Sometimes we hear music that affects us for reasons unknown. Somewhere within us, an either lonely or rejoiceful part of ourselves calls out for a soundtrack. Whether Lewis & Clarke's leading man Lou Rogai is one of us, or one of those delivering what we long for, it's not entirely clear. With lyrics that pluck at the heartstrings, and guitar that can be most simply put as solemnly subtle, there's a sense of heaviness that seems to be barely escaping itself. If you're feeling sad, I wouldn't recommend listening for entirely too long, although that sense of musical masochism is, I guess, exactly what I'm talking about here. These are songs that embrace their own hopeful anguish, and satisfy our need to feel.

Maybe I'm gushing a bit here, but writing while listening to these tracks made me honest. But past the seemingly woeful songs, there's cheerful inspiration. We got the chance to ask Lou about his label (supported by a "family" of musicians), the Appalachian Trail, Chelsea Hotel #2, and how there's just nothing better than good bread. Check it out after the jump...

And, if you're lucky, you can catch Lewis & Clarke TONIGHT @ Bowery or Saturday @ Music Hall, opening for Bat For Lashes.

Also, be sure to take a look at La Société Expéditionnaire, for more wonderful artists and feel free to support & buy the limited release of Light Time, the vinyl EP, directly from the source.

Tell me about how Lewis & Clarke came to be. There's a common misconception that you're referring to the explorers, when actually it's a reference to your favorite writers, correct?

Right, C.S. Lewis and Arthur C. Clarke. But Clarke isn't my favorite, it's more Lewis I am a fan of. But it's more about the fellowship and correspondence between them and Tolkien as well, as a unit of thinkers, exchanging ideas as contemporaries and blowing hot air about the future.

It's been about 2 years since your highly acclaimed full length Blasts of Holy Birth, why did you decide to follow up with a four song 12 inch EP?

It was not necessarily a decision, it just seemed to make sense with what I was working with. Light Time is now. For me, the music fits the time and theme. When the right songs begin to magnetize, they grow together. They reveal how they should be held together in album form. The two songs on side A, Petrified Forest and Light Time, could have been included on a full length, but they are of their own theme. Plus I was getting super bored of not having a record out.

Keeping with your roots, Light Time touches on loss, remembrance, sorrow, & hope with intricate subtlety. What influences your sound? The Appalachian Trail, perhaps?

Moss, fauna on the trail, intricacies between relationships, people, natural, technology, circuitry...it's the golden mean, the wheel of fifths. I can say the vinyl is colored pink and white, like the magnolia blossoms outside my window every April. I had a weird year, but it's better now. The trail is always there.

Do you have your own personal recipe for songwriting? As in, is there a certain place you have to be, mentally or physically? What are some necessary ingredients in order for you to create?

I am usually pretty bad at following recipes, I kind of wing it with what ingredients are around. Lack of sleep, too much sleep, and not enough time seems to work well. I like to make things to relax and wind down and enter an interior world when there's a lot going on in the mix. My son inspires me. My amazing friends inspire me.

Light Time Vinyl EP

Your label, La Société Expéditionnaire, currently has just under a dozen artists. How do you find the acts you'd like to work with?

It's all my friends and family. It's very closely intertwined. Everyone is super close. Sometimes too close, even. But always close enough.

I won't ask you who your favorite is, as that's like picking between children, but who are you currently listening to more often?

The latest iDeath mixes. All of it though, I am seriously in love with all of the music we release.

Outside of your "artist-based label cooperative", who are some musicians you're loving right now?

David Axelrod. Toumani Diabate. The new Bat For Lashes album is amazing. Bears and Danger, too.

Tell me about your relationship with Man Man's Russell Higbee. Can we expect more collaboration in the future?

I love Russell. He's in orbit right now and creating amazing things. He's always in and out, and when we get to work on things and hang out it's a treat. There's always more in store. We are going to release his project as well, which is called iDeath. He's picking up where Moondog left off.

As a fellow (dare I say) fanatic of Leonard Cohen, what drew you to cover Chelsea Hotel #2 for the new EP?

Yes, so much inspiration from this man. I just really like the story of that tune, you know, the whole reason behind it. Cohen apologized for naming names, and out of respect I won't. But it's nothing we already don't know about. For me it's something relative, and it's really therapeutic, the lines "I need you, I don't need you" and think, "yea, that sounds about right to me". I just really like that song. I don't care if Rufus did it so amazingly, I wanted to feel that magic too...and respect the folklore.

So, when can we expect more from Lewis & Clarke?

We'll be touring the US on the EP and another special project this summer with Caroline Weeks, Corridor, and Rio en Medio, and finishing another full length. But let's not tempt the fates with expectations, just enjoy it when it happens!

And last but not least, if you were to be reincarnated-- what would you like to be?

A nice loaf of bread.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 06:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I want to let this change my life

hrstudioplus

Posted by Lauren Mooney at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Maybe we all had mothers who made our Halloween costumes and taught us how to sew. Whatever it is, Brooklynites are the best at making their own duds. This weekend you can get the best of the best at the Lyceum for under $30. Check it out:

We want everyone to thrive in this sucky economy - both crafters and consumers - so we want to help get the goods flowing in both directions. This is a time for keeping our money local and helping our artists thrive, all the while keeping an eye on the ole purse strings. This market is designed for those of us who can't spend like we once could, but still want to support the arts the best we can, get to know the artisans' of NYC, and get lovely handmade things in the process.

So please come to the Market, buy as much as you like (get those mother's day and holiday gifts early), and let's keep our money out of Target and Walmart!!

Forgot to add, my favorite Charm School Design will be there. Every lady should have one of her headbands in her closet.

Posted by Lisa Baldini at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a HOT flyer!

So if you weren't at this on Tuesday night you pretty much suck because it was HILARIOUS. But good news! You can redeem yourself by attending this FUN and WILD dance party on Saturday night!

Recipe for a great Saturday Night = Our friends @ FREE DANGER spinning some sleazy disco + EAR PWR!! + MVSCLZ + me and Nicole! Ummn yah I don't think this gets any better.

Posted by Lauren Mooney at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Perhaps my favorite bar in Williamsburg, Bushwick Country Club, is having an excellent contest for their mini golf course (hence their country club status) that some artsy engineers could have some fun with:

The third hole is in a sorry state so we're having a contest for the best design to redo it. The winner gets their winning design built, a plaque with their name on it mounted to the hole and a $100 bar tab. The third hole is the one with the mannequin in the red jumpsuit.

Rules:

It has to replace the same area as the old hole. Roughly 4' x 8'

The tee and hole have to be in roughly the same place as the original.

No electricity. Gravity can be the only force used. Ok, we will allow the use of the weak force.

Design can be no more than PG-13.

Simplicity is a plus.

The winner is chosen by the Country Club Board of Directors.

The contest is over when we get an awesome design.

Being able to point out a plaque and say "That's me, baby" such a great pick up. Send your designs here. As a side note, their summer time drink the Jim Bean and coke slushie is back. Be warned, its delicious but dangerous. I speak from experience.

Posted by Jackie Snow at 02:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From Mikki Halpin of Art Local-- the folks who brought you Don't Demo Domino:

The show came about when I was at a community meeting and Candace Parr and Elli Weinert, the drama and music teachers at Automotive, respectively, mentioned that their programs had been cut. I'd seen the Automotive musical last year (West Side Story) and was so impressed with what the kids did and how thrilled and grateful they were that Candace had believed in them and gotten the program going[...]

Since I often put on benefits around the neighborhood, it was a no-brainer to offer to help. I've always wanted to work on integrating Automotive High and its students and faculty into the neighborhood--they are part of our community as well. The school has come so far, and here in a community of artists and musicians, it was no problem to get volunteers and bands to participate. Although Japanther and Ninjasonik are just returning from a long tour, they said yes immediately when I asked them to help[...]

The show is going to be great--the kids will perform some dance numbers from Guys and Dolls, the Automotive High Hip Hop Jazz Band will play, and then of course the bands.

Go check it out TONIGHT @ Automotive High, 50 Bedford Ave. It's a great cause and you might even win something yummy from Teddy's or a free spa tratment at Beehive, mmm.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photo by by Zandy Mangold, c/o The L Magazine

The L Magazine just crowned their 8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear. They are:

pow wow!, Savoir Adore, The Albertans, The Beets, Xylos, Darlings, Anamanaguchi, Emanuel & the Fear

Honorable mentions include:

Sisters, Dinosaur Feathers, Neighbors, Browns, Hospitality, Knight School
and runners up to the runners up: Woods, Creaky Boards and Real Estate

Click through to the L for a whole slew of interviews with the bands, photos from a debaucherous day at the Bushwick Country Club and surprisingly, no beards!

Update: OK, some beards.

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

PS- I just snapped this with my phone while sitting in my apartment... in Bushwick. FML

UPDATE: By now you've undoubtedly heard that WHO raised the threat level to 5, the second highest level on their 6 point scale. Yikes. But what we're really concerned about is the Rapture Index. It's already nearly surpassed last year's highest level. Jeebus is coming!

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Our friends at Brooklyn Fire Proof and the Nut Roaster Studios are hosting a May Day party Friday night, over at 120 Ingraham Street. 5 bands are playing, and there will also be a raffle, drink specials, DJs, and art + video installations.

$10
7 pm, Friday May 1st

Update: we've received word that there may be changes to the lineup, including Real Estate, who will not be playing Friday night...

Posted by Elizabeth Brady at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From VSL

Indie darlings Belle and Sebastian are officially “on hiatus,” but the band’s members reunited last year to make a fantastic summer album -- the soundtrack to an imaginary musical about a young woman’s romantic crisis called God Help the Girl.

Most of the project’s songs were inspired by the British pop idols of the sixties. (Catherine Ireton, who sings the part of the heroine, has a piercing voice in the tradition of Petula Clark and Cilla Black.) Belle and Sebastian’s primary songwriter, Stuart Murdoch, discovered two of the other eight singers by holding open auditions online. And while the album’s not out until June 23, you can hear a handful of songs, alternate versions, and outtakes -- including Ireton’s showcase number, “Come Monday Night” -- at Imeem. Show tunes have never sounded so good.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember two summers ago, when all you could listen to was Chromeo's Fancy Footwork (yes, you-- oh, c'mon, admit it)... Well, here comes Tiga's Ciao! to the rescue with tracks such as "Sex O'Clock", "Luxury", and "Love Don't Dance Here Anymore". Who doesn't want to dance to the likes of Soulwax and Gonzales (best known for laying down beats for Feist)-- who are all over this album. Plus this video is basically the goods (not only bc the resize makes it look dirty):

See the bigger (sexier) version here.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bedford and Grand

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Benefit concert at Union Pool tonight. Details below...

The North Brooklyn Story Project will throw a benefit concert, on April 28, 2009, to raise funds for their oral history project. The concert will be held at Union Pool (484 Union Ave) at 8pm. Performers include The Blue Album Group, Rebecca Schiffman and The Roulettes. Suggested donation for the event is $5. The concert is being held to raise money for recording equipment that the North Brooklyn Story Project will use to document, share and store the stories of Greenpoint and Williamsburg residents.

Get more info on Going, or for more info on the performers click through the jump!

About the performers:

The Blue Album Group play Weezer's Blue Album straight through, note for note, with all the vocal harmonies, ripping guitar solos, and cardigan sweaters intact (or should I say undone?). For more information, go to: http://thebluealbumgroup.com

Rebecca Schiffman was born in 1982 in New York City. She studied cello and piano from a young age. In 2000, while attending The Cooper Union School of Art, Schiffman began to play bass guitar for the pop-punk band Pearl Harbor, which featured Walter Schreifels (Quicksand, Rival Schools) on drums, Ryan Stratton (Walking Concert) on guitar, and Masayoshi Nakamura on vocals. Schreifels began producing Schiffman's recordings and in 2003 her first album "Upside Down Lacrimosa" was released on Some Records. In 2008 she recorded her second album To Be Good for a Day with Mike Musmanno in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Vice recently dubbed that album their "Album of the Month." For more information, go to: www.rebeccaschiffman.com

The Roulettes were born in an Oberlin, Ohio basement, where they practiced on borrowed equipment next to a leaky washer/dryer combo.They grew up playing basement and living room parties to crowds of adoring fans and a few aghast fools who didn’t get their jokes. After moving to Portland, the Roulettes met up with label Lucky
Madison to create the first ever LM release, a self-titled EP recorded at Portland’s Jackpot! Studios with engineer Larry Crane (Sleater-Kinney, Stephen Malkmus, etc.). The Roulettes EP finds the band bouncing from the pressing issues of yesteryear (film students with dinosaur-sized egos on “Crabs”) to love as seen from a creaky
Ferris wheel (“Motorcycles in the Mist”) to straight up hot shit dance tracks (“Hot Ticket”) faster than you can pour another bourbon. For more information, go to http://luckymadison.com/pagetheroulettes.htm

Posted by Brian Ries at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

"Epic Fail", Lolcats, and Denial of Service Attacks are all presents that have be granted to us by the lovely 4chaners. If you have never been introduced to 4Chan, then now is the time to definitely learn because Moot was just voted Time's most influential person. And, this was no small feat. Anonymous spent many man hours hacking the website. Music Machinery has the full story.

