Download Islands MP3's (thanks Simple Mission) here

From Simple Mission

I know you've been wondering. Where is Nick Diamonds? Where is J'aime? Montreal? LA? NYC? Since winning the hearts of the masses as two/thirds of the French Canadian band the Unicorns, the pair have been busy traveling around this country and theirs working on various musical projects— including a brand new fantastique pop group called Islands.

Diamonds describes his group's new music as "F-14 tomcat blah, blah," which is really French-Canadian slang for fiery, shiny and shimmering madcap pop. Really though, it's wonderful stuff and I couldn't be happier to be the first kid on the block to bring it to you.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tonight is opening night for what will be a new Williamsburg staple: AIREOKE. Every Wednesday at Trash Bar (formerly Luxx)

AIREOKE: The world's first and foremost melding of karaoke and air guitar has come to Williamsburg to bring the art of air guitar out of the bedroom and on to the stage for one and all. Hosted by the recently crowned NUMBER ONE AIR GUITARIST in New York, Björn Türoque, AIREOKE is a monthly event where anyone can be a rock star. Choose any song from the list and wail away, sing along, or both. There are no karaoke machines, no bouncing balls, no crappy videos,and absolutely NO guitars. AIREOKE unleashes the guitar legends that live inside us all, and gives air guitarists the chance to achieve AIRNESS!

Tonight at 10pm at Trash Bar (256 Grand St. at Roebling). Six bucks to get in. Open Bar from 9-10pm.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is the coolest Science story we've read in a while. Zombie dogs!

SCIENTISTS have created eerie zombie dogs, reanimating the canines after several hours of clinical death in attempts to develop suspended animation for humans.

US scientists have succeeded in reviving the dogs after three hours of clinical death, paving the way for trials on humans within years.

Pittsburgh's Safar Centre for Resuscitation Research has developed a technique in which subject's veins are drained of blood and filled with an ice-cold salt solution.

The animals are considered scientifically dead, as they stop breathing and have no heartbeat or brain activity.

But three hours later, their blood is replaced and the zombie dogs are brought back to life with an electric shock....

"The results are stunning. I think in 10 years we will be able to prevent death in a certain segment of those using this technology," said one US battlefield doctor.

Read the whole article here

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

According to a new gallup poll, most Americans think Bush is a shitty president. We'd like to be delighted that people are finally coming around, but the fact that another 45% approve of his performance is mind-boggling. Read the whole story here.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Via Cakehead:

It's Restaurant Week again in New York City. That means it's time to make your reservations at that restaurant you've been wanting to try, but just couldn't afford. Click here for the full list of participating restaurants.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Santorum's statements on the clergy abuse scandal are nothing less than appalling [Via Atrios]:

It is startling that those in the media and academia appear most disturbed by this aberrant behavior, since they have zealously promoted moral relativism by sanctioning "private" moral matters such as alternative lifestyles. Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 16th at Coney Island:
SPOON
BRENDAN BENSON
DUNGEN
Q AND NOT U
THE DEARS
AMBULANCE LTD
DETACHMENT KIT
MATES OF STATE
VHS OR BETA
SAUL WILLIAMS
DIAMOND NIGHTS
MORNINGWOOD
BE YOUR OWN PET
NINE BLACK ALPS

click for more info

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Warren B. Kanders with his wife. This douchebag's company can't produce enough armor-upgraded humvees to keep the troops safe but has lobbied aggressively for an exclusive contract.

The New York Times had two very enlightening stories yesterday worth mentioning. The first discussed the Pentagon's refusal to supply the troops with safer humvees. Turns out there's an exclusive humvee production contract held by an inept company called O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt. Not surprisingly, Warren B. Kanders, the CEO of O'Gara's parent company, Armor Holdings, was a big contributor to the Bush campaign. The failure to produce the humvees needed to keep our troops safe is in part a result of O'Gara's lobbying to keep their exclusive contract with our military. From NYTimes:

The Defense Department continues to rely on just one small company in Ohio to armor Humvees. And the company, O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt, has waged an aggressive campaign to hold onto its exclusive deal even as soaring rush orders from Iraq have been plagued by delays. The Marine Corps, for example, is still awaiting the 498 armored Humvees it sought last fall, officials told The Times.

In January, when military officials tried to speed production by buying the legal rights to the armor design so they could enlist other venders to help, O'Gara demurred, calling the move a threat to its "current and future competitive position," according to e-mail records obtained from the Army....

Determined to hold onto its exclusive contract, O'Gara began lobbying Capitol Hill. Among those it drew to its side was Brian T. Hart, an outspoken father of a soldier who was killed in October 2003 while riding in a Humvee. Early last year, as a guest on a national radio show, Mr. Hart urged the Pentagon to involve more armor makers. Two weeks later a lobbyist for O'Gara approached him.

"He informed me that the company had more than enough capacity," Mr. Hart says. "There was no need to second-source."

Mr. Hart then redirected his efforts to help the company push Congress into forcing the Pentagon to buy more armored Humvees. With support from both parties, the company has received more than $1 billion in the past 18 months in military armoring contracts....

Meanwhile, the Army did not give up on trying to speed production by involving more armor makers. Brig. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly said several armor companies were eager to be part of a plan to produce armored Humvees entirely on AM General's assembly line.

In January, when it asked O'Gara to name its price for the design rights for the armor, the company balked and suggested instead that the rights be placed in escrow for the Army to grab should the company ever fail to perform.

"Let's try this again," an Army major replied to the company in an e-mail message. "The question concerned the cost, not a request for an opinion."

The Army has dropped the matter for now, General O'Reilly said, adding that he hoped to have other companies making armor by next April.

Asked why the Marine Corps is still waiting for the 498 Humvees it ordered last year, O'Gara acknowledged that it told the Marines it was backed up with Army orders, and has only begun filling the Marines' request this month.

The other story was by Frank Rich (of course) and detailed a potential conspiracy behind the scenes at Tomlinson's Corporation for Public Broadcasting:

Like the theoretical demise of Big Bird, this funding tug-of-war is a smoke screen that deflects attention from the real story. Look instead at the seemingly paltry $14,170 that, as Stephen Labaton of The New York Times reported on June 16, found its way to a mysterious recipient in Indiana named Fred Mann. Mr. Labaton learned that in 2004 Kenneth Tomlinson, the Karl Rove pal who is chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, clandestinely paid this sum to Mr. Mann to monitor his PBS bête noire, Bill Moyers's "Now."

Now, why would Mr. Tomlinson pay for information that any half-sentient viewer could track with TiVo? Why would he hire someone in Indiana? Why would he keep this contract a secret from his own board? Why, when a reporter exposed his secret, would he try to cover it up by falsely maintaining in a letter to an inquiring member of the Senate, Byron Dorgan, that another CPB executive had "approved and signed" the Mann contract when he had signed it himself? If there's a news story that can be likened to the "third-rate burglary," the canary in the coal mine that invited greater scrutiny of the Nixon administration's darkest ambitions, this strange little sideshow could be it.

After Mr. Labaton's first report, Senator Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, called Mr. Tomlinson demanding to see the "product" Mr. Mann had provided for his $14,170 payday. Mr. Tomlinson sent the senator some 50 pages of "raw data." Sifting through those pages when we spoke by phone last week, Mr. Dorgan said it wasn't merely Mr. Moyers's show that was monitored but also the programs of Tavis Smiley and NPR's Diane Rehm.

Their guests were rated either L for liberal or C for conservative, and "anti-administration" was affixed to any segment raising questions about the Bush presidency. Thus was the conservative Republican Senator Chuck Hagel given the same L as Bill Clinton simply because he expressed doubts about Iraq in a discussion mainly devoted to praising Ronald Reagan. Three of The Washington Post's star beat reporters (none of whom covers the White House or politics or writes opinion pieces) were similarly singled out simply for doing their job as journalists by asking questions about administration policies.

"It's pretty scary stuff to judge media, particularly public media, by whether it's pro or anti the president," Senator Dorgan said. "It's unbelievable."

You can read the whole article here.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Christian Breakdancers at Flushing Meadows

We checked out opening night of the Billy Graham crusade last night with Cakehead. We may be sinners, but who can resist the evangelical freakshow of a self-proclaimed religious crusade. Highlights include us heckling a few teens holding "God Hates Fags" signs and seeing the Christian breakdancers pictured above. But Cakehead captures the crusade's strangest moment best:

My favorite part of the evening was when they had the alter call. Billy said something along the lines of, "if you are open to making Jesus your personal Savior come forward towards me." Then he said, "if you are in one of the satellite sections (where people could only watch Billy on the big screen monitors) walk towards the television screen." The idea of these hungry christians walking towards a tv screen for salvation really cracked me up. Is this not perfect material for a zombie movie?

Read Cakehead's full account here

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Saturday, June 25th

Billy Effin Graham at Queens Meadows. He's 86 and this will be his last crusade. This promises to be a freak show too bizarre to pass up. We hope to get filled with the Spirit. Provided the spirit is George Dickel, of course. We're bringing a flask. Billy G is guaranteed to end early, so we'll be checking out Comets of Fire at Mighty Robot afterwards.

Miighty Flashlight

Saturday, June 25th

If you've never been to The Mermaid Parade, check it out saturday at Coney Island. Otherwise, here are our picks:

East River Music Project presents
— Brasilia
— Grizzly Bear
— Soft Circle
— Miighty Flashlight (download mp3: 1 | 2)
— Pajo (download mp3)
(East River Park Amphitheatre NYC just south of the Williamsburg Bridge on the Manhattan side) This show goes from 2-6pm. It's free

Then at 7:30, as part of Prospect Park's Celebrate Brooklyn:

New Pornographers / Stars / The Sadies
click here for directions and info.

Sunday, June 26th

Gay Pride, of course. Click here for information.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

by Monte Holman

Dear Teenage Fanclub:

Please forgive the sterility of the medium. Were we in the UK , we would do this in person. It's been a while since your last solo effort. 2000 brought us Howdy!, and you released the collaboration with Jad Fair, Words of Wisdom, in 2003, which was great—don't get us wrong. But it's been a quiet half-decade for new Teenage Fanclub material. Since you're one of our very favorites and have been for quite some time, we were worried.

