Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys and also of the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself to play bass in high school, forming a band for his 17th birthday party that would later become known the world over as Beastie Boys.

With fellow members Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Adrock” Horovitz, Beastie Boys would go on to sell over 40 million records, release four #1 albums–including the first hip hop album ever to top the Billboard 200, the band’s 1986 debut full length, Licensed To Ill–win three Grammys, and the MTV Video Vanguard Lifetime Achievement award. Last month Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Diamond and Horovitz reading an acceptance speech on behalf of Yauch, who was unable to attend.
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The Walkmen

Today marks the beginning of a new era for My Social List.  From this day onward, we will be known as MI SCILL LIIST.  We really don’t give a fuck about the name.  We originated this project in a bedroom with no internet and didn’t know it would ever leave.

We’re taking a cue from DIIV, formerly known as Dive; aka Zachary Cole Smith of Beach Fossils’ side project.  Apparently, he’s changing the name out of “respect” for some early 90s industrial act from Belgium.

Come on dude, how have you never heard of Dive?  Their experimental sound, consisting of abused drum machines pulsating through crackling distortion influenced everyone from Frontline Assembly to Klinik.

If that all sounds ridiculous… it’s because it is.  My guess?  The guy never heard the “original” Dive in his life, and Wikipedia’d his band name before his LP came out.  Dude.  It’s totally ok.  I have idea who the hell Dive is either.  The last sentence of the previous paragraph is a combination of Wikipedia’s “Dive (Belguim Band)” page and industrial acts from Allmusic.com.

Maybe this perceived insecurity over not knowing obscure foreign bands from dead genres is some sort of sad commentary on the resentful post-internet era we live in.  Who knows?  Maybe he just wanted a more stylized name?  If that’s the case… they should have totally went with ▲DDIIVVEE▲ instead.  Or maybe he realized “Dive” was un-google-able?

Somewhat ironically, I’d like to use this opportunity to announce the launch of the MII SCIIL LIIST iPhone app (get it here)  It launches TODAY, and it’s 100% free.  Now you’ll be able to access our buzz list right on your phone, buy tickets to shows, find shows near you (via current location), and text them to your friends.  Really, there’s no better app for tracking buzzworthy shows in the city despite my INTENSE bias.

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The lineup for this season’s waterfront concerts at Williamsburg Park is finally beginning to take shape. On Monday event organizers announced four concerts that we can look forward to, three of which are ticketed and one of which is free:

Pretty Good Friends with Eugene Mirman and special guests OK GO – July 19th (free)

Cake – August 10th (ticketed)

My Morning Jacket with Shabazz Palaces – August 19th (ticketed)

Sublime with Rome, Cypress Hill, and Pepper – August 24th (ticketed)

It’s almost summer which means we can begin to regularly use our favorite mode of transport: The East River Ferry! They’ve just announced that starting this week, they’ll be offering a variety of Brooklyn-sourced food & drinks including cupcakes from Butter Lane Cupcakes, retro-style u-bet egg creams in chocolate and vanilla, and hot and iced coffees from the Brooklyn Roasting Company.

DNA Info has the full scoop:

While coffee was offered on some routes last summer, the effort marks the first time food will be served onboard the pilot ferry service, which launched last June, and travels between Wall Street’s Pier 11 and East 34th Street, with stops in DUMBO’s Fulton Ferry Landing, north and south Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Long Island City, Queens.

“We’re very excited about it,” Paul Goodman, CEO of Billybey Ferry Company, which operates the routes on behalf of the city, told DNAinfo New York ahead of the launch.

Goodman, who teamed with restaurateur Marc Murphy, of Tribeca and the Time Warner Center’s Landmarc bistros and Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Ditch Plains, said that, after the success of last summer’s coffee service, he wanted to expand the selection for riders, with a focus on local fare.

In addition to the cupcakes and coffee, the menu includes potato chips from McClure’s, the famous pickle purveyors, and pastries from Murphy’s Benchmarc Events.

“Now East River Ferry goers can enjoy the scenic ride, and take in the amazing skyline views while snacking on local Brooklyn eats,” Murphy said in a statement.

Jim Munson, president of the Brooklyn Roasting Company, said he plans to offer ferry-riders a variety of single-origin hot coffees and cold-brewed ice coffees throughout summer, with service kicking off at dawn.

“We think it’s a great alliance. We want to promote alternative means of transportation, so we’re working with the ferries,” he said.

The menu, which will be available seven days a week, on all routes, beginning at 7 a.m, is also easy on the wallet, with prices ranging from $2 for chips and pastries, to $3 for coffees, cupcakes and egg creams.

The team is also considering the possibility of adding beer and wine to the menu at some point in the future, Goodman said

A sunset ferry ride with beer or wine without paying tourist prices? We’ll take it!

A dance party in a Greenpoint church basement that happens every week. Apparently, these dance parties are all the rage in Australia.

Your very own is working on a video about NLNL and will be filming tonight.

New York City dark gazers Vaura played a beautifully crushing set at Death by Audio last Saturday. Watch a video of the song “The Emanation” below. Grab a copy of their debut full length, now out on Weird.

This Friday legendary Death Metal outfit Autopsy will play their first show in New York City in 19 years. Make sure to grab an advance ticket for the Bell House shindig.