Posted by Lisa Baldini at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Hasn't the FAA ever heard of Photoshop? We know a half a dozen unemployed designers who could have pulled this off—sans building evacuations and mass panic—in 20 minutes. We're glad to know our tax dollars are being spent wisely. Give us a holler, Mr. Caldera.... we'll send you a few resumes.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new Ducktails video is blowing up allover the web. It features the fun video direction of Alice Cohen (who may be better known as part of Philly's influential underground The Vels.)

Posted by Brian Ries at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Some hep cat looking for wacky trendsetters in Williamsburg, just sent us this. From the mailbag:

WILLIAMSBURG TYPES NEEDED Do you Rock Your Own Style?

WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR THESE TYPES/LOOKS:

DJ's
Hipsters
Musicians
LES Types
Williamsburg Types
Artists
Rockers
Dancers
Performers
Street Artist
Graffiti Types
Hip/Nerd Look

And all other super cool folks!

Impossible Casting (impossiblecasting.com) is seeking the coolest New Yorkers for upcoming paid advertising campaigns. E-mail us some pictures at submit (AT) impossiblecasting.com. About US: Impossible Casting is NY's premier casting companies. We cast models, actors and real people for TV, Film, commercials and Print. We also find a lot of our best people right off the street.

image via

Who are the latest locals rocking their own style? We haven't seen the above or the Goth Pilgrim in a while. Let us know in comments, and please... SEND US PIX!

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From our friends over at FREE DANGER, the 'zine making DJ duo that captured our Ghostbusters loving hearts @ 3rd Ward:

For the past few months we have been compiling together our favorite funny and fucked up clips from TV, Movies, commercials, and the internet and tomorrow night we will be presenting this video. Our friend Peter O'Connell is coming up from Baltimore to do some commentary with us and he has some other treats lined up as well. If this doesnt sound like enough, we also have Hannibal Burress stopping by to do some stand up comedy.

This event is not only going to be totally hysterical, it's doubling as a benefit for fellow publication SHOWPAPER. Be sure to pick up a free copy around the 'hood. So be there, or else we'll know you hate fun: 9pm @ Market Hotel, Tuesday April 28th

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I first moved to Greenpoint, there were two publications I checked out to get my bearings. The first I now write for-- the second was the Williamsburg Greenpoint News & Arts. Proving that it's never too late to go digital, the publication has just launched its new website. Here's what they had to say:

The site features a blog covering neighborhood happenings, along with some of the stories from our monthly paper. We'd like people to still pick up the print edition when they see it, so we'll probably be keeping a few stories offline, at least for the first couple weeks that the paper is out. (But it's free anyway, so we're not asking too much, I hope.)

Posted by Lisa Baldini at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This and this should put the media's sensational coverage in perspective. Turns out, we've dealt with this before:

On the cold afternoon of February 5, 1976, an Army recruit told his drill instructor at Fort Dix that he felt tired and weak but not sick enough to see military medics or skip a big training hike.

Within 24 hours, 19-year-old Pvt. David Lewis of Ashley Falls, Mass., was dead, killed by an influenza not seen since the plague of 1918-19, which took 500,000 American lives and 20 million worldwide.

Two weeks after the recruit's death, health officials disclosed to America that something called "swine flu" had killed Lewis and hospitalized four of his fellow soldiers at the Army base in Burlington County.

The ominous name of the flu alone was enough to touch off civilian fear of an epidemic. And government doctors knew from tests hastily conducted at Dix after Lewis' death that 500 soldiers had caught swine flu without falling ill.

Update: 1976 Swine Flu Propaganda [via]

Swine Flu Public Handout after the jump...

image via

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As part of some inane photo-op, the FAA sent a low-flying 747 trailed by a fighter jet into Manhattan this morning. And they didn't bother to tell anybody, since evidently we've all forgotten about 9-11. From City Room:

An Air Force One lookalike, the backup plane for the one regularly used by the president, flew low over Manhattan on Monday morning, accompanied by two F-16 fighters, so Air Force photographers could take pictures. But a lack of awareness about the flyover led to the evacuation of several buildings in Lower Manhattan and Jersey City, and perplexed officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and other authorities were inundated with calls from anxious ferry passengers, office workers and residents.

“People came pouring out of the buildings, the American Express Building, all the buildings in the financial district by the water,” said Edward Acker, a photographer who was at the building, 3 World Financial Center. “And even the construction guys over by 100 North End Avenue area, they all got out of their buildings. Nobody knew about it. Finally some guy showed up with a little megaphone to tell everyone it was a test, but the people were not happy. The people who were here 9/11 were not happy.”

Mr. Acker added: “New York City police were standing right there and they had no knowledge of it. The evacuations were spontaneous. Guys from the floor came out, and one guy I talked to was just shaking.”

Even the markets dipped shortly after 10 a.m., though it was unclear if the alarm over the planes was a factor. Starting at 10:02 a.m., three main market indexes started dropping precipitously. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 40 points in 10 minutes, starting 10:15 a.m., before it rebounded more than 50 points.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Hearing Katie Couric auto-tuned helped us stop worrying about Swine Fever for a whole 10 minutes. It's Auto-Tune the News:

[via]

A couple more auto-tune gems after the jump.

Auto-Tune the News #1: march madness. economic woes. pentagon budget cuts.

Martin Luther King: I Have an AutoTune Dream

And of course, South Park's "Kanye is a Gay Fish"

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, you did it pigs. The US has declared a public health emergency over this whole Swine Flu strain that's crept up from the backlots of Mexico and hunkered down in 8 or so high school students from Queens. I wonder how the dude who lives in Williamsburg with his pet pig is feeling about all this. It's used to, "Oh my god! Is that a pig? How cute!" but might now face screams and discrimination. Here he is in McCarren Park in happier times: (note the Rottweiler's cautiousness. it knew)

Posted by Brian Ries at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A cyclist was hit by a livery car last night at the corner of Roebling and No. 11th. He was hurt pretty bad (lots of blood), but was moving and in the care of emergency personnel within minutes of the accident. A bystander told me he didn't think the bicyclist stopped at the intersection and the driver just didn't see him until impact. Bike was ruined, but luckily the dude made it out alive. Click through for a few photos.

Posted by Brian Ries at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

My old bike was run over by a minivan a couple of months ago (H8 u, minivans), so I got a new one. A beach cruiser, in fact. It's quite awesome. The old one was locked up for a while but a few days ago I decided to set it free. I leaned the rusty, bent and barely functional old Ross up against a street sign and waited for someone to take it.

It's still there!

Does nobody want this piece of crap which some might call a "fixer-upper"? It's the perfect "oh hey we're in a recession" summer cruiser to go along with that prohibition era mustache of yours! Let's see how long it holds out. I'm predicting Wednesday.

Posted by Brian Ries at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Tonight @ the Opera House Lofts, Brooklyn Salsa celebrates their one year anniversary. As sponsors of the Pomp party last night, I'd expect a lot of the same (newly salsa addicted) crowd.

What to expect from the boys:

Sunshine, Fresh Chips, Firepit, Rooftop, DJ's, RockNRoll, Booze, Basement, Ping Pong, Air Hockey, Bad Kid Stuff, Friends and all the BROOKLYN SALSA you can stick in your face! BBQ's will be set on fire at 6pm with a DJ spinning sunny brazilian grooves, Modelo in hand. Music til 2am... Come Hungry and ready to party!

Make sure to dig into the Tropical, it's my personal favorite.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pomp and Circumstance Event with Poster Boy, 3rd Ward.

Click Below for more photos from the Event!!

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pulled Pork, the folks who brought you last week's doppleBÄNGER (with one of our current loves-- HATCHMATIK), are bringing it once again at the semi-secret party room at Lovin' Cup. Not to mention live painting from Chris Rini.

Flavorpill says:

The Burg's best all-purpose party adds Detroit to its roster with the help of Subtrak. To clarify that equation, the Motor City label delivers Ryan Brogan, Chris Alker, and Christian Bloch from its stable of techno- and house-spanning selectors to Pulled Pork's no-slouch residents Gunnie and T. Clute. Tonight's special guest Mike Servito (Ghostly/Spectral) knows his way around his hometown's signature style as well as anyone (as attendees of One Step Beyond might recall — Servito spun our party at AMNH last year).

Check the retro preview, and do a little mid-afternoon dance (right around 2:27, I did. And again at 6:01). Also, there's been talk of free fortune cookies... I'll be there (tequila induced) shaking it, fo' sure!

RSVP to rsvp@pulledporknewyork.com.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 01:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Just when we were getting excited about a nice, warm weekend..... SWINE INFLUENZA. You know all those rightwing anti-immigration airbags are going to have a field day with this one. From Alternet

* Mexican government announces fatal swine flu outbreak
* New mixture of viruses never seen before
* Some Mexico City residents don surgical masks

A deadly strain of swine flu never seen before has broken out in Mexico, killing as many as 60 people and raising fears it is spreading across North America.

The World Health Organization said it was concerned about what it called 800 "influenza-like" cases in Mexico, and also about a confirmed outbreak of a new strain of swine flu in the United States. It said about 60 people had died in Mexico.

Mexico's government said it had confirmed that at least 16 people had died of the swine flu in central Mexico and that there could be another 45 fatal victims.

The government canceled classes for millions of children in its sprawling capital city and surrounding areas on Friday after it noticed a higher number of deaths involving flu-like illness than normal in recent weeks.

The CDC said it will issue daily updates at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/investigation.htm

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From the mailbag:

WHO: Artists & Fleas established outdoor market to debut:
15 collectors and dealers of vintage clothing, jewelry, home decor, furniture, accessories, nostalgia, maps and more.
An on-site tailor who restores vintage pieces to their original splendor and provides FREE on-site services to customers

WHEN: This weekend!
April 25 and April 26 from 12:00 to 8:00pm

WHERE: Showroom at 125 N. 6th Street (btwn Bedford & Berry), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're linking you up to this as a public service. It's been circulating for a while now, but in case you haven't heard this great remix of "My Girls," its essential. Grab it at welcometodanceclub.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 05:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Wowsers. Our favorite salmon-colored paper is going though some big changes. Peter W. Kaplan has decided to quit in June. He's been the editor of the New York Observer since 1994! From The Observer:

Peter W. Kaplan, the fourth and longest-serving editor of The New York Observer, announced to his editorial staff today that he is resigning from the newspaper effective June 1, 2009. [...]

“It’s as good as it gets,” he said. “I had a little newspaper in New York City! You can’t beat that. No matter who you are. I had a little newspaper in New York City. That’s as good as it gets. It’s better to have a little newspaper in New York City than a big newspaper in New York City. Because then you only have to report and write for the people you care about. And nobody else.”

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm pretty sure this is what it would be like:

I don't know how I found it. I don't know where it came from, or why it was made. What I do know is that this four-part series by Ryan Trecartin, appropriately titled "A Family Finds Entertainment," is the biggest mind fuck I've ever experienced on the Internet. I've included the rest below the fold. Watch if you dare, but I suggest that you bookmark this link first — you're going to need it after Part 4.

Unicorn Chaser - keep hitting refresh until your brain regains its equilibrium.

I myself went through 10 refreshes of the Unicorn Chaser before proceeding to explore the other segments. And yes, I realize that on the video titles it says 5/5, as in, there are 5 parts. But THERE IS NO THIRD PART. Strange? Yes. Surprising? Absolutely not. It's rumored that YouTube removed it because of someone getting shot/excessive nudity/the people at YouTube felt compelled to spare the masses.