So you can imagine our excitement after hearing your latest, Man-Made. And on top of that, you collaborated with John McEntire on this one. Twin powers unite—form of wonderful addition to already stunning discography!

Anyway, thanks for answering our questions. So nice to hear from you again.

(Teenage Fanclub is Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley, Gerard Love, and Francis Macdonald. Norman Blake wrote us back.)

****************************

Norman Blake

This is the first album in five years – why the wait?

We released a compilation in 2003 to fulfil a contractual obligation that we had with Sony, after they inherited the remainder of our Creation contract. That precluded us from releasing a new album.

Why'd you choose John McEntire as a producer, and how did he affect the songs on this album?

Gerry had worked with John on an album that the Pastels had recorded for the soundtrack of a Scottish independent movie called the last great wilderness. When it came time to think about who we would like to work with, Gerry suggested John. We all liked the work that John had done with Stereolab, so he seemed like a good choice. John saw his role as primarily an engineering one (which he did very well). Leaving the song arrangements to us, however; he did some pretty creative stuff when we were mixing.

How do you feel about how Man-Made has been received? Lots of reviews note the album's pop-ness—is that a compliment?

Good reviews are helpful of course in terms of sales, but we tend to take anything that's written about us, with a pinch of salt.

In your sixteen year history, which tour was your favorite?

Difficult to say really. I bumped in to Ken Stringfellow in Glasgow the other week, after an REM show, and we were reminiscing about a European tour that we did together in the 90's. We've had lots of good touring experiences and been lucky enough to play with some great bands.

As I'm typing this, "Teenage Wasteland" is playing on the jukebox in this bar I'm in. Just wanted to point that out.

Pete Townsend has written some great tunes!

You focused on recording and sending demos to labels before playing live shows back in '89. And there was Geffen. And now you've released your latest record on Merge over here and your own PeMa over there. Has there been a philosophical change in the way you view commercial success/accessibility/labels over the last decade and a half? (sidenote: the first Teenage Fanclub song I ever heard was "Balloon" from a compilation CD I got for free for buying a t-shirt at a retail chain, American Eagle. I immediately back-logged and was lucky enough to have a friend who really digs you, but I'm appreciative of your commercially available stuff because it would've been longer before I heard your songs had I not bought that over-priced t-shirt.)

We've travelled a long and circuitous path since our first record was released. I have to say that we're pretty happy where we are now. We're in control of every aspect of what we do as a band. We can do what we want, when we want. Our band life is much simpler now. Philosophically, I would have to say that we think pretty much in the same way now as we did then. We have never had a master plan.

You seem to have a complicated history and a somewhat rotating, semi-full-circle cast of band members. Plus you have more than one singer-songwriter type. How have these things affected your sound?

That's very difficult for me to answer. I suppose that we've settled down to having three songwriters, contributing four songs each, as our modus operandi for the last few albums.

What was the first concert you ever went to?

I like this question,and I'm going to make some people envious here, although I can't remember much about it myself. I saw the Kinks in 1966! I was born in October 65, and was on my first family holiday. We were in Blackpool. My parents took me to the show.

You're about to come over here for a US tour. What comes after that? Do you see yourselves ever tiring of all this?

We're very much looking forward to the US tour. The last time we were over was August 2001. I love making music. It's the best job I can think of.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

And the irony is, Dems were looking for a way to end terrorism, Neocons like Bush were looking for an excuse to go to Iraq....

From NYTimes
Rove Criticizes Liberals on 9/11
By PATRICK D. HEALY

Karl Rove came to the heart of Manhattan last night to rhapsodize about the decline of liberalism in politics, saying Democrats responded weakly to Sept. 11 and had placed American troops in greater danger by criticizing their actions.

"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers," Mr. Rove, the senior political adviser to President Bush, said at a fund-raiser in Midtown for the Conservative Party of New York State.

Citing calls by progressive groups to respond carefully to the attacks, Mr. Rove said to the applause of several hundred audience members, "I don't know about you, but moderation and restraint is not what I felt when I watched the twin towers crumble to the ground, a side of the Pentagon destroyed, and almost 3,000 of our fellow citizens perish in flames and rubble."

Told of Mr. Rove's remarks, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, replied: "In New York, where everyone unified after 9/11, the last thing we need is somebody who seeks to divide us for political purposes."

Mr. Rove also said American armed forces overseas were in more jeopardy as a result of remarks last week by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who compared American mistreatment of detainees to the acts of "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others."

"Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year?" Mr. Rove asked. "Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."

Gov. George E. Pataki of New York, speaking after Mr. Rove, also touched on the Sept. 11 attacks. He promised that the proposed Freedom Tower, the new building at ground zero, would retain patriotic touches in its architecture, like a height of 1,776 feet, despite the concerns of some observers who fear that it would become a target for terrorists.

"We're going to have a Freedom Tower that soars 1,776 feet high, symbolizing our independence," Mr. Pataki said. As for the memorial, he said: "No one is going to turn it into something that is a negative statement about America and our belief in freedom, so long as I am governor of this state."

Speaking to reporters afterward, Mr. Pataki disclosed that he did not plan to reveal in the coming days if he will seek a fourth term, contrary to previous statements that he would make an announcement after the State Legislature adjourned today.

"I'm going to evaluate the bills that the Legislature has passed at the end of the session and then make a decision at the appropriate time, but not in the next couple of weeks," Mr. Pataki said.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The AFI just released their 100 best film quotes. We can't believe they excluded Fight Club's "My God... I haven't been fucked like that since grade school." Here's the top 25. Add your favorites in comments.

1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Gone with the Wind, 1939
2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." The Godfather, 1972
3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." On the Waterfront, 1954
4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The Wizard of Oz, 1939
5. "Here's looking at you, kid." Casablanca, 1942
6. "Go ahead, make my day." Sudden Impact, 1983
7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Sunset Blvd., 1950
8. "May the Force be with you." Star Wars, 1977
9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." All About Eve, 1950
10. "You talking to me?" Taxi Driver, 1976
11. "What we've got here is failure to communicate." Cool Hand Luke, 1967
12. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." Apocalypse Now, 1979
13. "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Love Story, 1970
14. "The stuff that dreams are made of." The Maltese Falcon, 1941
15. "E.T. phone home." E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, 1982
16. "They call me Mister Tibbs!" In the Heat of the Night, 1967
17. "Rosebud." Citizen Kane, 1941
18. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" White Heat, 1949
19. "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Network, 1976
20. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Casablanca, 1942
21. "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
22. "Bond. James Bond." Dr. No, 1962
23. "There's no place like home." The Wizard of Oz, 1939
24. "I am big! It's the pictures that got small." Sunset Blvd., 1950
25. "Show me the money!" Jerry Maguire, 1996

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Clifford the Big Red Dog, with Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts and others, headed to a Capitol Hill news conference to protest proposed financing cuts for public broadcasting.

We couldn't agree more with Representative Markey, but he definitely needs a more intimidating posse.

From NYTimes

WASHINGTON, June 21 - Sixteen Democratic senators called on President Bush to remove Kenneth Y. Tomlinson as head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting because of their concerns that he is injecting partisan politics into public radio and television.

"We urge you to immediately replace Mr. Tomlinson with an executive who takes his or her responsibility to the public television system seriously, not one who so seriously undermines the credibility and mission of public television," wrote the senators.

They included Charles E. Schumer of New York, Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Jon Corzine and Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey, Bill Nelson of Florida, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California.

Also on Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers joined other supporters of public broadcasting, including children and characters from PBS children's programs, to protest House Republicans' proposed cuts in financing for the corporation.

The Democrats' letter follows a series of disclosures about Mr. Tomlinson that are now under investigation by the corporation's inspector general, including his decision to hire a researcher to monitor the political leanings of guests on the public policy program "Now," the use of a White House official to set up an ombudsman's office to scrutinize public radio and television programs for political balance, and payments approved by Mr. Tomlinson to two Republican lobbyists last year.

Mr. Tomlinson said he would not resign.

"There is no reason for me to step down from the chairmanship of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting," he said. "I am confident that the inspector general's report will conclude that all of my actions were taken in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations and the traditions of CPB."

The White House said Mr. Bush continued to support Mr. Tomlinson.

"Mr. Tomlinson was first nominated to the board by the past administration and was renominated in 2003," said Erin Healy, a White House spokeswoman. "He is the chair of an independent bipartisan board, and the president stands by the chairman."

A new problem emerged for Mr. Tomlinson on Tuesday, when evidence surfaced that he might have provided incorrect information about the hiring of a researcher last year to monitor political leanings of the guests of the "Now" program.

In a letter to Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, on May 24, Mr. Tomlinson said he saw no need to consult with the board about the contract with the researcher, Fred Mann, because it was "approved and signed by then CPB President, Kathleen Cox." But a copy of the contract provided by a person unhappy with Mr. Tomlinson's leadership shows that Mr. Tomlinson signed it on Feb. 3, 2004, five months before Ms. Cox became president. Ms. Cox stepped down in April after the board did not renew her contract.

Mr. Mann, who was paid $14,170 for his work by the taxpayer-financed corporation, rated the guests on the show by such labels as "anti-Bush" or "anti-DeLay," a reference to Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader. He classified Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska as a "liberal," even though Mr. Hagel is well-known as a mainstream conservative Republican.

Asked about the apparent discrepancy between the contract he signed and what he wrote to Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Tomlinson declined through a spokesman to comment.

Mr. Dorgan was sharply critical of Mr. Tomlinson.

"If he signed the contract, he was not telling the truth, which would be very troubling," Mr. Dorgan said on Tuesday. "He's trying to pawn some responsibility for this on others, which is very troubling. This guy has some real credibility problems."

At its first public meeting since the inquiry began, the corporation's board on Tuesday did not address who should be the organization's next president.