While researching what happened to Part 3, I came across this review article, "My New Favorite Videos or a Litmus Test for Schizophrenia?" The author decided that since he is schizophrenic and understood the deeper meaning in the videos, it was both.

By the way, I'm sorry, Williamsburg. I almost feel guilty exposing you to this, but I had to. It's like the video from The Ring or something.

Posted by Lola Wakefield at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

c/o Pak

If you are not easily deterred by the rain, there is a pretty great show happening inside artist space Secret Project Robot tonight.

The much (deserved) hyped avant garde sunny pop of Ducktails will be complimented by the smooth dance grooves of Javelin. After seeing Javelin play the Graffiti Research Lab's MoMA after party some months back, Javelin has become a personal favorite. (They have an entire song using Beyonce vocal samples that's pretty killer.)

Full line up and details below:

c/o Javelin's MySpace

Starts 8pm and ends 12ish
Ducktails
Javelin
Nathan Whipple
DJ A. Arbit

$5.00 at the door. Secret Project Robot is located at 210 Kent Ave.

Posted by Lisa Baldini at 04:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After debuting the video for "The Reeling" two days ago (set to be the first hit single off Manners, which has been highly anticipated by fans and naysayers alike), the Passion Pit camp released this statement:

In other news, the band has launched a remix contest for a still under-wraps track from Manners, offering up stem snippets of “Little Secrets” nearly a full month before the album’s release. The band has asked fans to download the clips, trade with other participating musicians and remixers, and build their own songs around the pieces. Fans will vote for their ten favorites until May 15th. After voting closes, Passion Pit will pick five remixes to be released along with a special vinyl version of “Little Secrets” while the five runners up will receive a copy of the vinyl and a signed CD of Manners.

A serious hat tip to video collective Humble for capturing the dancey glamo-grit these guys represent, in a street meets MoMA installation sort of way, kind of like a Poster Boy dance party. The exact verbal reincarnation of my feelings towards the new PP jams would be 'smile, jump, flip hair, jump and dance some more'. So take a listen to the snipets here, and take a stab at the remix (just be sure to follow the rules).

Hey Theophilus, I double doggy dare you (a.k.a pretty please!?)

Take a peek at the Summer Tour dates after the jump:

5/23 - George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
5/24 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
5/26 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s
5/28 - West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
5/29 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
5/30 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
6/2 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre
6/3 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s
6/4 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
6/5 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
6/6 - Atlanta, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn
6/8 - Richmond, VA @ The National
6/9 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
6/11 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
6/13 - Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter
6/14 - Chicago IL @ Empty Bottle
6/17 - Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
6/18 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
6/19 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
6/20 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Coming soon to a theater near you...

But one thing. It's Korean Abdul-JABBAR man. Get your hipster grifter shit straight. And can this be the last we ever mention her? Now that the meme has reached street art status I think we can pack it all up in our fanny packs and call it a day. Spotted in W'burg by Delete Yourself.

Posted by Brian Ries at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

House music all night long, say what?!

Brooklyn's Tortured Soul just released their second album entitled Did You Miss Me? and they were nice enough to answer some questions about Radio 1's Giles Peterson calling them "the future of house music" and their fave places to hang in the 'hood.

Listen to the title track "Did You Miss Me" .

Click through for the interview -

How does it feel to be called "the future of house music"? What does that mean to you?

Christian: It feels great. We respect Giles Peterson a lot, and when somebody with that kind of credibility gives you that kind of nod it's very encouraging. To us it speaks to the fact that people are yearning for and striving for a level of pure raw intimacy only live music can provide, even in dance music. That's what we do.

When did you guys start making music together and how do you think things have developed through the years?

Christian: We started playing together about 9 years ago as the rhythm section for a group called Topaz. We toured and played a couple hundred shows over about 3 years - eventually we left the band, but the 3 of us enjoyed our dynamic so we continued to play together, and applied our group feel to Tortured Soul. Now that we're approximately 500 shows deeper into it and playing music closer to our hearts, we have become even tighter musically.

Where is your favorite place to play?

Ethan: We're kind of spoiled. We've had crazy shows all over the world on every continent, so it's hard to pick just one. Personally, there's no place like home. There's a sort of hometown pride we get when we do a show in New York, that I look forward to every we play here.

Can you tell me the craziest experience you've had playing live?
Ethan: The first one that comes to mind is the time we stepped out on stage at the Montreal Jazz Festival. It was early on in our touring days, and one of our first festival shows. We expected a few thousand people and it turned out we were trading sets with the main stage, to a 15,000+ person crowd. We had no idea it would be like that until we were literally plugging in our instruments to play. Needless to say, we were running on pure adrenaline for that show!

Favorite local haunts to hang?

Jason: I guess it would be too dorky to say Main Drag Music, although I do spend some time there. I'm a fan of Spuyten Duyvil, Larry Lawrence...Moto and Trophy Bar are right around the corner from me, so they win much of the time. The best activity in Wburg though is, of course, brunch. We've got the best options in the whole city, as far as I'm concerned.

What's next for you guys?

Jason: We've got a bunch of gigs in Europe and midwest/northeast US in May, then some west coast stuff in June, festivals and back to Asia later in the summer. After that we plan to be picked up by a major label, receive mainstream radio programming (through corporate payola), make a series of appearances on TRL, have action figures made, and a Saturday-morning cartoon show based on us...you know, the usual trajectory.

Posted by Lauren Mooney at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Alex Balk and Choire Sicha just started a new blog called The Awl. In the absence of Radar, we're happy to see the two working together. Plus we like their tagline: "Be Less Stupid."

Wikipedia: An awl is a tool with a long pointed spike used for marking wood

Here's what Balk and Sicha have to say about the site:

It was birthed from the following thoughts: What if there were a website that zippily surveyed a wealth of resonant, weird, important, frightening, amusing bits of news and ideas? And what if it weren’t totally clogged with reality show linkbait?

It would be a website which wasn’t so invested in giving you the “counterintuitive take” that it actually stopped making sense. Dream further: What if were run by people who actually didn’t care about the way we all allegedly live now? This is our little dream. And it begins here, in an extremely bare form. It might even grow. (Would you perhaps like to invest?) ... Also the dream of feeding our addictions. And/or cats.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I sincerely apologize for the Griftster mention (I'm breaking my own rule of never saying the G-word ever again), but just wanted to point out that there are better ways to express your love for boys with beards-- as in, making adorable ukelele songs like unsigned UK songstress Sophie Madeleine.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 05:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Matt & Kim debuted their video for Lessons Learned today and you'll see they really bare it all for you.

Also, I'm not too sure the Village Voice liked it:

If there was anything you could do to "push away" the cute factor, the above video for "Lessons Learned" that premiered today on MTV is it. Streaking in Times Square, ogling the tall buildings like you're newborn aliens, and then having a cop throw Matt to the ground and wail on him--you win. You're not cute, you're law-breaking exhibitionists, and you will go down in history as the nudist Bonnie and Clyde. Can't say this is going to help with the dirty fantasies, but from now they're just going to involve Kim in knee socks.

via The Music Slut & the Village Voice

Posted by Brian Ries at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Since Earth Day is tomorrow, I wanted to give y'all some ideas about how to live a greener life in BK. And although I'm too lazy to do most of these things (yes, I know, I'm a hypocrite-- comment away), I'm hoping that I'm cleansing my green karma by spreading the word a bit. So here's your little To-Do list for tomorrow:

1. Go to the Grand Opening of Green in BKLYN and buy some environmentally healthy supplies.

2. Start community composting with the help of North Brooklyn Compost Project in McCarren Park.

3. Or start composting at home with your own pet worms. Via Brooklyn Based:

If you’re not daunted yet, you can also buy worms and start (indoor) composting yourself. A pound of these fuglies runs about $20, which you can order through The Brooklyn Kitchen until the end of the month — the first spot in Brooklyn to offer them. Otherwise, they’re available at the LESEC, along with worm “condos.” Jo Micek, also of the North Brooklyn Composting Project, estimates it takes a week for her worms to plow through 2 to 3 pounds of food waste, and 3 months for them to turn it into compost, which she uses on her indoor plants and gives to friends with yards.

4. Pick up one of these super cute reusable grocery bags (which double as beach bags! &/or any other kind of bag), and in doing so you'll be supporting one of Brooklyn's own entrepreneurs.

5. That's all I got for now, but please feel free to add your green ideas in the comments section.

C'mon, guys! Green is the New Beard!

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Robert Lanham has a new piece over at McSweeney's. Here's a taste:

Course Description

As print takes its place alongside smoke signals, cuneiform, and hollering, there has emerged a new literary age, one in which writers no longer need to feel encumbered by the paper cuts, reading, and excessive use of words traditionally associated with the writing trade. Writing for Nonreaders in the Postprint Era focuses on the creation of short-form prose that is not intended to be reproduced on pulp fibers.

Instant messaging. Twittering. Facebook updates. These 21st-century literary genres are defining a new "Lost Generation" of minimalists who would much rather watch Lost on their iPhones than toil over long-winded articles and short stories. Students will acquire the tools needed to make their tweets glimmer with a complete lack of forethought, their Facebook updates ring with self-importance, and their blog entries shimmer with literary pithiness. All without the restraints of writing in complete sentences. w00t! w00t! Throughout the course, a further paring down of the Hemingway/Stein school of minimalism will be emphasized, limiting the superfluous use of nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, gerunds, and other literary pitfalls.

Prerequisites

Students must have completed at least two of the following.

ENG: 232WR—Advanced Tweeting: The Elements of Droll
LIT: 223—Early-21st-Century Literature: 140 Characters or Less
ENG: 301—Advanced Blog and Book Skimming
ENG: 231WR—Facebook Wall Alliteration and Assonance
LIT: 202—The Literary Merits of Lolcats
LIT: 209—Internet-Age Surrealistic Narcissism and Self-Absorption

[..]

Week 6:
140 Characters or Less

Students will acquire the tools needed to make their tweets come alive with shallow wit. They'll learn how to construct Facebook status updates that glitter with irony, absurdity, and dramatic glibness. When tweeting, for instance, that "John is enjoying a buttery English muffin," why not add a link to an image of a muffin with butter oozing from its nooks and crannies? Or why not exaggerate a tad and say that there's bacon on that muffin, even if there's not? It's called poetic license when writers do it! Students will be encouraged to show honesty and vulnerability in their tweets: "Lydia is lounging about in her underwear at 401 Park Street apartment #2, feeling guilty about telling her boss that her uncle died but enjoying the day off." There's no such thing as oversharing when you're a writer.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Over at the Washington Post, Naomi Klein has started a campaign to vote out Wall Street coddler, Larry Summers. We couldn't agree more and are still perplexed by Obama's faith in Summers and Geithner. Here's the case she makes (below) and don't forget to vote. vote out Summers here.

The criticisms of President Obama's chief economic adviser are well known. He's too close to Wall Street. And he's a frightful bully, of both people and countries. Still, we're told we shouldn't care about such minor infractions. Why? Because Summers is brilliant, and the world needs his big brain.

And this brings us to a central and often overlooked cause of the global financial crisis: Brain Bubbles. This is the process wherein the intelligence of an inarguably intelligent person is inflated and valued beyond all reason, creating a dangerous accumulation of unhedged risk. Larry Summers is the biggest Brain Bubble we've got.

Brain Bubbles start with an innocuous "whiz kid" moniker in undergrad, which later escalates to "wunderkind." Next comes the requisite foray as an economic adviser to a small crisis-wracked country, where the kid is declared a "savior." By 30, our Bubble Boy is tenured and officially a "genius." By 40, he's a "guru," by 50 an "oracle." After a few drinks: "messiah."

The superhuman powers bestowed upon these men -- and yes, they are all men -- shield them from the scrutiny that might have prevented the current crisis. Alan Greenspan's Brain Bubble allowed him to put the economy at great risk: When he made no sense, people assumed that it was their own fault. Brain Bubbles also formed the key argument Greenspan and Summers used to explain why lawmakers couldn't regulate the derivatives market: The wizards on Wall Street were too brilliant, their models too complex, for mere mortals to understand.

Back in 1991, Summers argued that the subject of economics was no longer up for debate: The answers had all been found by men like him. "The laws of economics are like the laws of engineering," he said. "One set of laws works everywhere." Summers subsequently laid out those laws as the three "-ations": privatization, stabilization and liberalization. Some "kinds of ideas," he explained a few years later in a PBS interview, have already become too "passé" for discussion. Like "the idea that a huge spending program is the way to stimulate the economy."

And that's the problem with Larry. For all his appeals to absolute truths, he has been spectacularly wrong again and again. He was wrong about not regulating derivatives. Wrong when he helped kill Depression-era banking laws, turning banks into too-big-to-fail welfare monsters. And as he helps devise ever more complex tricks and spends ever more taxpayer dollars to keep the financial casino running, he remains wrong today.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Suck it. You'll be canceled by the end of the year.

Sayeth the gurlz: "...you should move your gallery to the city. williamsburg is over."

XoXo, Williamsburg

Posted by Brian Ries at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Photo by Keith Wagstaff, The Feedbag

So what if you can barely pronounce it. Spuyten Duyvil is still expanding! They recently opened up the backyard garden and The Feedbag reports it's twice the size.

Beer nerds, rejoice! The Williamsburg beer Mecca known as Spuyten Duyvil recently unveiled a patio roughly double its original size. The bar took over the backyard of the adjacent building and revealed it as part of their own back garden Wednesday of last week.

That is great news for myself and hopefully some of you as well. Once this rainstorm passes, the weather's looking to be 70 and sunny - beer weather.

Posted by Brian Ries at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Gothamist points us to this wooden Faile piece with a spinning top currently located on North 6th. Unless you keep a watchful eye out, its days might be numbered:

The international (and Brooklyn-based) artist collective Faile piece has put up a new piece on North 6th Street in Williamsburg. The carved wooden post has a spinning top, and chances are someone will try to steal it before long—after all, similar pieces were going for $100,000 at a show last year in London.

Srsly don't steal that shit you guys or FW will find you and brucify your ass (brucify = blog + crucify).

Posted by Brian Ries at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As the posters slowly peel off the infamous Bedford Berlin Wall, our brains are still full of a coy Lou Reed smirking at us thru his shades, badass-ness perfectly intune. How can you not be a fan of this man? In my book, he's timeless, and although Metal Machine Trio kinda confuses my taste for Reed, I think I get it. Seems like I'm not the only one-- via NYTimes:

When Lou Reed released “Metal Machine Music,” his 1975 double album mostly (exclusively?) consisting- of guitar feedback, critics and fans were dumbfounded — was it a joke, a smirking way to get out a sour record deal? Or was it a harbinger of the industrial and noise music that would flourish decades later? Now, Mr. Reed is again revisiting the experiment, teaming with the composer and saxophonist Ulrich Krieger and the multi-instrumentalist Sarth Calhoun to create “a night of deep noise.”

Download some of the "noise" here.

If you like what you're hearing, take a walk on the wild side, grab some tix (50% off with valid student ID), and witness one of the greats doing his anti- do do do do do do.

For more things Lou Reed, you can find the BEST thing ever after the jump...

A serious thanks to my dad for letting me watch this kind of shit as a kid. Oh, Rock & Rule, how I've missed you.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Being the day when stoners around the world celebrate the fact that they are stoners around the world and get stoned, High Times Magazine is throwing their Miss High Times Pageant at Studio B tonight, and everybody's gonna get soooo stoned.

HIGH TIMES OFFICIAL 420 PARTY & 2009 MISS HIGH TIMES PAGEANT

Date: Monday, April 20th 2009
Location: New York City (it's at Studio B)
Doors: 7 pm / Showtime: 8 pm
Price: $15 now, $20 day of show
Hosted by: HIGH TIMES Editors Bobby Black & Vaporella
Performances by: Prospect Hill, Special Guests
Celebrity Judges: TBA
Sponsored by: Advanced Nutrients, BC Northern Lights, NugBrand Clothing & Beta Foods

Also of note: "Every entrant certifies that she is 18 years of age or older, that she has no objection to the smoking of marijuana or being depicted as smoking marijuana in any and all photos used by HIGH TIMES and THC." So, buy now! Only 420 tickets will be sold!

LOLvideo:

Posted by Brian Ries at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[via]

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Click for larger

Per this map (CAE, circa 2000), we're located somewhere around the north testicle and the L train will take you straight along the "tip" of Manhattan. Via Kottke, who went with the "suck my Manhattan" and "I'll kick you in the Brooklyn" jokes.

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Our friends over at Rumproast recently turned us onto the invigoratingly lo-fi Micachu and the Shapes and we've been loving them. Their new record, Jewellery was released last month on Rough Trade, but it's strangely been a bit under the radar. From Rough Trade:

So, a quick introduction, Bjork is said to be a fan of Micachu and can probably indentify with another artist brave enough to take pop music into entirely uncharted territory. Micachu is largely inspired by Harry Partch who famously used an array of customised and home made instruments. These included a xylophone made of light bulbs, a ‘Cloud Chamber’ made out of pyrex dishes that could not only be played musically but detect particles of ionizing radiation and a series of highly complicated 44 stringed instruments.

Similarly Micachu uses a modified guitar played with a hammer action called a ‘chu’ and a bowed instrument fashioned from a CD rack. She also uses improvised instruments, such as glass bottles or a vacuum cleaner.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

via

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Turkey's Nest, MCcarren Park

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 08:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bedford & N4th

Posted by Jackie Snow at 07:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Curated by someone who is almost certainly a hipster himself, Look At This Fucking Hipster is a Tumblr blog displaying pictures of, guess what? Hipsters! As amusing as riding the L-train on any given day, the blog consists almost solely of pictures that could come from any Bedford Avenue venue. But the author's descriptions leave an unironic taste in one's mouth, as his one-line descriptions simply regurgitate the majority of already played-out hipster stereotypes. This isn't to say that riding the L train isn't constantly amusing — I often find myself wishing that I didn't break my own camera by getting sand in it while photographing hipsters at Far Rockaway Beach. But honestly, where is the artistic edge? You don't really have to look to see several fucking hipsters in these parts. In fact, you would have to suffer congenital blindness or crippling schizophrenia to NOT see them. Honestly, what kind of talent is required to steal pictures from people's facebook profiles or simply upload photos of your own Friday night antics to a Tumblr? Where is the sense of personal exploration? WHERE IS THE CUNNING COMMENTARY?
I don't know, maybe my expectations are too high, maybe I have a soft spot for hipsters. Either way, I'm going to need to see something a little more avant garde before I can claim that Look At This Fucking Hipster is the new DOs and DON'Ts.

Posted by Lola Wakefield at 01:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

We e-sat down with the creator of the Robot Monkey Sports Network, who's hosting a Chimpionship tomorrow at TBD. You can control your very own robot, drunkenly battling it out with other robot controllers in a vicious battle to determine who is best - Williamsburg or Greenpoint.

Here's the listing on Thrillist, and check out our interview with the leader of the monkeys after the jump, where we learn if a monkey has ever turned on him during a tune-up (it has) and who he's picking to win...

The Robot Monkey Chimpionship seems like some twisted combination of Robot Wars (or was it Beast Wars?) and my worst nightmares. Can you tell me a little about your history with the robots?

I used to work for a toy inventing company specializing in radio control toys. There, I learned that a playset including 8 R/C vehicles and a scale model stadium was not exactly mass marketable. But I really wanted it, so I decided to build it myself. The “Robot Monkey Sports Network" project began in 2005 to give people an opportunity to play team sports without having to go outside and get sweaty. It has evolved to become an interactive spectacle that blurs the lines between fine art and gaming.

Have you ever had the robots turn on you? Any serious injuries as a ref?

Actually, I sliced my hand pretty badly while tuning up a particularly unruly Robot Monkey a few days ago. Here is the pic on Facebook [ed: also above].

No humans have been injured yet during a match. But a Robot Monkey once had his arm ripped off during a game and kept on playing, ignoring his personal well being for the sake of his team. Their fighting spirit knows no boundaries.

How is the chimpionship's format set up? Are there teams per monkey? or Individuals?

The Robot Monkey World Chimpionship is a single elimination tournament. 2 teams of 4 Robot Monkeys each play a soccer style game in the Circle of Doom Arena. Four human team members on each team operate the Monkeys via remote control. Sponsored teams can have 2 full-time players, but the audience will be able to sign up fill out the roster. Along with the Chimpionship trophy, the winning team will receive neighborhood bragging rights, accolades, and the glory of dominating the Robot Monkey universe.

Where can people get their own robot monkey to train and tend to and sleep with and so forth?

I create each Robot Monkey by hand from toy parts, found plastic objects and labels, and radio control components. The Robot monkeys and other artwork will be for sale at the event and later on www.robotmonkey.net and danwalkerart.com. For a $300 sponsorship, you get a monkey to keep AND a coveted slot in the tournament. Teams can be sponsored for as little as $50, but it's just not the same without your own Robot Monkey to care for.

What other big plans do you have following the great greenpoint v. w'burg
battle?

I'm raising funds to take the Monkeys to Chicago for an art event this summer held by MyPAC (myprivateartclub.com). They promote cross-city exchanges of groups of collaborating artists. The Monkeys and stadium, covered in local iconagrophy, will be representing Brooklyn along side work from other NY urban artists.

Who are you picking (even deep down, its ok you can tell us we won't tell the monkeys)?

The red team has added some strength and power with the addition of new tank treads to members of their roster. But the blue team has a lot of speed and agility. It's going to come down to whoever is not too drunk to control their Monkeys. The 1/2 price Jameson and Absolut for the first two hours of the event at t.b.d., Brooklyn (224 franklin st.) may have a big effect on the outcome.

Get your monkey on tomorrow at TBD (flyer).

Posted by Brian Ries at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The hipster grifter is getting so much press, clearly she needs a nickname. From this point onward, she's the "Grifster."

Here's yet another tale of Kari Ferrell's exploits detailing her fondness for the phrase "I wanna give you a handjob with my mouth." Turns out some dude named Chris Giganti made out with her, despite finding her a bit chubby and pimply, not to mention sketchy and borderline insane. But what do you expect, when you post a personals ad that says "Semi-professional buccaneer looking for pirate girl with eye patch and glasses for adventures including, but not limited to, commandeering ships, burying and subsequently digging up treasure, drinking, and other general swashbuckling," as Chris Giganti apparently did.

From invertedsoapbox.com

Being new to New York, I decided to post a personals ad on Craigslist pretending to be an unemployed pirate looking for a three-eyed hipster girl (glasses plus eye patch = three eyes) [read the ad here - Tim]. I wrote it with a mixture of sincerity and ludicrousness, with the secret hope that someone interesting and attractive might actually come across it and respond.

Most of the responses were from porn sites looking for subscribers. But then I got this very well-written note from someone named Korean Abdul-Jabar, listing about seven reasons why I should want to get to know her, signed Kari.

And I have to admit, they were pretty compelling reasons. She talked about being into music and science, and she said she had a degree in physics. She attached a photo, and the tattoo on her chest of a phoenix was nearly as enticing as the pixie crop and the mild look of benevolent disdain. She included a line indicating her enjoyment of giving handjobs via mouth -- a phrase already on its way to Brooklyn infamy -- that was both provocative and hilarious in its directness.

Things turned strange a couple of days later. The day we were supposed to meet [April 2], we were texting back and forth, had decided to go to the Bob Ross Tribute in the Lower East Side instead of having drinks in Park Slope, when out of nowhere she sends me a message that something terrible had happened.

‘I’m so screwed. Ughhhhhhh. My debit card was stolen, money is missing, account frozen, no money, rent due.’

When I got to her apartment at about 11 p.m., this cute Asian girl opened the door. She was chubbier in real life than her digital pictures had suggested. Her hair was shorter, and her face rounder. She was cute, but not pretty, with a face marked by pimple scars. On the elevator up, I joked that it was brave of her to invite a strange boy over, and that I could only assume she was going to tie me up and rob me....

[we] started looking up voyeurism sites online, the sort of webcam things that mostly teenage girls are on or watch, except for a few adult couples who are just into that sort of thing. There’s generally no nudity or sex, just people talking, and perverts making chat comments about wanting 15-year-old girls to take their clothes off. She went back and forth between that and the end of the Jazz game, and since then, I’ve wondered how much of an effect their loss had on the way the rest of our night progressed.

After the game was done, we were watching a couple on webcam, and she was criticizing the performers for being dull. She said we could do a better job, but that we’d probably end up just having sex on camera. It was around that point that I kissed her. Nothing too intense, just a kiss, and a hand in her hair.

Kari smiled, and stopped, and said, ‘I’m kind of trying to take things slow right now.’ I asked her what she meant, and she said she didn’t know. So I ran my hand through her hair again, and said, ‘OK.’