Mr. Tomlinson had made it clear in recent weeks that his top choice is Patricia Harrison, an assistant secretary of state and former co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Public broadcasting executives say the choice is another instance of injecting politics into an organization that is supposed to be a political buffer. Mr. Tomlinson has told at least one lawmaker that Ms. Harrison would be a smart choice because of her credibility at the White House and on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Tomlinson began the meeting by calling for a bipartisan approach to public broadcasting: "When people with partisan positions come to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, they leave their partisan positions at the door."

The other Democratic senators who signed the letter were Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware; Maria Cantwell of Washington; Richard J. Durbin of Illinois; Tom Harkin of Iowa; Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont; Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland; Debbie Stabenow of Michigan; and Ron Wyden of Oregon.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In addition to The New Pornographers show at the Prospect Park Bandshell on Saturday, our friends over at cakehead have listed some great picnic ideas for those of us feeling a little stir crazy inside our cramped apartments:

With that fluke of a heatwave far in New York City's past and with free the concert season kicked off, it's time to mark your calendar and prepare your picnic basket.

This week's free picnic-friendly events include:
Tonight, June 21, 2005, 7 PM: The Metropolitan Opera performs Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns in Prospect Park's Long Meadow.

Read the full list here

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This isn't until September, but worth mentioning:

9/24 - Coney Island, NY (at Keyspan Park)
White Stripes with The Shins and Brendan Benson

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 05:59 PM | Permalink

Now that the Jacko trial is over, CNN president Jonathan Klein is once again claiming that it's time to buckle down and start reporting real news. A recent Newsweek article on Klein even poses the question in regard to CNN: "Will a more highbrow plan work in a tabloid era?"

We've been hearing since November 2004, when Jonathan Klein took over the sinking ship known as CNN, that he was going to make CNN "more highbrow." You know, less Brangelina and Wacko Jacko in favor of real journalism. So when is this supposed transformation going to happen? Over the last 8 months we have seen countless hours devoted to Jacko, not to mention the runaway bride on CNN. Still major news outlets continue to buy Klein's promise of a more highbrow CNN:

From Newsweek:
Klein has moved aggressively to make CNN's prime-time producers shift their focus to longer, more-polished pieces, eventually creating a sort of "60 Minutes" every night.

Where's the evidence of this aggressive shift? When Klein waxes poetic about CNN going highbrow, it's simply spin. A bluff. The old advertising adage applies, if you say something enough times, people will begin to believe it. (At least the dense people who write for Newsweek). Given Klein's fluff-filled Jacko/Brangelina-friendly track record, does anybody believe Klein for a second? Here's a choice chunk from the Newsweek article:

[Klein] was concerned that their evening coverage of the not-guilty verdict was destined to be stale. "We have a less interesting story now," Klein told his deputies. "What is there original to say about Michael Jackson at this point?"

"Michael dressed like Captain Crunch, walking out of the limousine." He marveled at opportunities lost: "We could have done 60 stories during that time."

Yes, you sure could have Mr. Klein.

At this point, Klein reeks worse than a cheating husband who comes home smelling like cheap perfume swearing that it will never, ever happen again.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

click me

Don't know what this is about? Read the Downing Street Memo here.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

That's right, believe it or not they've turned Jonathan Safran Foer's book into a movie. It stars Elijah Wood no less....you know, the guy who will come to hate the nickname Frodo more that Rob Reiner loathes Meathead. Here's a taste of reader of depressing books' review: [Via Gawker]

after the screening, we were given 'grade' sheets

where it asked us if the ending should be changed, if anything should be changed, if there was anything we didn't like and how to change it so we would like it

i wanted to punch someone in the face

but i wasn't sure who exactly

you can read the whole review here.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Brand Nubian

The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival is an all-day outdoor event celebrating Hip Hop music and culture in New York's most beautiful borough. Brought to you by Room Service, Seven Heads, and The Brooklyn Brewery.

When: Saturday, June 18th, 1-7pm
At the Brooklyn Brewery
Featuring Brand Nubian, Little Brother, Rhymefest, and Leela James
Get tickets and info here

Hailing from New Rochelle, NY Brand Nubian formed in 1989. Known for their storytelling style and politically motivated lyrics, the group signed to Elektra and released their breakthrough album, "One For All." Members Lord Jamal, Grand Puba and Sadat X have created many Hip Hop classics including "Slow Down," "Love Me or Leave Me Alone," "One For All," and street favorite "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down."

Little Brother's members MC's Phonte and Big Pooh, along with DJ/Producer 9th Wonder met in 1998 while attending North Carolina Central University. Members of the Durham Hip Hop's Justus League crew, the group released their first album The Listening on ABB Records. They are gearing up for their sophomore album release this summer.

Fresh off his 2005 Grammy win for co-writing the rap song of the year "Jesus Walks" with Kanye West, Chicago native, Rhymefest is set to release his highly- anticipated debut album Blue Collar, this summer on celebrity DJ Mark Ronson's Allido Records/J Records. The sharp-witted MC is expected to have fellow Chi-town representatives, Kanye, Twista, Common and Carl Thomas as well as Q-Tip and the late Dirt McGirt (aka ODB) featured on his album. This will be his first major performance in NYC and Brooklyn in particular.

One listen to Leela James's music and it's evident that James is a pupil and conduit of classic soul. Alma Geddy-Romero, went on to say, "We're really excited to add Leela to the line up as an extension of the marketing campaign we are doing for her project. My DJs love her music, and I'm positive the festival attendees will as well."

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This confounding medical jargon confused us:

From CNN
Mount McKinley climbers threatened by 'virus-laden poo'

Mountaineers who ascend North America's loftiest peak are often brought down to earth by "virus-laden poo" left behind by previous climbers, a medical report says....

"They think they're going out on a pristine climb and there's virus-laden poo all around them," said Dr. Bradford Gessner, a mountaineer and one of the study's authors.

read full article

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Matt Drudge is such a douchebag. These are two current link titles on his site:

Sen. Durbin [D-IL] took the Senate floor yesterday and likened American servicemen to Nazis... Refuses to apologize...

He fails to mention the most important part; Durbin is speaking very generically of Americans in Guantanamo Bay who are accused of torture and degredation. Here's the transcript:

When you read some of the graphic descriptions of what has occurred here [at Guantanamo Bay] — I almost hesitate to put them in the [Congressional] Record, and yet they have to be added to this debate. Let me read to you what one FBI agent saw. And I quote from his report:

"On a couple of occasions, I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food or water. Most times they urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18-24 hours or more. On one occasion, the air conditioning had been turned down so far and the temperature was so cold in the room, that the barefooted detainee was shaking with cold. . . . On another occasion, the [air conditioner] had been turned off, making the temperature in the unventilated room well over 100 degrees. The detainee was almost unconscious on the floor, with a pile of hair next to him. He had apparently been literally pulling his hair out throughout the night. On another occasion, not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room, and had been since the day before, with the detainee chained hand and foot in the fetal position on the tile floor."

If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners.

Providing the correct context helps, Matt. Durbin should know that throwing out the term Nazi is only going to get him in trouble, but he wasn't talking about our servicemen overseas on the streets of Fallujah. He was referring to American interrogators who have been exposed as torturers by the FBI.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Tomorrow, (Thursday, June 16, 2005) the House Appropriations Committee will decide whether to approve 25% cuts to NPR and PBS. The House is threatening to eliminate all public funding for NPR and PBS, starting with "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and other commercial-free children's shows. Sign the petition to Congress opposing these massive cuts to public broadcasting.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This looks like a great line-up. Will be worth the trip:
(Via Brooklyn Vegan)

The Newport Folk Fest in Newport, Rhode Island is happening August 6th & 7th, 2005.

Lineup:
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Bright Eyes
M Ward
Del McCoury
Jim Lauderdale
Emmylou Harris
and JUST ADDED: The Pixies (accoustic)

click here for more

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Group Sounds begin their residency Tuesday June 14th at Sin-e. If you haven't heard them yet, be sure to check them out. They recently opened for The Kills and offer up fun, unpretentious pop that's a welcome break from the derivative post-punk that's monopolizing New York clubs these days.

MP3's
Business before pleasure | Things fall apart

Live Dates:
June 14th, 21st, 28th @ Sin-e
August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st @ Pianos

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I may not agree with everything Jim Wallis has to say (he mumbles about being pro-life and "pro-family" under his breath) but this progressive evangelical Christian leader is more vocal in his dislike of Bush than most of us Godless sinners. Check out his book, "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It," an enlightening and important read that details what I believe to be the future of evangelicaldom. Wallis has jump-started a movement with young evangelicals that is spreading, see the recent Bush protest at Calvin College. We just got this in our inbox from his magazine, Sojourners:

Guantanamo and human rights: Practicing what we preach

Guantanamo Bay has become not only a symbol of the U.S. government's hypocrisy and dishonesty - or "disassembling," as President Bush might put it - around the war on terror. The prison camp has become one of the more egregious examples of the cost of unaccountable power.

Human rights groups have long documented the abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo, including desecration of the Quran. (The International Committee of the Red Cross issued credible reports in 2002 and 2003 on mistreatment of the Islamic holy book, which last week even the Pentagon admitted.)

The 540 prisoners at the facility have been held incommunicado, denied access to legal counsel, and, in fact, denied the most basic aspects of legal process. The Bush administration has given mutually contradictory rationalizations for its treatment of prisoners there, claiming on the one hand that those incarcerated are effectively prisoners of war and in other circumstances that they are terrorist criminals. Yet the administration has refused to honor either the Geneva Conventions for treatment of POWs or the rights granted the accused under U.S. criminal law.

Defenders of Guantanamo and the policies it represents are quick to point out that our treatment of prisoners is far better than that meted out by the U.S.'s terrorist enemies - or the "gulag" of the former Soviet Union, for that matter. Fair enough. But if the U.S. is to continue to claim a place as a world leader for human rights, our standards must be infinitely higher and conform to or surpass international norms. We must not be satisfied with merely being "better" than al Qaeda or Stalin.