A few minutes later, I got up to leave. She walked with me downstairs, and hugged me. I kissed her again, a perfunctory thing, and she said I was sweet. It was 2 a.m.

‘I’ll talk to you soon,’ I said, walking out the door.

[...] I wondered if I would have slept with her, if she had wanted to. I wondered why I would kiss a girl whom I wasn’t attracted to. And, over the next couple of weeks, I wondered what she was doing a few times, and I told a couple of friends what had happened. But it wasn’t much to talk about, just another in a long line of fairly uninspiring quasiromantic interactions.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was only a matter of time before we got the Hipster Grifter t-shirt in our inbox (just $21.95!). And of course, no Hipster Grifter e-mail is complete without it's very own personal story attached! We've got a new one for you. In this tale, we hear from another actor in that mini-sex cop video who was interviewed by Kari for that "job" at GoldenVoice, a few lies about cancer and of course, Radiation burns! Click through to get grifted...but here's your preview: "She had a bunch of red lines on her wrist. 'Cutting yourself?' I joked. 'Radiation burns' she said. 'From the chemotherapy pills.'" Eesch...

Subject: I made a Hipster Grifter T-Shirt
Body: Hey there,
I knew Kari. I met her at the same party where she made the mini sex cops video. She and I were both friends with Josh Heller, the maker of the video. I saw her again a couple days later and mentioned that I was looking for work. She told me there was an opening where she worked at Goldenvoice and that she could get me an interview. I hung out with her a few times as I waited for the interview. She told me about the cancer, and an ex boyfriend, stabbing her. One time she called me saying she was coughing blood and I said I would take her to the hospital. When I got to her house she showed me a bloody napkin. I took her to Bellvue where she told them she had cancer and was in a lot o pain. They admited her and I visited her the next day. A doctor came in and said they couldn't find anything wrong with her, they didn't check for cancer, they just believed what she told them. At some point she actually met me at a coffee shop on graham and interviewed me for the job at goldenvoice, which I now know never existed. In retrospect, the questions were dumb and clearly printed off the internet "Name 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing". I knew Joe and Erica and eventually they googled her and I found out the truth. The last time I saw her was when she got me into the premiere of Eastbound and Down at the 40/40 club. She had a bunch of red lines on her wrist. "Cutting yourself?" I joked. "Radiation burns" she said. "From the chemotherapy pills".

I happen to have a t-shirt company and I made this today. I figure after she wasted my time, teasing me with the job, I ought to make money off of her somehow. Its right at the top at UNIRONICTEES.COM

Thanks,
Mike

Thank YOU, Mike. Now, all you watchful citizens can buy your very own Hipster Grifter t-shirt, here.

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spring Bottoms, South 3rd and Havemeyer

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Custom instruments.

Bent Festival is this week. As part of the festivities, 3rd Ward will hold a special "hacked music event" tonight. This is your chance to meet future music pioneers before they continue to release limited edition 7 inches that your son picks up at an estate sale and starts jamming to.

NEW YORK electriCITY from 2 Player Productions on Vimeo.
Peter Edwards of Casper Electronics

Hat Tip: Make Magazine

Posted by Lisa Baldini at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It seems new york's newest obsession was a free williamsburg reader. She left a comment on this post back in March, signed, of course, Korean Abdul-Jabbar. Good find Gothamist.

Kari, if you'd like to write an explanation to the world from your home here in W'burg, email me.

Posted by Brian Ries at 03:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

100 sound artists came together to re-interpret Phish's Gamehenge into Gamehenge 09, and are presenting the album tonight at Monkeytown. Backed by live visuals by Greg Zinman, the show will present the mythic story of Wilson, the Lizards and the Helping Phriendly Book in a very psychedelic alternative electro/noise universe.

I'll let Monkeytown explain the rest:

In the spirit of experimentation, collaboration and fun, 100 sound artists have re-interpreted Phish's coveted Gamehendge album to create Gamehenge '09!!! This is a kaleidoscopic joyride through bizarre sound demi-genres.

Whether you are a Phish fan or not, they have become a ritualistic-psychedelic necessity for a distinct and vast niche of the American people. The massive collection of new artists featured on Gamehenge 09 offer a refreshing vantage point from which to reconsider Phish's psychedelic music tradition and to shed light on possible future avenues. The point of this release is to breath new, forceful vision into this modern piece of Americana mythology.

To download the album for free, click here. The show starts at 8, and reservations are recommended. For a list of all 100 artists involved in the project, click through the jump...

featuring (in order of appearance):
william fowler collins, a minority of one, robe., eat cloud, powdered wigs, robe., core of the coalman, milch of source, GDFX, flying squirrel, avi bear, gangi, jinbaobabtuner, faith/lightspeed, cameron wisch, the questionmarks, karl blau, padna, capitol k, whitman, keepbullfighting , struktur, kixly, color rabbit, liek twi, christian science minotaur, onna curry, say no to architecture, magic pencil, alstair crosbie, saber khan, universal studios florida, goodwillies, leo, teeth mountain, powerpillfist, willson, larkin grimm and movie, hirth, monkeyking, hirth, anna laplantine, strawberry bones, holzkopf, blue sabbath black fiji, verdun, catfish rivers, cowford mind destruction, truckasauras, pjtr kaufmann, ryan garbes, happiness is here to stay, video hippos, shitmat, manburger surgical, 1234567890, radioshock, tunnels, teenage souls, tetrix, good journey, gangpol and mit, c. diehl, arklight, king crab, yellow crystal star, woman year, ice cream creatures, loplop, bad orb, alex ookpik, pdl, yellow weekend, shelf da muzik, jason kocol, some weird sin, towering heroic dudes, yonderverse, rad wolf, fyoelk, bertuf, RINGS, the puddle parade, rivers, spermwhales, antique brothers, quincy quartz, the lava children, sparagmos, spinach, mit nye band, scissor shock, nullkommajosefh, sailor winters, sean reardon, mother33, satanicporncultshop, semiconductors, ali usurper, ra'shkatan, fake krishnas, mezcup

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photo credit: Ryan Muir, Flickr.

An interesting discussion is burning on in the comments section of our dearest friend, ye Vegan of Brooklyn's recent post about Crystal Castles's Dallas blow-up (which may have been the club's fault, to be fair). The readers wonder: Can hating on Crystal Castles be a meme? Well, for starters, no, not really. At least not yet. Their first dose of controversy came to be when they stole a black-eyed Madonna image and used it for their tour shirts. Sure, artists can h8 them for that. But they settled OOI (out of internet).

Now, another Madonna controversy is back in the news after last night, a Dallas, Texas club manager called them a bunch of pre-madonna assholes [sic motherfucker? it's prima donna, unless he meant pre-you're-no-pop-star-yet, in which case, clever.]. So i guess that's an unusual happenstance that can get people all "fuck crystal castles" lately.

If the entire Hipster Runoff (HRO so-forth) set took to Flickr to start up an "I H8 CC" photoset then yea, we're getting there. Coupled with a few remixes about CC being douchnozzles and a YouTube post with their worst freakouts then yes, that there is a "Hating Crystal Castles Meme." But sadly, we're not there yet. If you do truly think the Electro-canadiens of the Crystal Castle are deserving of their own h8 h8 h8 meme then we say shit, go for it.

Also worth noting is the fact that one commenter thought the word "meme" was a dingleberry spouted out by Carles, but he was then promptly corrected by Mr. 4:21. Hurrah for self-policing.

In related news, BV reminds us that Crystal Castles are playing All Points West this summer. So, get your meme pants on and we'll see you there, h8rs.

Posted by Brian Ries at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Last summer, The Walkmen delivered You & Me perfectly packaged to the masses, and quickly became one of my favorite albums of 2008. WIth a more solemn tone than their previous work, the lyrics managed to simultaneously break our hearts and fill them once again with hope, literally track by track. The often mentioned Roy Orbison-ness of singer Hamilton Leithauser's voice takes front and center in these seemingly lonely tales of longing, accompanied on tour by, well, Craigslist horns.

We got a chance to catch up with Mr. Leithauser recently about Anderson Cooper, a CL musician who witnessed Otis Redding's fatal death, and twitter.

Be sure to catch The Walkmen with Beach House and fellow FREEburg favorite Cymbals Eat Guitars TOMORROW night @ Webster Hall-- this is your last chance to see them out in NY for a while as they kick off their tour with Kings of Leon two days later.

Check out the interview after the jump:

There have been many musical comparisons to you guys from The Velvet Underground, Roy Orbison, U2, and Joy Division to more contemporary British rock. Who would you compare yourselves to?

We love all those. A lot of people I know compare me to Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks...it's pretty obvious why if you've seen both of us. I like to compare Paul to Anderson Cooper.

Outside of the music world, what influences your sound?

I don't know actually. Sorry.

In The Walkmen's musical career thus far, is there one song that sticks out as a favorite to perform? How about write or record?

I always like playing the horn songs like "Red Moon" and "Louisiana" because we get a new crew up there with us every night. We post ads on Craigs List, and we get a wide variety of talent. In the studio, it's much more fun when the songs come together fast..like "Canadian Girl", or a bunch of these new ones. We have a new one called "Crackhead".

On You & Me, there seemed to be a lyrical connectivity about travel & longing. There has been talk of a new album in the works, has a theme come to be realized yet?

No theme, but we do have a ton of songs.

When releasing the last album, most of the proceeds were donated to Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital-- how did this decision come about? Can we expect more charitable work with future releases?

We were trying to book a benefit concert for Pete's friends' baby, who has leukemia. The dates weren't working out, and coincidentally AmieStreet came to us with this plan, and it seemed like the perfect solution.

You've all been in this together for a long while now. Is the band dynamic constantly changing or do the individual roles stay strong while the music you're creating around you changes?

It's just one foot in front of the other.

Who is a current band you think is making big waves in the industry? Any NYC favorites?

The Fleet Foxes seem to be doing pretty well. They had a great record. I like Beach House. I heard the Oh Sees recently and thought it was very good. I don't know very many NYC bands, actually.

You're just closing out a mini tour with Beach House, and hitting the road with Kings of Leon right away. How do you imagine the two tours will be different?

I think basically everything about them will be different. With the Kings of Leon we're doing like basketball arena type places. It's a whole different animal. We're obviously playing first, so people are like getting hot dogs and finding seats and like "twittering" while we're playing. We had a great time playing with Beach House, I hope we do it again.

Since that's where it seems you guys spend a lot of time, tell me a story from the road.

When we were in Memphis, Ben Cauley was one of our Craigs List respondants for guest horns. He played with the Bar-Kays, he was Otis Redding's trumpet player, and he played with Al Green for the last 30 years. He told us all about the plane crash where Otis died...Ben was strapped to the seat directly behind Otis, and was one of only two survivors. They crashed into a lake in Wisconsin. He shredded on the trumpet.

And finally, if you all weren't making music together where do you see yourselves?

Successful and rich.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I volunteer at 826NYC, meaning I get to hang out with crazy little kids and help write crazy little stories, which doesn't really feel like work at all. Not only is 826 a totally legit place to volunteer organized by an even more legit writer, they apparently put on excellent parties as fundraisers. From the 826 newsletter:

After years of raised expectations and inevitable disappointment, after Pretty in Pink and Saved By The Bell season 4 (we remember it, too), 826NYC and Bowery Presents are happy to finally present THE PROM YOU WERE PROMISED, a night of formal wear, amazing dance music, and a chance to re-live prom the way you always wanted. Namely, as such:

THE PROM YOU WERE PROMISED

A DANCE PARTY THAT RE-CREATES PROM NIGHT THE WAY WE ALL HOPED IT WOULD BE,
WITH DJ SETS BY ACCLAIMED MUSICIANS, ALL TO RAISE MONEY FOR 826NYC

WITH DJ SETS BY:

VAMPIRE WEEKEND
PAT MAHONEY (of LCD Soundsystem)
HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR
and Hosted by Leo Allen

Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thursday, May 21st, 9 p.m.
66 North 6th St, Brooklyn, NY.
Tickets: $25, available through Ticketmaster

It's for the kids! And you get Vampire Weekend! Buy tickets starting tomorrow here.

Posted by Jackie Snow at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

My my my. This story is so goddamn juicy I don't know what to do with it. Here are the basic facts, after that, I highly suggest you go find this Kari Ferrell and turn her in to the Salt Lake City Police Department (wanted poster here). It's full of sex, con artists, drugs and more sex, and most of it takes place right here in sunny Williamsburg. Here's a summary, but you really need to carve out fifteen minutes and read it at the Observer. Gawker also has a quick run-down.

1. 22-year old Utah con artist with "a cute pixie haircut" lies her way into a job at Vice.
2. After coming on to a co-worker there, he googled her, and she popped up on the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Most Wanted list. Fired!
3. She banged a dude after a Girl Talk show and then stole his cell phone.
4. She lied about having cancer, being pregnant and so forth. She smoked pot.
5. She went to the Beadruary event, was photographed next to a ton of beards, then said she was doing a book for Vice.
6. She gave the Union Pool bartender a note that read (t-shirt alert): “I want to give you a hand job with my mouth,” and was signed “Korean Abdul-Jabbar.” Nice!
7. She also passed along a note to someone at Fabiane's on Bedford that read: "I want you to throw a hot dog down my hall.”
9. And so, so much more.

If someone wants to design and sell that t-shirt (the hand jobs one) on Cafe Press or something, let us know we'll feature it right here, provided we get a few freebies.

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

This is just heartbreaking, from Daily News

It was after 2 a.m. She was writing in her journal and had headphones on when she felt a man touching her feet.

Alone in the subway car, she tried to move away, but the man, wearing a camouflage hat pulled low over his eyes, edged closer.

Besedin missed her stop but managed to bolt from the train at 21st St. She was running up the stairs when the rapist caught her from behind.

"The guy was running behind me and started pulling me down the stairs," she recalled.

"I held \[the token booth clerk's\] gaze for at least five seconds, yelling and screaming, 'Help! Help!'.

"I saw him and I thought, 'Oh gosh, he's gonna see me, it's gonna be okay' and - nothing."

Besedin thought she would die on that vacant platform.

"He held me, literally by the scruff of my neck, over the train tracks at 45 degrees," she said trembling.

"I was just shaking and thinking that I was dead, I was as good as dead."

Besedin was sexually assaulted several times on the stairs and at the far end of the deserted platform. When a train pulled into the station, she again hoped her ordeal was over.

But, like toll booth worker John Koort, conductor Harmodio Cruz also only alerted a command center, Besedin said. Her suit, which also named the Transit Authority as a defendant, charged they did nothing to save her.

The judge noted Koort pressed an emergency button in his booth and ruled the men had no responsibility to intervene and were following work rules. Lawyers for the Transit Authority and the employees argued they had no idea if the rapist was armed.

Besedin spent months in "hibernation" after the attack before speaking out. She first told her story to the Daily News last October, but this is the first time she went public with her face and name.

"I think it was beyond negligence, it was obvious that an extremely violent crime was going on."

"By the time somebody came, I mean, I had lost all my dignity, and it was over," she added

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Poster Boy commented on the Brooklyn Paper's recent article about his upcoming event at 3rd Ward, defending himself against their rather New York Post-ish title, "Poster Boy sells out in Bushwick," writing:

Who's selling out? I'm giving people an opportunity to partake in some large scale collage. The ad's are not provided by any sponsers [sic]. Dogfish, Harper, and the Brooklyn Salsa Company have offered to "go under the knife" but that would defeat the purpose of Poster Boy. I've indiscriminately "borrowed" the ads myself. Get your sh!t right: http://freewilliamsburg.com/

Damn straight, bitches. Animal adds that "if the ads aren’t unsanctioned, it’s not really 'vandalism,'" and while that's true, everybody needs to remember who these companies are in the first place that have offered to "go under the knife" anyway. Brooklyn Salsa, Dogfish (a 30-barrel microbrewery) and Harpers Perenial (HarperCollins imprint specializing in new and young authors). This is not Pepsi offering gold-plated exacto knives to the Bushwick artist(s). Everybody chill out. Oh, and PB...we'd love to speak with you. Hit us up.

Update 4/15 from Poster Boy:
"Bucky [Animal] is absolutely right, "if the ads aren’t unsanctioned, it’s not really 'vandalism,'" I won't say much on how I'm getting the ads. I can tell you that the sole purpose of the sponsers [sic] is to provide the beer. They have nothing to do with Poster Boy at this event. There was a miscommunication between the organizers and Poster Boy. The organizers didn't know the material was being provided by Poster Boy.....Back to the event. This is NOT a show of Poster Boy's work. This is an opportunity to create Poster Boy style work in a controlled environment. Most people aren't willing to partake in vandalism. I'm hoping this, seemingly, innocuous act will encourage people rethink advertising and their environment. Then maybe those people will build up enough courage to do something on their own time. That's all I want out of this, nothing else."

Do you read that correctly? Poster Boy can only exist IF YOU WILL HIM TO.

Above image via Poster Boy's Flickr. Speaking of which...think this has anything to do with the Paper's sudden disregard for PB?

Posted by Brian Ries at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[via]

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For $19.95, our esteemed neighbor Michel Gondry will draw your portrait. That is all. Get your order in early...

Posted by Brian Ries at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Greenpoint/Williamsburg looks to be getting it's very own yet another dollar store, opening "soon" right next to the new but yet-to-be-finished Wardak supermarket next to the old Staples next to the even older McDonald's. It's called Deal$, and looks like it's actually a $5 variation of your typical dollar store. We're all anxiously awaiting our fill of cheap-o water guns, party supplies & $5 flip-flops yessssss! Recession shopping!

update from the comments: "it's open!! it's been open for a few weeks- and so far it's the cleanest $.99 I've ever been in."

(photo via Boulevard007 on Williamsboard)

Posted by Brian Ries at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Sometimes I can't sleep, no matter how much I want to (even after a good cry). Wikipedia gets me through those nights but last night was something special because of Greg Maddux. Stumbled upon because I was curious as to his age, his Wikipedia article seems to suggest that Maddux is some sort of savant, possibly on the autistic spectrum, and certainly possessing a mind beyond anything typically human. Be careful because he might be able to feel you reading this right now with his mind:

Maddux has been credited by many of his teammates with a preternatural ability to outhink his opponents, and anticipate results. Braves catcher Eddie Pérez tells the story of Maddux intentionally allowing a home run to the Astros' Jeff Bagwell, in anticipation of facing Bagwell in the playoffs months later. Maddux felt Bagwell would instinctively be looking for the same pitch again, which Maddux would then refuse to throw.

There's more.

Early in the 2000 season, Maddux was asked by sportswriter Bob Nightengale what had been the most memorable at-bat of his pitching career. Maddux said it was striking out Dave Martinez to end a regular season game. Nightengale was surprised Maddux hadn't picked a postseason game, or a more famous player. Maddux explained:

"I remember that one because he got a hit off me in the same situation (full count, bases loaded, two out in the 9th inning) seven years earlier. I told myself if I ever got in the same situation again, I'll pitch him differently. It took me seven years, but I got him."

And here's a story from a soul who actually faced Maddux, looked into his eyes, and survived. It's from Wade Boggs: "It seems like he's inside your mind with you. When he knows you're not going to swing, he throws a straight one. He sees into the future. It's like he has a crystal ball hidden inside his glove."

Welcome to my nightmares, Greg.

Posted by David Bernstein at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In case your hump days (wait, it's tuesday? fuck.) pride themselves on being unnecessarily sober, Glasslands promises "free booze and eclectic times" tonight with performances by Awesome New Republic, Das Racist, Wild Yaks and DJ Jon Kirby. (via My Open Bar)

Posted by Brian Ries at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pomp and Circumstance, a Brooklyn arts & culture quarterly, is throwing a party in celebration of their new issue which is due out in May and includes an interview with Poster Boy himself. Here's what he had to say about the event:

"This is not a show of [my] work. This is an opportunity to create [my] work yourself. This is for people who wouldn't normally partake in vandalism. The materials will be provided by [me]. Hopefully this encourages people to rethink advertising and their environment"

It's all happening @ 3rd Ward on Friday April 24th.

(I hear there will be Free Beer, guys)

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Via the NYTimes:

LOS ANGELES — Phil Spector, the rock music impresario behind hits like “Da Doo Ron Ron,” and “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” was convicted Monday of murdering a struggling actress at his mansion in 2003 after a night of drinking.

Mr. Spector, 68, faces at least 18 years in prison. The jury, ending a five-month trial, reached its decision after 27 hours of deliberating whether he shot the woman in a fit of anger or, as his lawyers argued, merely witnessed her suicide. [...]

Mr. Spector came into court looking frail and sullen. He wore a long blue overcoat, a bright red tie, and a shaggy shoulder-length hairstyle. Gone were his psychedelic glasses and the swagger that carried him through decades at the top of the pop music scene.

Check out some guy in his garage doing karaoke to one of P. Spec's biggest hits after the jump...

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 07:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We're just happy when anybody makes fun of Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer. From the Onion [via]

"I couldn't be more excited to completely fuck this up," said Bay, who plans to begin production on destroying the live-action adaptation next month. "ThunderCats has a great story, endearing characters, action, adventure, space-travel, and fantasy. It will be an honor to run it into the ground."

"I'll use every directorial tool I have to suck the very life and charm out of this beloved cartoon," added Bay, claiming that the film could turn out to be the most colossal piece of shit he's ever worked on. "I won't rest until I get every last scene exactly wrong."

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

FREEwilliamsburg founder Robert Lanham is giving the recession the finger over at Salon:

As I was lying beneath a lustrous sun last week, with a top-shelf daiquiri in my hand, at a luxury resort that I couldn't afford in good economic times, I thought to myself: So what if we're on the brink of the next Great Depression? This was a good decision. [...]

There'd be plenty of time for boiling raccoon bones into soup broth, I rationalized, should a full-fledged depression hit, but for now I was going to enjoy my drink and watch the azure waves crest into gold. I was on a beach in the lovely town of Tulum, Mexico. And I was relaxed. This was my "last hurrah" vacation. [...]

"I call it the 'fuck-it phenomenon,'" said Matt Wallaert, a social psychologist with the financial advice site Thrive. "Everywhere you go the media tells you that things aren't going to get better any time soon," he said. "But if you feel like life has dealt you a bad hand, it's easy to say, 'Fuck it, I deserve this.'"

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Image via Doug Seymour

On Wednesday night I was invited to check out Hoots & Hellmouth who, to be honest, I had never heard of before. After going through the motions, you know, like taking a gander at their myspace, walking to the J to cross the bridge, and having a few $5 lychee martinis at Verlaine, I decided what the heck and walked on down to Pianos, apprehensions in tow. Making my way past the Kanye crowd towards the back room, I was immediately transported to an audio bayou.

If the Coen Bros. decide to do an O Brother Where Art Thou sequel and film it on the Lower East Side circa now, these guys would be their go to. Unlike their subdued country crooning on the internet, Hoots brings more energy than a case of Sparks. So if you're a fan of tapping your foot, check them out when they're back in town on April 30th @ Union Hall.

For a taste of some street side harmonized twang or their potent stage presence at last month's SX, take a look at the video goodies after the jump...

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 08:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My two favorite mediums are the visual arts and music. So, it's a no brainer that I would be excited for the Visual Music Marathon happening tomorrow in Chelsea. What makes me even more amped is that we have works from people allover the world represented.

The 2009 Visual Music Marathon will be held at the Visual Arts Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, New York City. Over 300 works from 33 countries were submitted to the Marathon. Of these, 64, representing 6 hours of programming, were selected for screening. The remaining six hours will be devoted to invited artists, historic works on 16mm film, works provided by two guest curators, and approximately one hour of live video performance art.

Posted by Lisa Baldini at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ah, another day, another protest. In Brandon Jourdan's video of today's New School shenanigans obtained by the Times, we see A) police officers spraying pepper spray around a bulging door, B) a cop introducing a student's face to the sidewalk, rubbing it in the way a big brother would, and C) a cop (who really should be fired and arrested for assault at this point) literally throwing a punch at a student protester yelling "shame on you!". You just can't do that. On camera, at least. The kid then of course gets swarmed and arrested.

Update: NYPD Spokesperson to the NYTimes on item C: “My comment — the officer pushed into him and he fell down. There were individuals interfering with an arrest being made, and he was one of them, and they pushed into him and he fell down.”

Anyways, here are some screenshots of A, B and C, and of course there's video after the jump. Dizzamn...

[Side note: people. Don't scream like a terrified 6th grader when you're getting arrested while protesting.]