Former President Jimmy Carter has joined human rights groups, led by Amnesty International and others, in calling for the closing of Guantanamo Bay. "The U.S. continues to suffer terrible embarrassment and a blow to our reputation...because of reports concerning abuses of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo," Carter said, according to an A.P. report. President Bush refused to rule out the closing of the facility, saying the administration was "exploring all alternatives" for detaining the prisoners.

Guantanamo should be closed. But simply closing the facility - and either moving the detainees to another location or returning them to their country of origin - is not enough. If the United States is to regain any credibility as an advocate of human rights around the world, it must begin to practice what it preaches in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Guantanamo, and everywhere else. The erosion of respect for human rights by U.S. personnel didn't begin at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay, and the responsibility for it goes all the way to the top.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On Friday:
It's hot, muggy and rainy. A perfect night to see the new Miyazaki film Howl's Moving Castle. If you've never seen Miyazaki film before, don't miss seeing this on the big screen. He's a genious. And you don't even have to like anime. He's that good. Click for tix.

On Saturday

Don't miss the Sweet Action Magazine Party
at the Tainted lady Lounge:
318 Grand St @ Havemeyer (7pm)
10 bucks includes:
-- A free copy of Sweet Action #3!
-- A Sixpoint Sweet Action Beer!
-- Dick Readings by Madame Micole ($5 a head)
-- Lots of raffle prizes!
Plus the people who run and operate Sweet Action are super cool. The upcoming mag features backpaker Beans nude.

Then on Sunday at 6pm

see the film Half-Cocked (1995) - because we love the Make-Up
Ocularis at Galapagos Art Space (70 N 6th St, Wburg)
6 bucks

from flavorpill
Half-Cocked is best known for its soundtrack, featuring '90s lo-fi band the Grifters and riot grrrl math rockers Ruby Falls. The film chronicles the naissance of Truckstop, a band born of Gen-X boredom and timeless rock star aspirations. After jacking a van laden with another band's equipment, a group of friends bluff their way into playing a local club. Because the band has no material, and none of its members play instruments, their musical signature quickly becomes volume and distortion. Don't miss this rare chance to see Ian Svenonious (Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up, Weird War, et al) and Tara Jane O'Neil lead the cast down the glorious road of rock 'n roll destitution.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You know you want it.

Thanks Daily Refill.... click here to get it.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

click for full size

This is bad, even for Dubya. I suppose its tough for him to care about the environment, since the Rapture is on its way:

From NY Times
A White House official who once led the oil industry's fight against limits on greenhouse gases has repeatedly edited government climate reports in ways that play down links between such emissions and global warming, according to internal documents.

In handwritten notes on drafts of several reports issued in 2002 and 2003, the official, Philip A. Cooney, removed or adjusted descriptions of climate research that government scientists and their supervisors, including some senior Bush administration officials, had already approved. In many cases, the changes appeared in the final reports.

The dozens of changes, while sometimes as subtle as the insertion of the phrase "significant and fundamental" before the word "uncertainties," tend to produce an air of doubt about findings that most climate experts say are robust.

Mr. Cooney is chief of staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the office that helps devise and promote administration policies on environmental issues.

Before going to the White House in 2001, he was the "climate team leader" and a lobbyist at the American Petroleum Institute, the largest trade group representing the interests of the oil industry. A lawyer with a bachelor's degree in economics, he has no scientific training.

The documents were obtained by The New York Times from the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit legal-assistance group for government whistle-blowers.

The project is representing Rick S. Piltz, who resigned in March as a senior associate in the office that coordinates government climate research. That office, now called the Climate Change Science Program, issued the documents that Mr. Cooney edited.

A White House spokeswoman, Michele St. Martin, said yesterday that Mr. Cooney would not be available to comment. "We don't put Phil Cooney on the record," Ms. St. Martin said. "He's not a cleared spokesman."

In one instance in an October 2002 draft of a regularly published summary of government climate research, "Our Changing Planet," Mr. Cooney amplified the sense of uncertainty by adding the word "extremely" to this sentence: "The attribution of the causes of biological and ecological changes to climate change or variability is extremely difficult."

In a section on the need for research into how warming might change water availability and flooding, he crossed out a paragraph describing the projected reduction of mountain glaciers and snowpack. His note in the margins explained that this was "straying from research strategy into speculative findings/musings."

Other White House officials said the changes made by Mr. Cooney were part of the normal interagency review that takes place on all documents related to global environmental change. Robert Hopkins, a spokesman for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, noted that one of the reports Mr. Cooney worked on, the administration's 10-year plan for climate research, was endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences. And Myron Ebell, who has long campaigned against limits on greenhouse gases as director of climate policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian group, said such editing was necessary for "consistency" in meshing programs with policy.

But critics said that while all administrations routinely vetted government reports, scientific content in such reports should be reviewed by scientists. Climate experts and representatives of environmental groups, when shown examples of the revisions, said they illustrated the significant if largely invisible influence of Mr. Cooney and other White House officials with ties to energy industries that have long fought greenhouse-gas restrictions.

In a memorandum sent last week to the top officials dealing with climate change at a dozen agencies, Mr. Piltz said the White House editing and other actions threatened to taint the government's $1.8 billion-a-year effort to clarify the causes and consequences of climate change.

"Each administration has a policy position on climate change," Mr. Piltz wrote. "But I have not seen a situation like the one that has developed under this administration during the past four years, in which politicization by the White House has fed back directly into the science program in such a way as to undermine the credibility and integrity of the program."

A senior Environmental Protection Agency scientist who works on climate questions said the White House environmental council, where Mr. Cooney works, had offered valuable suggestions on reports from time to time. But the scientist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because all agency employees are forbidden to speak with reporters without clearance, said the kinds of changes made by Mr. Cooney had damaged morale. "I have colleagues in other agencies who express the same view, that it has somewhat of a chilling effect and has created a sense of frustration," he said.

Efforts by the Bush administration to highlight uncertainties in science pointing to human-caused warming have put the United States at odds with other nations and with scientific groups at home.

Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, who met with President Bush at the White House yesterday, has been trying to persuade him to intensify United States efforts to curb greenhouse gases. Mr. Bush has called only for voluntary measures to slow growth in emissions through 2012.

Yesterday, saying their goal was to influence that meeting, the scientific academies of 11 countries, including those of the United States and Britain, released a joint letter saying, "The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action."

The American Petroleum Institute, where Mr. Cooney worked before going to the White House, has long taken a sharply different view. Starting with the negotiations leading to the Kyoto Protocol climate treaty in 1997, it has promoted the idea that lingering uncertainties in climate science justify delaying restrictions on emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping smokestack and tailpipe gases.

On learning of the White House revisions, representatives of some environmental groups said the effort to amplify uncertainties in the science was clearly intended to delay consideration of curbs on the gases, which remain an unavoidable byproduct of burning oil and coal.

"They've got three more years, and the only way to control this issue and do nothing about it is to muddy the science," said Eileen Claussen, the president of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, a private group that has enlisted businesses in programs cutting emissions.

Mr. Cooney's alterations can cause clear shifts in meaning. For example, a sentence in the October 2002 draft of "Our Changing Planet" originally read, "Many scientific observations indicate that the Earth is undergoing a period of relatively rapid change." In a neat, compact hand, Mr. Cooney modified the sentence to read, "Many scientific observations point to the conclusion that the Earth may be undergoing a period of relatively rapid change."

A document showing a similar pattern of changes is the 2003 "Strategic Plan for the United States Climate Change Science Program," a thick report describing the reorganization of government climate research that was requested by Mr. Bush in his first speech on the issue, in June 2001. The document was reviewed by an expert panel assembled in 2003 by the National Academy of Sciences. The scientists largely endorsed the administration's research plan, but they warned that the administration's procedures for vetting reports on climate could result in excessive political interference with science.

Another political appointee who has played an influential role in adjusting language in government reports on climate science is Dr. Harlan L. Watson, the chief climate negotiator for the State Department, who has a doctorate in solid-state physics but has not done climate research.

In an Oct. 4, 2002 memo to James R. Mahoney, the head of the United States Climate Change Science Program and an appointee of Mr. Bush, Mr. Watson "strongly" recommended cutting boxes of text referring to the findings of a National Academy of Sciences panel on climate and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations body that periodically reviews research on human-caused climate change.

The boxes, he wrote, "do not include an appropriate recognition of the underlying uncertainties and the tentative nature of a number of the assertions."

While those changes were made nearly two years ago, recent statements by Dr. Watson indicate that the admnistration's position has not changed.

"We are still not convinced of the need to move forward quite so quickly," he told the BBC in London last month. "There is general agreement that there is a lot known, but also there is a lot to be known."

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Disturbing story/verdict aside - this sounds like a terrifying precedent:

From AP
A 19-year-old East Texas man faces a life prison sentence for causing his teenage girlfriend to miscarry twins, even though she wanted to end the pregnancy.

Gerardo Flores was accused of causing the miscarriage by stepping on his girlfriend's stomach. He was prosecuted under the state's new fetal protection law.

Erica Basoria acknowledged asking Flores to help end her pregnancy. But the 17-year-old can't be prosecuted because of her legal right to abortion.

The defense contended that Basoria punched herself while Flores was stepping on her, making it impossible to tell who killed the twins.

The jury reached a verdict after deliberating four hours. Because prosecutors declined to seek the death penalty in the case, Flores received the automatic life sentence.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Tuesday, June 7 at 7:00pm
at Galapagos Artspace (70 North 6th Street in Williamsburg)
No cover. Free book give-aways. And yours truly (Robert Lanham) will be reading.

On Tuesday, June 7, editor Kevin Smokler and New York-based contributors to Bookmark Now will read from their contributions to the book, which features young writers on the state of the art—and the art of the hustle—in the age of information overload.

Bookmark Now contains 25 original essays written by authors who came of age professionally in the last decade. Raised by television, video games, and the internet, they still decided to become writers and readers, producers and consumers of literature at the most media-saturated time in history, a time when books have more competition from flashier distractions than ever before. How? Why? What does this say about the place of books in our hypermedia world? BOOKMARK NOW attempts to answer these questions. As book lovers, we are familiar with the gloom and doom attitude of these "Unreaderly Times." But, there are still smart people everywhere who love books and are excited for the possibilities the future will bring for connecting books and readers. BOOKMARK NOW argues and celebrates that that future is already here.

Smokler will introduce readings by Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Robert Lanham, Benjamin Nugent, and Elizabeth Spiers of Gawker/Media Bistro fame. Sponsored by FreeWilliamsburg.com, the event also features audience giveaways of Bookmark Now and Lanham's Food Court Druids, Cherohonkees, and Other Creatures Unique to the Republic, both of which will be raffled off in-between readers.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Interview by Monte Holman

New York's The Cloud Room delivered their highly anticipated, self-titled album (on Gigantic Music) back in April. The record immediately faced the task of living up to the success of its first single, this summer's anthem, "Hey Now Now." The band serves up some throbbing beats and dark instrumentation that can be as Ziggy as Bowie and a joyless as Ian Curtis, all in the same measure. And all kinds of people are taking notice-The Cloud Room is hitting charts and airwaves all over the country, and they're about to head across the pond with hopes of seeing the same success there.

The band's lead singer, J, made us rethink the old adage about never trusting a man who goes by a letter or symbol. He was kind enough to speak with us about the band and the fallen virtue of Amy Grant.

The Cloud Room are Jason Pharr (drums), J (guitar, vocals), Benjamin Nugent (keyboards), and John Petro (bass).

MP3's: Hey Now Now | Blackout

*****************************

FREEwilliamsburg: What's your reaction to all the great press about your hit single, "Hey Now Now"?

J: It's exciting. I wrote the song about a year ago, and I remember playing around on the guitar and coming up with this stupidly simple melody, and I thought, "Oh my god, that is so stupidly simple-am I allowed to do this?" (laughs) I just kind of went with it, and it became that song. I knew it was the most accessible thing I'd written up until then, but I didn't know how the world would perceive it. Since we're so new, that song has kind of preceded us in a lot of ways. I feel like it has overshadowed the rest of the record. The band thought the last song on the record was our best song.

FREEwilliamsburg: "We Sleep in the Ocean"?

J: Yeah, that's my favorite song, but "Hey Now Now" is the most generally accessible song on the album.

FREEwilliamsburg: Has the expectation been daunting?

Yeah, in the sense that some reviews we've gotten have stated it in those terms, that the rest of the album isn't ten more songs of "Hey Now Now." But I don't think I want that. I wanted to have a nice, broad scope of songs and some highs and lows. It comes with the good and the bad, and I'm just happy to be here.

FREEwilliamsburg: CMJ called "Hey Now Now" a "fit-for-iPod-commercial groove." Is that a compliment or insult?

J: In principle, I see no problem with Top 40 pop. If a huge audience got behind this song, I think that would be great, and I'm not even speaking about the money, though that would be great as well. (laughs) It broadens the palate of what you're hearing on the radio, and it's also a very sincere song. It's a very cathartic song for me. I was going through some awful stuff, and I just had to get all emo. (laughs) I don't even know if people are paying attention to the themes of the song. I've read where people have listened to the first to lines of the chorus and actually think the song's about riding a bus and getting really excited about that, and I think it's funny. So I have no problems with the idea of it being that accessible or widely heard.

FREEwilliamsburg: What musicians did you most identify with when you were growing up?

J: The thing that got me started was Sonic Youth. Their album, Dirty. Before that, I was listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which was a step up from Michael Jackson, my childhood favorite. The Chili Peppers were a great source of rebellion, you know, they said bad words and stuff. But I remember I had my mom buy me the cassette of Dirty. I had been reading about it, and it was like the first note hypnotized me. I consciously thought that this was something totally different, and it changed my whole world view or something like that. So I got a guitar a few months later. The first eight years of my whole, I don't know, music life, was me trying to make Sonic Youth type experiments.

And then there was another big event that changed that: I was on this trip-I grew up in California-and I was on this trip to New Orleans, and the only thing we could get on the radio was country and oldies stations, and we certainly weren't going to listen to country. (laughs) I started listening to these oldies stations and started realizing how brilliant these pop songs were and how brilliant it was to write a pop song that was such a gem. I'd looked down on it as if experimental rock was a higher art form. From there I decided that I wanted to try to start writing pop music, which is the hardest thing for me to do. The reason this band has been around for four years and is only now starting to do something is because it took that long to develop. For three years, there was a sort of in-between stage. The songs were all right and interesting but definitely not what I wanted to do. That's my long answer to your short question.

FREEwilliamsburg: So do you feel like now that you've written a pop record you're headed back toward the Sonic Youth type experimentation?

J: I haven't really thought consciously what it is we want to do next. I have felt a little constrained. All of our songs are verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge, etc. At first, it was a great experiment to try to put things together organically because I wasn't always good at that sort of thing. But, yeah, I do see myself wanting to challenge myself and us more and combine what I used to be and what I am now and make something that is very unique sounding but horrifically catchy at the same time. If you break it all down, I come from an art rock background, so I'm never going to forget that. I'm curious to expand and explore how a song can be a pop song but be something else as well.

FREEwilliamsburg: Are you currently more interested in playing live and touring or getting back into the studio?

J: In one sense, I want to get back into the studio because I don't feel like the way people have perceived this album is how I perceived it or want it to be perceived.

FREEwilliamsburg: How so?

J: I think we're getting pigeon-holed in some ways in this new-wave thing, and that caught us by surprise. Part of it is because I'm such a detail-oriented person that when we were recording this album, I wanted to expand-I always thought rock expanded its rhythmic potential in the 70s. We all love the Beatles and the Stones, but rhythmically they weren't doing a lot. In the 70s there was James Brown and Kraut rock and Joy Division, and I think all that rhythm is so much more interesting. We wanted rhythms like that, but with the pop sensibilities of Bowie and the Beatles and the Kinks and all that. So I was intrigued in the studio when we would add all these acoustic guitars and Rhodes and Wurlitzers, really warm instruments, on top of precise, pulsating rhythms. And then we looked toward Bowie's Berlin-era stuff for some of the synthesizer textures, but I think the combination of some of the rhythms and some of the synth makes people automatically think new wave because that's everywhere. I feel like if you look at the details of it, it's a lot different, and we're much more on the acoustic side-I mean, we're not an acoustic band, but we're more on the acoustic side, the warmer side, 60s sort of stuff. I'm curious to explore what it is we're after and finding an even bolder way of presenting it.

FREEwilliamsburg: Not too many musicians like to be compared to other musicians, but you're often in the same sentence as the Kinks, Bowie, and Ian Curtis. What are your thoughts on those comparisons?

J: (laughs) What we're after is to try to be as good as the bands that we love. It's not like I don't like contemporary bands, but a lot of times people say "Oh, it's like the Strokes or it's like Interpol," and it's as if no one's listened to music before 2000. Probably for my own ego, I'd prefer to be compared to the originators. (laughs)

FREEwilliamsburg: It seems like when people think of the music community in NYC they think of 80s throw-back dance rock. Do you guys feel a part of that?

J: Not so much in sound, but in our place in rock n roll right now, I think we're a lot more mainstream, in motivation even. Like I have no problem with teenagers in Wisconsin digging our music and buying our t-shirt at Hot Topic or whatever because I was one of those. It doesn't have to be only for people living in Williamsburg. I think a lot of New York still has this art rock side to it that a lot of bands are a part of. I guess my point is that I don't know too many bands that have the mindset that we have. Most of my friends that are in bands, their intentions are more on a local level.

FREEwilliamsburg: So you guys are looking to tour and hit the radio?

J: Oh yeah. I've never done that before, so it's really exciting.

FREEwilliamsburg: No one who lives in New York is from New York. What's the story behind your ending up here?

J: When I was living in Santa Cruz, a friend of mine had a contact in the Hal Hartley office. He's a pretty cool director, and I was into him a few years ago. I had gone to film school, so film was really my thing, and I just called him up one day and said, "Hey I really want to work with you. I live in California, but I'm moving to New York because I want to work with you guys." They told me they were about to shoot a short and didn't have anyone to help out, so send a resume blah blah blah. We were in a dialog about it, and they said yeah, this looks good. Come out in a couple weeks, and we'll start shooting. So I quit my job and sold my car and flew out there. The day after I arrived, I went to the office-this was about a week later - and was like "Hi, I'm here. I'm the kid from California." The secretary looked at me awkwardly and said, "You know, we filled your position with an NYU intern." I don't know why or how, and I was about to get my little California rage on, but Hal Hartley was sitting like two desks over, so I was also a little star struck. (laughs) So I kind of gave them my resume again, and that was it.

I still worked in film on different projects, but I realized that it was not an art form just because you were working in film, especially when you're young. It was such a bureaucracy and I wasn't fulfilled at all. I'd played music for years prior to that, but I didn't think it was my career. I started again, and I thought it was much more emotionally fulfilling. The connection with the audience, it has so much more of a connection with people, and I really enjoyed that. Not being hidden away in my room typing and then five years later maybe it'll come out.

FREEwilliamsburg: Who would you love to ask to produce one of your records?

J: I'm not sure if they're alive-actually, it would either be Ken Scott or Tony Visconti. Ken Scott produced the Ziggy Stardust album and he worked at Abbey Road, so he was an engineer on the White Album. I think Ziggy is maybe my favorite album, not just the song, but the recording. The snare on the first song, "Five Years," I find really amazing. The type of echo and reverb they used is such a warm feel, and the strings compliment it well. With the Visconti one, he did T-Rex. There were some albums where he had strings on every song, but they were very understated. He made everything beautiful and lush, even the smallest song. I would love to have that kind of warmth.

FREEwilliamsburg: What was the first concert you ever went to?