Exhibit A: Pepperspray'd

Exhibit B: Face meet sidewalk, sidewalk meet face

Exhibit C: Shame on your fist

Video via Brandon Jourdan of Brooklyn:

Posted by Brian Ries at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Image courtesy of Uptown Notes.

Apparently sick of NYU kids copping their activist style, students at the New School have barricaded themselves into a building on their Union Square campus. Back in December, the New Schoolers seized a building for pretty much the same reason: they hate University President Bob Kerrey with a deep and devout passion and want him to go the hell away. Students and faculty seem to despise this guy, for reasons both fair and unfair (for a nice primer on the conflict, check out this article from New York Mag). I don't really know what the anarchist flags and black bloc attire of the protesters have to do with Kerrey, but why miss a chance to help the mainstream media portray you as apeshit insane?

UPDATE: The NY Times reports that the revolution has been quashed. Ol' Man Kerrey asked the NYPD to arrest the occupiers, so a squad of helmeted riot police stormed the building and took 19 into custody. This'll no doubt further endear Kerrey to his angry little university.

Posted by Travis Mushett at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jason Quever is at it again with the release of Papercuts newest, You Can Have What You Want, dropping on April 14th. Keeping his previously adored sullen pop sound, Quever takes us deeper into a heavier analog synth world this time around-- some of which can be credited to the influence of Beach House's Alex Scully on the album. With a sound that's distinctivly his own, Jason's music has the unique ability of transcending situational constraint. These are definitely the kind of jams you can walk in the rain, dance in a kitchen, or nap in the grass to.

Papercuts will be back in the States after a UK tour with dates coming up in New York with fellow San Franciscan Vetiver:

Bowery Ballroom, May 3rd; The Bell House, May 7th.

The album is available now, exclusively on iTunes, with a special remix by The Go Team!, if you're into that sort of thing (i.e. good music).

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 01:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

These girls are pretty amazing.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 06:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Vegetarians are supposed to be sexy, right?

Hello There--

My friend and I don't eat animals or any animal products. We understand the value of good, fresh, fertilizer and are willing to stop by your garden and "unload" on your plants for a small, negotiable fee.

Only serious replies, please.

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Thanks, Craigslist!

Posted by Brian Ries at 04:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pic courtesy of Parlour.

You guys remember 2004? Back when Green Day got all into politics, eyeliner, and bloated concept albums? Well, so does Tony-award winning director Michael Mayer, and he remembers it so fondly that he's turning American Idiot into a musical running this fall at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in California. Sayeth the Times:

For now the creative team is tight lipped about how, exactly, it will translate the libretto of “American Idiot” into a narrative. As Mr. Armstrong admitted, “It’s not the most linear story in the world.”

But Mr. Mayer said, “If you read it a certain way, you can pull out a multiplicity of voices.” He hinted that a triumvirate of characters referred to elliptically in the album’s lyrics, with names like Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy and Whatshername, would likely emerge as the central characters. All told, he said, the ensemble would include 19 performers playing characters in their early 20s, though no casting has been announced.

Sounds like it has the potential to devolve into a disgusting mess of pretension. Mayer is optimistic, though, and has dreams of a run "in a beautiful, big Broadway theater." I think that the success of this thing really depends on the casting. My recommendation after the jump.

Posted by Travis Mushett at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

image c/o Twitter

Apparently, not everyone was satisfied with Twitter just cornering the "telling-the-world-what-you-are-doing/eating/thinking/excreting" market . Now it's supposed to get you a date as well. Via GothamList:

Tonight Hugs is hosting a "Twitter Fueled Singles Dance Party." The organizers say, 'the main novelty we have going is that some tech-minded folks we know have put together a chatroom where people can text message our twitter account, which will tweet whatever flirty notes people feel like saying about one another. And also we'll have ice cream, dancing, and so forth.

Posted by Jackie Snow at 01:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

img c/o vanity fair

Oh, young Kate Ahlborn. Urban adventurer extraordinnaire, fan of Feist’s “1234” and Vanity Fair writer who in all her post-graduate life has yet to venture beyond the pearly gates of the Upper East Side. Well, she made it over here recently wearing her "tweed J. Crew jacket and Tory Burch ballet flats," and after "narrowly escaping death by skateboard on the Bedford subway platform" she caught up with choreographer Noémie Lafrance's new show (Times review, show information) where she had her face touched by a naked crazy person. She then took off running, never stopping once to breathe or look back at all the evil people in "hipsterville" chasing her back home. Imagine her surprise. She'd heard from her " more global friends" (WTF!) "that Brooklyn is a charming borough," but instead found her trip to exotic Brooklyn traumatizing. She'll never come back.

I left the rickety building slightly shaken up and eager to get back to Manhattan. After this experience, I’m fairly certain that’s exactly where I belong.

Below the jump, we've got video of the terrible experience she witnessed. Warning: art. You've got a few more days to check it out too. The show runs through the 12th, although "there may be an extension on April 15-19."

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Image via

Kudos to Emil Svanangen of Loney, Dear for mentally transporting us to country roads in springtime with a basket full of wild flowers, as our hair flows wonderfully untamed in the wind this morning. If you need a break from the cold concrete & subway screech today, do yourself the favor and check out Daytrotter's For The Clouds, From The Mouth:

His music is perfectly acceptable to the clouds and the skies they inhabit, here and yonder, whispering back their approval by moving the bangs on a forehead or the feathers on songbirds. It’s a touching showing that Svanangen gives on _Dear John_, where songs of seemingly regrettable circumstances and endings lays out a battered body of a man looking to rescind a little bit, if not a lot bit.

This Swedish gem is currently back overseas, but be sure to check out Loney, Dear at Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 5th with fellow Daytrotter favorite Headlights and the Brooklyn goes Americana tunes of The Silent League. Sounds like a show that will make you smile.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

North 6th and Berry

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Come be festive at Duck Duck to a mix of blues, jazz, and booze this Thursday. Your company would be a pleasure! Especially if you dance! Miss Vivien Renee said so herself ;)

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 03:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

From MyDamnChannel:

Sneak peek of the new series coming Monday, 4/20 to MyDamnChannel.com: PILOT SEASON. 30 episodes every Monday. Jam packed with comic geniuses like Sam Seder and Sarah Silverman. And, David Cross, Andy Dick and Isla Fisher.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dollar Van Demos provides cheap-o rides (operated by West Indian drivers, no less) around Brooklyn, focusing on neighborhoods under-served by mass transit. There's just one catch - you have to listen to guy with the microphone in the back seat.

From their YouTube page:

Dollar vans provide a much-needed transportation for neighborhoods under-served by mass transit. Typically operated by West Indian drivers, the ride is cheap, adventurous and now immensely entertaining with the addition of performers singing their hearts out.

Here's Crosby rapping "No Bodegas (Shut 'Em Down)" while a van full of bargain-hunting, middle-aged patrons stare blindly into the ether, waiting for their next stop. After the jump, take in Sally Connors' glowing rendition of "Up On The Roof"...

Sally Connors - Up On The Roof

Posted by Brian Ries at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The latest short film from London Squared Productions.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We got word of a garage sale at 95 Eagle St today with all sorts of stuff, including sound equipment, "a photography printing projector, vintage clothes, one of kind jewelry, clothing from artists and so much more." It's at Lean Love's Pop-Up Shop Collective, in the basement and backyard of 95 Eagle St. #1, found between Franklin St. and Manhattan Avenue. And y'know, why not post it? Everybody loves a good garage sale, right?

photo via Danakochan

Posted by Brian Ries at 03:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photos by Clarissa Roudabush

Last night at The Bowery everyone and their mother was there, literally. The parental units of Asobi Seksu came out to support the kids, unfortunately minus Yuki Chikudate's folks who are out in LA. Coming out of the tail end of their Hush tour, Yuki proclaimed a few songs in, "We are Asobi Seksu from here. It's good to be home, it's been a while". And like a Murakami character, with her big voice and tiny frame, she went on to sing songs about nightmares in a poignant whimsicality. Which I found out today is indeed a word (and perfectly fitting):

whim⋅si⋅cal⋅i⋅ty Pronunciation: [hwim-zi-kal-i-tee, wim-] Function: noun Etymology: whimsy Date: 1653 1: full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims 2 a: resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice ; especially : lightly fanciful 2 b: subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change

These kids played a mix of old and new including faves such as 'Thursday', 'Strawberries', 'Familiar Light', and 'Me & Mary', which might as well be the theme song from My Little Pony, and who doesn't love that? I know I went to McDo just for the Happy Meals recently to add another pink plastic horse to my Sloane Crosley-esque collection.

Check out more photos after the jumpy jump...

PS- Asobi hearts Tyvek

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 07:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If it's on Wikipedia, it's true.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

North 6th and Berry

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MSTRKRFT, those mustached electrocanadiens from Toronto, released their new album "Fist of God" earlier this month and are now in the latter-half of their North American tour. They play Webster Hall tonight with Bloody Beetroots ($20 online, $25 at the door) before heading down to Baltimore, up to Toronto and back down to Philly before the tour closer at Coachella.

If you haven't heard it yet, Fist of God is a fun little party album with a few sick tracks that'll be stickin' around for the summer...namely Fist of God and Bounce, which features N.O.R.E & Isis reminding you that all they do is party, and, uh bounce high. That video's after the jump. Doors are at 10pm tonight, and it looks like you can still get tickets at WebsterHall.com. Don't bother going if you're not a foxy motherfucker, as Webster would like to remind you to dress nice - "Neat and trendy appearence (sic, Webster) a must."

If you're into it, buy Fist of God at Insound.

MSTRKRFT - Bounce feat. N.O.R.E & Isis

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by David Dylan Thomas

It's the last hurrah before sequels and reboots dominate the theaters for three and a half months (let's be honest, the last half of August is a wash). And we begin with... a reboot of an eight-year-old franchise.

April 3

FAST & FURIOUS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Reboot.

WILL IT SUCK?
Do you want to watch cars go boom? I think this will deliver. Other than that, weep for the potential that director Justin Lin showed in Better Luck Tomorrow and then didn't deliver on, including the last Fast/Furious flick which, by the way, has the same writer as this one.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Between Adventureland this week and Hannah Montana and Observe and Report next week, you are actually shredding a little bit of the demo, but bringing back all four original leads should make for a decent opening. $108mil.

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ADVENTURELAND

(Moved from March)

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Superbad Amusement Park

WILL IT SUCK?

Early buzz is good. From the director of Superbad. He writes this time, too. Last time he did both, it was The Daytrippers, which people seemed to like. Cast is good, with Jesse "Indie-er Michael Cera" Eisenberg, Bill Hader and Ryan Reynolds.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I dare say it will fare better against Furious than against the flick in its former opening slot, Monsters vs. Aliens. Still, Furious has a similar demo. $41mil.

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SUGAR

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Funny you should mention that. It's about a pitcher imported from the Dominican Republic to play in the Minors.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. From the writer/directors of the fantastic Half Nelson, so that 's all I needed to hear. Also, nominated for some love at Sundance and the Indie Spirit Awards.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Doesn't have the star power of Half Nelson. $750,000.

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GIGANTIC

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Indie romcom with Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is pretty good. Nice to see Dano get a lead.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Zooey's other indie romcom is getting more buzz. $1mil.

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PARIS 36

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Let's put on a show to save our theater! In Paris! In 1936! Guess who the bad guys will be!

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. From the writer/director of The Chorus, a Best Foreign/Best Song nominee back in '05.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Doesn't have the Oscar push of The Chorus. $2mil.

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ALIEN TRESPASS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
50's-style alien invasion flick.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed, but appears to be a genial enough retro-spoof. Erick McCormack as the lead sounds like inspired casting, not to mention Dan Lauria (the dad on Wonder Years) as a police chief. Director R.W. Goodwin also seems well-suited, having directed some kick-ass X-Files back in the day.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Extremely crowded weekend, and ironic tribute is tough to market. $500,000.

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BART GOT A ROOM

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Nerdy guy tries to find a date for the prom.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. Check out the trailer to see William H. Macy with the best. hair. ever. Also starring Cheryl Hines, Jon Polito and Alia "Where Have You Been Since Arrested Development?" Shawkat.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Did I mention it's a crowded weekend? $2mil.

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THE ESCAPIST

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
British Prison Break

WILL IT SUCK?
You had me at Brian Cox and Damian Lewis, but it's also getting mad buzz and nabbed a Best Actor award for Cox at the Scottish BAFTAs

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Maybe if it weren't up against every other movie in the world this week. $1mil.