J: I went to a New Year's Eve concert at the Cow Palace, which is near San Francisco, with Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana. I think that was the year of the Nevermind tour. (laughs) Isn't that quite a first concert? What was your first concert?

FREEwilliamsburg: I saw Amy Grant in the middle of the Bible belt in Texas in a huge stadium with my sister, and it was pretty amazing. I think I was nine or something, and to see somebody that big was great.

J: I went to Christian school growing up. Didn't Amy Grant officially cross over to not calling herself Christian?

FREEwilliamsburg: Yeah, and she got a divorce with Gary Chapman and married Vince Gill, which was pretty racy for Christian circles.

J: Is she at the bottom of a gutter right now dealing with her sins?

FREEwilliamsburg: I hope she doesn't feel too bad, but she did kind of forsake her crowd…

The Cloud Room will be touring on the West Coast in June, appearing in L.A., San Francisco and Seattle. In July they're either touring from Chicago back to New York, or they're heading over to London for a few shows.

And Amy, if you're out there, you're not alone: Romans 3:23.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Remember, there is no L service all weekend starting at midnight tonight. Rat bastards.

Friday and Saturday June 4 and 5
The Billyburg Film Festival
at Northsix in Williamsburg
66 North 6th Street
10 bucks - films start at 9pm

From Flavorpill
The folks at Rabbit in a Turtle Shell are back with a second Billyburg Short Film Festival, expanded to two nights of abbreviated cinema. The first program, Inspiration, highlights ten works that embody the organization's definition of great short film, including pieces by Raising Victor Vargas director Peter Sollett, Interpol Short Film contest winner Greg Brunkalla, and the irreverent comic troupe Stella. The aptly named second night, Competition, is a juried screening of seven films chosen from over 130 submissions. (IB)

Note: Each night begins with Elijah B. Torn's live laptop soundtrack and adult beverages from sponsors Brooklyn Lager and PBR. Local bands Professor Murder and Innocent Animals follow each night's screenings, respectively.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

by Dave Thomas

High Tension

Remember how I said that there would only be one good movie this month? I forgot about a movie that would be starting two days shy of the July 4th weekend. So maybe, just maybe, you'll see two good blockbusters this month. ("Cinderella Man" doesn't count. It's a prestige picture. It's supposed to be good.) And, as usual, the indie fare looks a little more promising.

June 3

SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
"Divine Teen Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood"

WILL IT SUCK?
The cheese factor is here in full force. Director Ken Kwapis' best-reviewed film on IMDB is "Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird." Writers Delia Ephron and Elizabeth Chandler have between them "Michael," "Mixed Nuts," "Someone Like You..." and "What a Girl Wants," though, to be fair, "A Little Princess" is in there somewhere as well.

Two points for casting. Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn, both from well-respected TV series, are among the leads, as is America Ferrera, from the superior "Real Women Have Curves." She also plays Thunder Monkey in "Lords of Dogtown," which may be the best character name ever.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This is pretty much on its own as far as teen-girl-fare goes. A little competition from those who'll swoon over "The Lords of Dogtown," but not much. Combining the following of Bledel and Tamblyn along with the book upon which this is based doesn't hurt. $68mil.

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CINDERELLA MAN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
A man is bitten by a radioactive fairy tale character and acquires super-powers, like the power to have one magical evening away from his nagging stepsisters.

Actually, more like "Seabiscuit" with boxing instead of horseracing.

WILL IT SUCK?
Writer Akiva Goldsman has done good of late - "I, Robot," "A Beautiful Mind." But he still has a ways to go to make up for "Batman and Robin" and "Lost in Space." Here he teams up again with director Ron Howard, who has a rep for making good, but not necessarily great, films. Here they both team up again with Russell Crowe, who's just a great actor.

Add Renee Zellwegger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko, and the real question isn't so much "WILL IT SUCK?" as "Will it be Oscar-worthy?"

Early buzz is good.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It'll probably have "Seabiscuit"-like success as the lone "prestige" flick of the summer. $121mil.

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LORDS OF DOGTOWN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Fakey version of doc "Dogtown and Z-Boys."

WILL IT SUCK?
The writer, Stacey Peralta, who directed the doc, was actually one of the original Z-Boys (surfers who went on to revolutionize skateboarding). Director Catherine Hardwicke is hot off "Thirteen" and knows her teen drama. From the trailer, the tacked-on love story seems, well, tacked-on, but other than that, it should be a fun, if predictable, ride.

Keep an eye out for Peralta making a cameo as a director for "Charlie's Angels." That is, if you have any idea what he looks like.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Well, if this were still (as was originally the plan) David Fincher's next project, a larger male demo would be involved. It'll still draw the skateboarding faithful, but you'll have to split the Heath Ledger/Emile Hirsch groupies between this and competing tween-girl-fare "Pants." And "Pants" has a two-day head start. $57mil.

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APRES VOUS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
One guy saves another from suicide but becomes interested in the girl that the suicidee was about to kill himself over.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. The lead, Daniel Auteuil, was hilarious in "The Closet," and was nominated for a Cesar for his performance here.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Higher profile indies are gonna squash this. $800,000.

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ROCK SCHOOL
(Held over from April)

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Documentary about a guy who runs a rock school. Not to be confused with "School of Rock," except that it's kind of the inspiration for it.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good, though watching the trailer it's a little creepy to see a real life version of Black actually yelling at little kids.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If Newmarket can play up the "School of Rock" connection (and good reviews), fairly well. $2mil.

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MILWAUKEE, MINNESOTA

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Mentally challenged ice fishing prodigy (you read that right) gets taken for his winnings by some unsavory characters.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed although this cleaned up at Cannes and the Seattle Film Festival, among others. Randy Quaid in an unusually dark role should be interesting and hey, look, Bruce Dern!

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Again, higher profile shit will drown this. $600,000.

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June 10

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MR. AND MRS. SMITH

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
L.L. Cool J. gets married. Too obscure? How about this? Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are top assassins who happen to be married to each other but have no idea what their significant other really does for a living (cue scratching record sound)...until they're hired to kill each other.

WILL IT SUCK?
I've got some bad news. The guy who wrote "xXx: State of the Union" is also writing the third X-Men film. He also wrote this, which will now likely suck, but I'm much more upset about the X-Men thing.

That having been said, Doug Liman usually gives good movie. And he's pulled in at least one actor from each of his previous efforts. Vince Vaughan from "Swingers," (who's hilarious in the trailer). William Fichtner from "Go." Adam Brody from "The O.C." (Liman directed the first two episodes, who knew?) And Matt Damon from "The Bourne Identity." He plays Brad Pitt. Okay, there's no one from "The Bourne Identity," but you have to admit that the rest is pretty neat.

It'll still suck.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This will pretty much own the weekend. If it weren't for "Batman," it would own the month. $140mil.

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THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL IN 3-D

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Kid daydreams about superheroes who actually come to life and take him on a great adventure. I can't tell you how long I thought it was "Larva Girl." That would've been totally different. Also, the title reminds me of Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl from "The Simpsons," but that's totally different, too.

WILL IT SUCK?
Robert Rodriguez's kids' films have become increasingly cheesy, and this looks like a giant leap cheesier. I know I underestimated "Spy Kids" and Rodriguez's writing efforts (here enhanced by his son) are usually solid, but man is that one underwhelming trailer. I don't care, really. I just found out there's going to be a "Sin City 2," so I'm happy.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It has the advantage of being pretty much alone in the kid-friendly world at this point in the schedule ("Madagascar's" in its third frame), and Rodriguez's kids' films usually do well, even at their cheesiest. But "Herbie" isn't too far off. $86mil.

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HIGH TENSION

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
French slasher import in which a woman fights back against the killer who wiped out her friend and her friend's whole family.

WILL IT SUCK?
Buzz on this is straightforward NC-17 gore. I remember missing this at SXSW two years ago, partly out of fear. I'd want to see it more if the reviews were more consistent. Critics are fairly split, but the overall buzz is positive. Dimension liked it enough to tap the writing/directing team to do a remake of "The Hills Have Eyes."

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Horror fans aren't looking for perfection, just the goods. If the buzz maintains that this is the real deal, there will be no draw like it until the end of the month when "Land of the Dead" bows. Lion's Gate stands to make a killing and continue to solidify its small-budget horror niche. $22mil.

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THE HONEYMOONERS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Although it's kind of clever to recast "The Honeymooners" w/ an all-black cast, I stand by my conviction that only Ed Norton should be allowed to play Ed Norton.

WILL IT SUCK?
This is the first of three TV-to-movie adaptations to come out this summer, and none of them look good. We still have "Bewitched" and "The Dukes of Hazzard" to look forward to, but for now we can hope that the better angels of "Coming to America," which produced two of this film's scribes, will win out over "Agent Cody Banks 2," from another contributing writer's resume. There are five writers in all.

Interesting casting. Cedric the Entertainer (Ralph) is usually funny, but even he couldn't save "Johnson Family Vacation." Gabrielle Union (Alice - I don't remember her being THAT hot), John Leguizamo, Eric Stoltz, and Jon Polito should keep it interesting, but probably won't.

I think this will be "meh" at best.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Not so much with the urban comedy on the horizon, so this has a got a clear demo shot. Cedric pulled in around $30mil. for "Vacation." Expect about the same for this. $33mil.

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HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Dude, it's a Hayao Miyazaki movie ("Princess Mononoke," "Spirited Away"). Even if I tried to explain the plot to you, it wouldn't make any sense when you actually saw it, so just enjoy the ride.

WILL IT SUCK?
As I said, it's a Hayao Miyazaki movie, and they just don't suck. On the other hand, I can usually never make heads or tails of them, so if you're a plot nazi like me, you might wanna skip this. Visually, though, it's bound to be stunning.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It's not like there's a glut of anime in theaters. Miyazaki usually does well by Disney, and vice-versa. $11mil.

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PARINEETA

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Bollywood musical somehow finding purchase on our shores.