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April 10
------------------------------------------

HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus, how did I not figure that out?) goes home to ponder whether or not to give up her Hannah Montana alter ego. Kind of like Superman 2, but without Zod.

WILL IT SUCK?
Got nothing for or against Hannah. On the other hand, the fact that this is coming from the director of Serendipity and Shall We Dance does not inspire me with confidence. Oh, and Tyra Banks is in there somewhere, too. This is a problem.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
You read the title, right? $81mil.

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OBSERVE AND REPORT

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Funnier, darker Paul Blart: Mall Cop

WILL IT SUCK?
From Foot Fist Way writer/director Jody Hill, so expect the awkward. Early buzz has this as a dark turn for Seth Rogen. And that it's good. Also starring Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris, Dan Bakkedahl, Aziz Ansari, Patton Oswalt and Danny McBride.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
A bit of trouble from the second frame of Adventureland and probably a little bleed from the Crank sequel next week, but this has absolutely nothing to fear from Hannah Montana. $51mil.

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DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
People try to make it through an entire film without giggling every time they say "dragonballs".

WILL IT SUCK?
Getting for a moment past the Justin Chadwin as Roku (!?) confuzzlement, it is nice to see Chow Yun Fat and James Marsters up in here - and that's where it ends. Early buzz is horrible.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Dude, if you can't even rally your fan base... $9mil.

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ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
True life Spinal Tap

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is outstanding. Won some awards on the festival circuit.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Word of mouth should be no problem. The interesting challenge will be to see if the distributor, VH1 Classic, can leverage their brand to boost awareness. $4mil.

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April 17
------------------------------------------

STATE OF PLAY

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
The Chandra Levy case with some Parallax View thrown in.

WILL IT SUCK?
You've got Last King of Scotland helmer Kevin Macdonald up in here directing the likes of Russel Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Robin Wright Penn, Helen Mirren, Jeff Daniels, Viola Davis and Harry Lennix. Where it gets interesting is the three-way screenplay. Can the mad skillz of Tony Gilroy (Michale Clayton, the Bourne trilogy) and Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, Breach) work and play well with the contribution by Michale Matthew Carnahan (the flawed-but-compelling The Kingdom and the flat-out hated-on Lions for Lambs)? Potential for serious greatness here, though the trailer looks generic.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Little competition, but Body of Lies showed cracks in Crowe's opening ability. $40mil.

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CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy steals Chev Chelios' (Jason Statham) heart. You know, after he died in the original. Chev, now with an artificial heart that has to be juiced every hour to keep going, has to track down his real heart before he dies. Kind of like a buff Tin Man.

WILL IT SUCK?
First off, mad props on a good tag line. "He was dead...But he got better." Looks like more of the same Maxim-made-celluloid we got in the first installment. Same writer/directors and leads. Adding David Carradine and Clifton Collins Jr. to the mix can only make things more interesting. And it's hard not to be a little bit curious/frightened at the prospect of Corey Haim up in here, too.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The only real competition I can think of demographically comes from the second frame of Observe and Report, which probably won't do that well to begin with. On the other hand, even without competition, Statham has a ceiling. $32mil.

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17 AGAIN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
37-year-old guy (Matthew Perry) turns into 17-year-old version of himself (Zac Efron) and learns the valuable lesson that Zac Efron is much more popular now than Matthew Perry.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is actually pretty good. This shouldn't be too surprising, since the director did Igby Goes Down and eps of Weeds, The L Word and Big Love. The writer, however, did Bringing Down the House, so I am a little surprised.

Oh, and that itching in the back of your head is 18 Again. Yeah, that happened.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
2nd frame of fellow Disney progeny Miley might pose a challenge, but Zac can take it. $67mil.

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EVERY LITTLE STEP

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Doc about A Chorus Line from inception to recent revival.

WILL IT SUCK?
From the directors of Year of the Yao. Early buzz is mixed. Critics more in love than audiences.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The more high profile Tyson doc comes out next week, but word of mouth should help this explode - at least in NY. $1mil.

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AMERICAN VIOLET

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Single mom vs. corrupt law enforcement in Texas. Based on a true story.

WILL IT SUCK?
Here's a little about the true story. Early buzz is good. Strong supporting cast: Alfre Woodard, Will Patton, Michael O'Keefe and Tim Blake Nelson. And the lead, newcomer Nicole Beharie, is supposed to be the shiznit.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Needs more of a push. $3mil.

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IS ANYBODY THERE?

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Kid grows up in a nursing home. Befriends Michael Caine.

WILL IT SUCK?
From the director of Intermission and the devastating Boy A. Early buzz is good.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I don't know if Caine is going to be enough of a draw. $1mil.

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April 24
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OBSESSED

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Interracial Fatal Attraction

WILL IT SUCK?
Well, the director's done some decent television including Dexter and The Wire. The writer, however, has given us Lakeview Terrace and Money Train, so I'm pretty sure Beyonce getting in Ali Larter's face for macking on her man will be about as bad as this trailer makes it out to be.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Does it make me incredibly racist to think that this was targeted at black women who would love to see a movie about a strong black woman fighting off a white woman who's trying to steal her man? $24mil.

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EARTH

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Nature doc in which we follow three families of different cute adorable...Holy crap! Did you just see that shark eat that fish in midair!?

WILL IT SUCK?
Essentially a re-cut of the BBC series Planet Earth with a new narrator (James Earl Jones instead of Patrick Stewart). And Planet Earth was supposed to rock, so...

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This is the first release from the new Disneyearth label, so you know they'll promote the hell out of it. It opens on Earth Day and Disney will plant a tree for every ticket sold during the first week so I have to ask, if you don't see it, why do you hate our planet? $8mil.

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FIGHTING

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
The Underground Street Fighting Kid

WILL IT SUCK?
From A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints writer/director Dito Montiel, so probably a step up from Never Back Down. Terence Howard and Luis Guzman in the supporting cast, but the casting that really has me stoked is Roger Guenveur Smith, whom you may remember as Smiley from Do the Right Thing, but looks to make a nice turn as a villain here.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Do you remember A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints? Do you even remember Never Back Down? $25mil.

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THE SOLOIST

(Delayed from November '08)

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Reporter (Robert Downey Jr.) discovers musical genius (Jamie Foxx) living on the street. Based on the true story of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers.

WILL IT SUCK?
A lot of cylinders firing here. The storytelling skill of director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice). The acting chops of the leads, plus support from Catherine Keener and Stephen Root. An adaptation of the book by Steve Lopez (played by Downey) by Susannah Grant (Erin Brokovich, Ever After). The only thing kind of underwhelming so far is the trailer.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If you think your film is an Oscar contender but can't afford to promote it right away, don't move it to the last weekend before summer blockbusters obliterate everything in their sight. $24mil.

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TYSON

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Doc about Mike Tyson

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is sick. Considered by IMDB to be writer/director James Toback's best work. Won the (specially created) Regard Knockout Award at Cannes.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Its biggest competition is the probability that the art house crowd isn't interested in Mike Tyson. $5mil.

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MUTANT CHRONICLES

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Okay, so you've got mutants and it's the future and there are four corporations battling each other and Ron Perlman's gonna save the world somehow.

WILL IT SUCK?
You know those really crappy Sci-Fi (I'm sorry, SyFy) Channel movies that make you amazed that the same network shows Battlestar Galactica? This is getting the buzz of those movies. Only difference is it has, like, John Malkovich in it instead of Stephen Baldwin. Still, not supposed to be a good time.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I'm guessing the VOD release (which happened a month earlier) will fare better. $1mil.

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TREELESS MOUNTAIN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Two children in Seoul must fend for themselves when their mother leaves to find their dad.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is great. Won some international kudos at festivals, including Berlin. The performances of the children are supposed to be amazing.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This is the kind of movie where lightning has to strike for word of mouth to translate into serious indie box office. $750,000.

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THE INFORMERS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Adaptation of a Brett Easton Ellis novel in which rich people behave themselves. Just kidding. More hedonistic bastards in L.A. in the 80's.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed and, depending upon whom you believe, that has to do with the director getting replaced midstream. Here's the story (be sure to read the rebuttal from the studio at the end). That having been said, the director has some good experience with satire (Buffalo Soldiers) and Ellis himself contributed to the screenplay (although the screenplay was reportedly gutted - again, read the story). Interesting cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Mickey Rourke and Brad Renfro in what must have been one of his last roles.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
A high profile cast, but not a high profile distributor. $2mil.

Next Month: Don't step in front of Christian Bale's lights, motherfucker!

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This month's Bon Appetit has a story on the Williamsburg food scene. They give us a nice mention:

That sense of personal and like-minded connection is one of the things that first attracted Williamsburgers like Robert Lanham, the founding editor of the comprehensive and indispensable Free Williamsburg blog. "You'd walk down the street and recognize people," remembers Lanham, who is also, tellingly, the author of The Hipster Handbook. He admits that much has changed in the 12 years that he's lived in the neighborhood (among other things, he can no longer afford to live as close to the center of things as he once did) but "you still feel like you're part of a real community," he says.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check it out:

Bruno's got a new haircut but everything else seems about the same (funny as hell). Word is that it was hit with an NC-17 rating on the first trip to the MPAA but hopefully Sascha Baron Cohen will tame it down enough that I can bring my 14 year old cousin to see it. Kid needs an education.

Posted by David Bernstein at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The New York City subways: service changes all day, every day.

via WTF & Benjamin Stein

Posted by Brian Ries at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As Rumproast points out, this is "hell's house band":

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

image c/o Eater

From Eater:

"I was told to try and keep it down a bit about this place because the kinks are not worked out yet and they wanna get it right before they get slammed. So I really can't say if the room was beautifully restored, or that the scallop dish and short rib terrine were phenomenal!!!!, and that my old fashioned was PERFECTLY made. The room is dark and gives off that old timey speakeasy in Pennsylvania vibe, but very beautiful (nearly no cheese factor). The food being turned out is refined, say a small step above Walter (similar to Dressler), but ok ok that's really all I can say."

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

So Led Zep has been looking for a new lead, I guess. And today, Björk's people made an official announcement accepting the position. Her conditions are as follows:

Björk has though put forward her wish that they only cover with her songs from album I and IV, among them pure classics like:

"Good Times Bad Times", "You Shook Me", "Dazed and Confused", "Your Time Is Gonna Come", "Black Mountain Side", "Communication Breakdown", "I Can't Quit You Baby", "Black Dog" , "Rock and Roll", "The Battle of Evermore" and "Stairway to Heaven".

Get the full scoop, and more importantly-- tour dates, on her website.

In other Björk news, you can check out a truly one-of-a-kind collabo with The Dirty Projectors in May, if you can afford it.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The L Magazine's got a little Brooklyn cred quiz to see how well you know this here village. Sample question: On which street in Williamsburg can you get arepas, bibimbap, burritos, prawn crisps, buffalo mozzarella, vegetarian chicken wings and a haircut? Answers: Grand, No. 6th or In the mini-mall...

Answer is after the jump. Go take the quiz, fools.

A. Grand Street!

Posted by Brian Ries at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the mailbag:

I directed a music video for their song "88th Precinct" which is in competition to get on regular MTV rotation. However, they're up against musicians who have already had MTV air time and are signed to warner bros and have music videos with much larger budgets (considering our budget was no budget).

You can vote by going here: http://www.mtvu.com/music/the-freshmen/pick-this-weeks-freshmen-video-033009/

and you can vote as many times as you like. Voting ends this Friday at noon

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Charlie Todd and his Improv Everywhere crew thought they'd find a man's poorly attended funeral and make it the best funeral ever! They found one for an 87-year old man, with just a few surviving relatives, and brought over 30 agents to his graveside funeral in Greenwood Cemetery. They were sneaky, "hiding behind tombstones, trees, and bushes with zoom lenses." Lol, right?

Here's how it went down:

The funeral we picked was in Greenwood Cemetery, an enormous plot of land in Brooklyn. (I’m not going to list the name of the deceased to prevent the family from finding this via a Google search, but it was an 87 year old male.) We met in a park a few blocks from the cemetery gate, and I briefed all of the agents, who had arrived dressed for a funeral. I instructed everyone to be as realistic as possible and not to be too over the top. I was very worried that the family would think we were making fun of them, which was the last thing we were trying to do. I told everyone to just act like you would if it had been your grandfather who passed away and behave accordingly.

Now before you go lighting up our comments with "die hipster die!" and all that, remember, today is April Fools...

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)