WILL IT SUCK?
I can tell you that author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's works have been adapted many times, so it's probably compelling source material. The songs look...okay. The most interesting thing about this (besides the fact that Bollywood musicals almost never get released here in anything but a retrospective) is that one of the screenplay credits is a "dialogue" credit. I'm beginning to wonder if more American films shouldn't have dialogue specialists (I suppose many already do, see Tarantino's work on "Crimson Tide" - but not enough).

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
How many Bollywood enthusiasts do you know? That's what I thought. $90,000.

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5X2

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Ten. Just kidding. Francois Ozon's latest does the "Eternal Sunshine" thang with the backwards relationship but not so much with the sci-fi.

WILL IT SUCK?
Ozon ("Swimming Pool," "8 Women") usually gives good movie. Early buzz is mixed, but generally positive. The actress playing the woman in the relationship has received mad love so far, including an award at Venice.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
After the success of "Swimming Pool," Ozon should be an easier sell to American audiences, even if they've seen this gimmick before. $6mil.

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THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
A friar investigates the accidental deaths of five strangers on a bridge with hopes to prove that they all deserved their fates, thus proving the existence of God. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Thornton Wilder.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is kind of meh, and here's the thing. A movie with Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Kathy Bates, F. Murray Abraham, and Jim Sheridan (!) based on a Pulitzer Prize Winning novel, you would think that this would (a) be a fall Oscar-buzz release and (b) come out sooner given that it was finished last year. What's more, Fine Line, the company distributing it, no longer exists. I smell a forced release.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If Fine Line can play up the huge cast and the lofty pedigree, they could get some opening weekend love (even if it turns into hate weekend two), but without a fully operational Fine Line there to promote it, I don't think that's going to happen. $2mil.

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June 17

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BATMAN BEGINS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Batman origin story. Can you believe there's never been one?

WILL IT SUCK?
Hard to say. Director Christopher Nolan has knocked at least two out of the park already ("Insomnia," "Memento") and can bring the noir. Writer David S. Goyer is a little more problematic. He gave us two bad and one good "Blade" flicks and a bunch of other crap. (I've heard that "Dark City" is good, but no one's raving about "Crow: City of Angels"). However, when teamed with a good director (and, in this case, co-screenwriter) he can bring the bad-ass.

Conceptually, I'm on board. They've brought in overlooked characters like Ra's Al Ghul and Lucius Fox and cast winners all around - Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer. And Bale can bring the brood as Batman, though I think my friend's theory about needing someone who can appear bumbling as Bruce Wayne (the key to his secret identity remaining a secret) is important. I also like that they've attempted to ground this in a real-ish world, with all of Batman's implements originating as abandoned military projects and the presence of a world outside of Gotham.

I'm not crazy about Katie "no, really, I'm fucking Tom Cruise, seriously guys" Holmes making an appearance as a character who (a) ain't in the original comics and (b) is a most likely unnecessary love interest in an already loaded story. On the other hand, you'll be hard pressed to find an origin story without a love interest. But it rarely helps.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Even if it only did as well as "Batman and Robin," it would still clear $100mil. Think about that for a sec. Anyway, this is going to do much better. $256mil.

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THE PERFECT MAN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Hilary Duff vehicle in which Hilary invents a man for her newly single mother to be with a la Bart and Mrs. Krabappel on that episode of "The Simpsons," without the malicious intent.

WILL IT SUCK?
The most interesting thing here is the casting. TV notables Heather Locklear, Amy Acker, Caroline Rhea, and Chris Noth (presumably reprising his role as the perfect man from "Sex and the City," just in a Duff-friendly way) pitch in, with an appearance from "Queer Eye's" Carson. Plus Dennis De Young plays a Dennis De Young impersonator. Surely that alone is worth the price of admission.

From the director of the Hilarrific "Cinderella Story," and the writer behind "The Princess Diaries" and, sadly, "The Princess Diaries 2."

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Probably the only thing you could put up against "Batman," except maybe a Lindsay Lohan vehicle - no, wait, that's next week. $11mil.

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MY SUMMER OF LOVE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Sort of a highbrow "Wild Things," with two young women going all "Heavenly Creatures" on Paddy Considine.

WILL IT SUCK?
Won a crapload of awards in Britain, including Best British Film at the BAFTA's. Paddy Considine ("In America") is da bomb, but let me put this in terms that Jeff from "Coupling" might understand...British Lesbians!!!

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Focus needs to get the word out on this one. Half the people who went to see "Swimming Pool" were NOT Ozon fans. $2mil.

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HEIGHTS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
24 hour soap opera in New York. Sadly, not a remake of the Fox TV smash which spawned "How Do You Talk to an Angel?" (Now we'll never know the answer to that question!)

WILL IT SUCK?
Dude, everybody in this trailer looks like someone else. Lead Elizabeth Banks looks like a cross between Parker Posey and Gretechen Mol, Jesse Bradford looks like Ron Livingston, the director, who has a small part, looks like Paul Bettany, and James Marsden doesn't look anything like the guy who plays Spike on "Buffy," but his name is really close. Of course, none of that is relevant.

This is adapted from a well-received Amy Fox play by Fox herself and by most accounts (more critics than audiences) is the good shit.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If Sony Pictures Classics plays up the fact that Glenn Close has a supporting role (which they will) and maybe the fact that this is a Merchant/Ivory production (which they haven't), this could get competitive, especially with good reviews in tow. $10mil.

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ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Quirky indie romantic drama.

WILL IT SUCK?
This was the darling of both Sundance AND Cannes this year, so probably not. Watch for it to make headlines with its explicit depictions of teen sexuality. Oh, and "Deadwood" fans should check out John Hawkes in the lead.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
IFC has got to get the word out on this one. No other indie this summer is likely to have the critical momentum (or controversial potential) of this one. $2mil.

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June 24

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HERBIE: FULLY LOADED

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
"Herbie" remake with Lindsay Lohan at the wheel.

WILL IT SUCK?
First off, let me just tell you my favorite moment from the trailer, in which Lindsay tells Herbie that another car he's checking out is "a little young for him." At that moment, I would pay cash money for Herbie to be voiced by Bruce Willis.

Anyhoo, it's kind of depressing just how much talent has been thrown at this one. The director of the decidedly NOT G-rated "D.E.B.S." is helming Justin Long, Michael Keaton, Matt Dillon, Breckin "Remember how promising I was in 'Road Trip' and 'Clueless'" Meyer, and the aforementioned pop star, who I think is actually a talented comedic actress. As if that weren't enough, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who seemed to abandon "Smallville" this season, one hopes in pursuit of something better, were apparently script-doctoring this.

So why am I not psyched with all this talent surrounding a project? How about a craptacular trailer that makes it seem like this was written by the guys behind "The Pacifier," "Taxi," and...wait for it..."The Country Bears?" How about the fact that this actually WAS written by those guys. How about the idea that this company will bring out the worst in Gough/Millar, who also scripted "Showtime?"

There's a 1 in 100 chance that this will pull a "Freaky Friday" and be a billion times better than it has any right to be, but I'm not holding my breath.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
"Bewitched" obviously skews older, but will still take part of this crowd. "Batman's" second frame skews more male, but again, older. And Duff can't hold a candle to Lohan lately, especially in a second week. I think the real kicker here is that this is the sole G-rated wide release of the season (even "Madagascar" was PG). Hellooo families! $111mil.

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LAND OF THE DEAD

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
In the latest installment to George A. Romero's "Dead" series, the world has been taken over by zombies and the human minority struggles to stay alive in a walled city housing a stratified society.

WILL IT SUCK?
Folks, this is George A. Romero. Zombies be his shit.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The only potential crossover here is with "Batman" the week before and "War of the Worlds" the following week and that's not so much competition as something else they'll see. And "High Tension" will have already petered out. $59mil.

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BEWITCHED

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Meta-remake of the TV show in which Will Ferrell plays the guy who plays Darrin, who needs to find a co-star and ends up with a real-life witch (Nicole Kidman).

WILL IT SUCK?
Here's the thing about writer/director Nora Ephron. "Silkwood" and "When Harry Met Sally" are fabulous. "Mixed Nuts" and "Hanging Up" are not. Guess which ones she co-wrote with her sister Delia. Guess who she co-wrote this with. On the other hand, Adam McKay, who co-wrote "Anchorman," is also on board here, so let's hope for the best.

The supporting cast is also encouraging. Michael Caine (is there anyone he isn't mentoring this summer?), Jason Schwartzman, Stephen Colbert AND Steve Carrell, Michael Badalucco, Amy Sedaris...Nick Lachey also makes an appearance, but don't let that get you down.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
"Kicking and Screaming" revealed chinks in Ferrell's armor, but throw in Kidman and the TV show following and I don't think that will matter. $96mil.

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YES

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Love affair between two foreigners living in London.

WILL IT SUCK?
The real buzz here is going to revolve around the fact that the foreigners are an American woman and a Lebanese Muslim man. There are definite "time to heal" undertones in the flick according to early reviews, which are very mixed. You've got Joan Allen and Sam Neill in the mix, which is a plus, and you've got writer/director Sally Potter ("Orlando") in the creator's chair. Oh, and the whole thing is in iambic pentameter.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This needs to get some traction, though it has a little bit of time. There are articles to be written about the "time to heal" angle and whatever positive buzz was generated at Telluride, even if no awards were handed out. $2mil.

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RIZE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Doc about "Krumping," a dance form you have to see to comprehend. I'll give you a hint, the trailer starts with the words "The images in this film have not been sped up in any way."

WILL IT SUCK?
After you see the trailer, you go "Holy shit that looks cool!" So probably not. Also, director David LaChappelle (let the confusion start now) has been following this for a while, back to when it was called "Clowning" and was a response to the Rodney King riots, so expect a significant political angle as well. This could be June's must-see doc.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The buzz isn't there yet, but Lion's Gate is no slouch. I'm already seeing billboards in Philly subway stations. My guess is they'll target urban centers, and I think it'll work. $7mil.

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MARCH OF THE PENGUINS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
About a new penguin dance that you have to see to comprehend. Actually, it's exactly what the title suggests, a shitload of emperor penguins march over an assload of ice to meet their mate.

WILL IT SUCK?
Look, I love nature docs. I thought "Winged Migration" was off the hook. So you might not want to take my word for it. However, early buzz is strong, and Morgan Freeman narrates, and I could listen to him read microwave directions for 90min. So it's win/win.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
"Winged Migration" had revolutionary camera techniques and a kick-ass trailer. This has a bunch of fuckin' penguins. (Actually, the trailer's pretty cool, too). Not quite as much of a sensation, is all I'm saying. $200,000.

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June 29

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WAR OF THE WORLDS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Tom Cruise & Dakota Fanning vs. aliens.

WILL IT SUCK?
OK. Here's the thing. I love Spielberg. So, again, you'll have to take all this with a grain of salt. I'll start with what makes me nervous, just to be fair. First off, this is a remake, and Spielberg's history with remakes, however brief ("Always") is not positive. Also, he's going with writer David Koepp here, who shoots about 50%. For every "Spider-man" he'll give you a "Snake Eyes." He delivered "Jurassic Park" for Spielberg, good summer fare at best. He also delivered "Lost World," considered by many to be one of Spielberg's worst efforts.

Now here's what gives me confidence. It's Spielberg. He hasn't made a movie I've truly disliked since...well, I've never seen "Always," did that suck? I usually find at least something I like. Hell, even "1941" has camp value.

Trailers have been outstanding, dating back to the first teaser which directly quoted the original text (which you must read). The alien machines, what little we presumably see, look awesome, and the fact that we probably won't see much is a good sign. And Spielberg's previous sci-fi collaboration with Cruise is one of my favorites (of course, that had Scott Frank at the keyboard).

On the other hand, if this starts out with another Dakota Fanning voiceover a la "Taken" (which Spielberg produced), I think I'll cry.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The best friend this movie has (besides Cruise and Spielberg) is the July 4th weekend. Spielberg hasn't been knocking them out of the park like he used to. But the timing is such that with all the marketing they've been throwing, this'll own the biggest weekend of the summer (with a two day head start). And that may be enough. $278mil.

Next month is a lot more interesting, if only because there's a lot of stuff that isn't so quickly dismissible as crap or laudable as the next "Spider-Man 2." What will Tim Burton make of Johnny Depp-cum-Michael Jackson as Willy Wonka? Will "Stealth" be more "Blue Thunder" or "Airwolf?" Will "The Island" break the streak of crappy, crappy Michael Bay films? Can Richard Linklater make TWO good kid's films? All this and two excellent docs as the summer marches on...

by Dave Thomas

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Our friends at OneLouder are making us feel even worse about missing last night's Kraftwerk show. Check out these great pix and their review.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From AP
WASHINGTON -- New York has yet to spend some $125 million for workers injured in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack and its aftermath, and the federal government doesn't want to wait any longer. It wants the money back.

New York lawmakers are trying to hold onto the funding ahead of a House committee meeting next week to consider re-claiming the funds as proposed by the Bush administration's budget for fiscal year 2006.

A group of 21 New York lawmakers, including state Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, both D-N.Y., is urging the White House to redirect the money toward health programs for ground zero workers affected with long-term lung problems that may not appear for years to come. The administration has resisted.

The dispute dates to the aftermath of the 2001 terror attack, when the government agreed to give more than $20 billion to help New York recover. The money included some $175 million for the state's workers compensation program, but as the claims were processed the bulk of the money was unspent.

A 2004 report by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found the state spent $44 million to pay out money quickly through other state agencies. Another $4.4 million was spent upgrading the compensation board's computer system to prepare for a possible future disaster.

That left about $125 million unspent, because the compensation board has not paid out huge sums for Sept. 11-related claims. In the case of $25 million set aside for rescue workers who came to New York from out of town, the board had paid just $456,000 by mid-2004.

White House Office of Management and Budget spokesman Scott Milburn said New York has used only $49 million of the $175 million and spent just $6 million in the 2004 fiscal year.

"The needs were not as large as initially feared," he said.

He said the federal government has exceeded President Bush's pledge of providing $20 billion in aid in the form of cash and tax incentives to New York.

Rep. James Walsh, R-N.Y., argued the government is moving too fast to retrieve the money.

"We don't know yet what the need is, nor does OMB," Walsh said. "What we do know is that there was a witches' brew of toxic substances emanating from that debris and those firefighters, police officers and construction workers were breathing that for days."

He has asked the GAO to look further into the injury claims to determine what the unmet health needs are.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Manhattan Democrat who has long argued New York did not get enough help, said, "The real shame is that too many people in Washington still don't realize that thousands of injured 9/11 responders still desperately need our help."

The state received 10,182 claims for workers comp but did not tell the GAO how many claims it denied, saying it did not keep such figures.

New York AFL-CIO president Denis Hughes said the government's plan ignores the likelihood that people can apply years later for compensation for Sept. 11-related injuries.

"They offered New York $20 billion, and now these guys are fighting over $120 million? It's sad," he said. "They have forgotten the magnitude of this tragedy."

Dr. Robin Herbert, of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, said their World Trade Center program has seen over 9,000 patients through a federally funded health screening program.

Much of the treatment of the ailments, though, is dependent on donations, she said.

"Right now we are able to provide treatment with philanthropic funding, but are troubled that there's no other resource," said Herbert.

The state also opposes the government's plan to take back the money.

"New York should retain this critical funding," said Gov. George Pataki's spokesman Todd Alhart.

"We want to ensure it is available to address any workers comp-related claims to those who courageously responded and provided assistance in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks," Alhart said.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ari Up
"Dread More Den Dead"
(Collision)

"Dread More Den Dead" is the first, studio solo album by the legendary Ari Up, lead singer for The Slits and New Age Steppers — two pivotal bands that helped define the punky-reggae party sound coursing through the veins of the London underground in the late seventies and early eighties. Ari has since become a beacon of inspiration for women in the arts worldwide and is an active supporter of emerging artists and new music movements everywhere.

On "Dread" Ari extends her dub reggae roots into dancehall and ragga territory, transforming the heavily male-dominated -- and often misogynist—style of Jamaican music into a platform for pointedly pro-family messages.

Combining her infamous operatic trill with a newfound provincial brogue adopted on the Kingston deejay circuit, the empowered punk
matriarch challenges her male counterparts to rethink their approach to sexuality and relationships on the disc's hottest track "True Warrior": "A bad boy to society, or lover to his family? / Bad boy to society, or lover to his baby and me? / Got to be a lover, and then you're a fighter / Only a true lover can be a warrior."

Having proved she can snarl as severely as any Sex Pistol and rock as hard as any member of The Clash, it should come as no surprise that Ari's chops as a producer easily compare to the current crop of street beat and dancehall rhythm makers.

Ari's electronic production is minimal in construction — applying just a dash of rhythm guitar and modest helpings of synthesizer — but her beats and bass are big and beefy and aggressive enough to emasculate any competition and eradicate the ignorance dividing the sexes.

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Coughs
"Fright Makes Right"
(Load)

Chicago's Coughs are out to prove you're never too old to throw a temper tantrum. On "Fright Makes Right," lead vocalist Anya Davidson leads this windy-city six-piece unit of multi-instrumentalists through one hissy-fit after another, screaming Lydia Lunch-style over rollicking sheet metal rhythms and shrieking reed skronk-outs.

Utilizing a thick stock of pounding percussion, fluttering saxophone, and throbbing bass Coughs stir up a belligerent jambalaya of hardcore punk and freaked-out free jazz. The band's writhing and wailing hurts as it heals, generating fresh headaches in the pursuit of cathartic release.

Coughs tread a familiar terrain of youthful impetuousness and artful obnoxiousness, but apply just the right balance of agility and absurdity to their craft to keep things interesting. However, the impact of the band's more intricate — and most impressive — moments are defused as they often collapse into hyper-distorted, over-the-top scream-a-thons. Recommended for the young and the restless.

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Mahi Mahi
"(Re)Move Your Body"
(Corleone)

V. Von Ricci and Sir VZO a.k.a. Mahi Mahi are back with a well produced and instantly gratifying new full-length of uptight, neo- new wave dance anthems. The Providence-based duo's sophomore effort sees them sharpening their particular style of electro-stomp and mixing it up with tragic-yet-redemptive subject matter.

The duo's electronic bass pulses, tin-toned vocalizations, and blocky, syncopated rhythms — both acoustic and synthetic — pack a punch and provide a convincing foundation for a new, slightly elusive lyrical direction.

"She set the night in motion with some water in the tub / Then she wrote us all a letter on a napkin from the club / Then she made a decision as she held the television / Our little baby. has gone," Ricci sings on "Daughter of Sam." "An entire generation drowned / You can tell the world we disappeared / You can tell the world we died alive."

These may be dark days for the skinny tie set, but the tight techno-funk of Mahi Mahi is programmed to uplift. The quirky breakbeat of "654321" provides an infectious, uprocking rhythm for a rebellious rap about the complexity of attraction: "I've walked one thousand miles to meet you / One thousand miles to get away / I've got an order to delete you / But now I want to disobey."

The duo's retro appeal and cryptic lyricism doesn't always coalesce, but they have an engaging pop sound sure to inspire posing hordes everywhere. Eschew ennui and the meaninglessness of life and dance another day with Mahi Mahi.

— John Rickman

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 02:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This video has evidently been out for a while. We don't know how we missed it. It's definitely not work safe, but we don't know what's more offensive, the nudity, the music, or the dancing. Watch it here.

From MTVAsia
Gunther & The Sunshine Girls are set to have the biggest hit this summer with their debut single, "Ding Dong Song (You Touch My Tra-La-La)." The catchy bubblegum dance track is totally infectious.... 29-year-old Gunther is from Sweden, where "Ding Dong Song (You Touch My Tra-la-la)" is already a huge smash. The accompanying music video has also been the most requested clip on Swedish TV for weeks. Even UK indie darlings Franz Ferdinand performed an acoustic version of the "Ding Dong Song" for Dutch radio.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)