Thankfully, this one is much better than the first. There are also some cool featurettes over at fantasticmrfoxmovie.com. Look for the film on November 25th

[Check it out in HD here]

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Brooklyn Based polled their friends to find the best spots in the borough to find love and romance. Surprisingly, Union Pool shone through with the most mentions, which I don't know what that says about our humanity but basically means you're better off prowling Craigslist.

Some of your relevant love spots for Williamsburg, which racked up all the points for getting laid from a bar pick-up, are: Union Pool, Royal Oak, Macri Park, Second Chance, IONA, etc. etc., you know the drill.

For the rest of us not trying to bang a bed bug sippin' on a coconut, check out the rest of their fantastic tips for lurrrve.

(photo via)

Posted by Brian Ries at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

North 7th and Bedford Ave

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 11:36 PM | Permalink

We don't have much information on this dude but he claims to be the "current holder of over 400 nude-speed records." Oh, and he likes risotto, tacos, and exposing his shiny ass in public:

Evidently, he's making a documentary. Will there be cameos by the Naked Cowboy or this freak of nature? For now, you can follow him on Twitter, visit his Tumblr or, um, pray to God his special place didn't touch that subway seat you sat in earlier today on the L. If you have more information, definitely let us know.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 08:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

If you missed this show, I'm sorry. The folks over at the Guggenheim definitely know what they're doing. Next month's installment will be showcasing (drum roll please) Yeasayer. So get your tickets, dudes... As expected, the Wright rotunda delivered some serious magic. Check out the video, and see if you can spot your favorite music editor in the crowd...

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 08:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

French phenom Phoenix brought the sold-out crowd and rocked Central Park both Friday and Saturday nights. The delightful surprise for the uninitiated few was Passion Pit's show-stealing opening sets.

Phoenix:

More after the jump.

Passion Pit:

--Anne-Marie Howard

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

(Daddy's + Wavves) x The Black Lips = Friday night chaos. My only wish is that, Hipster Runoff, you will treat this with such poetic justice as you have done so before.

Posted by Lisa Baldini at 05:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tonight, after I MoMA MiXX it up with Hercules & Love Affair, you can find me at Legion with the Rude Dudes. If you don't know, these guys throw one of the best dance parties in the 'hood. Plus, with a name like Rude Dudes, a girl like me (aka a lover of, well, a-holes) can't resist.

And if you're loving these boys as much as I am, get excited. We've been talking to the Dudes about exclusive downloadable mixes for FREEwilly... You down? Also, if you're a local DJ and you think you're worthy, holler at this girl with a mix all your own for our lovely readers. Party on, Garth!

Flyer c/o Behold The Destroyer

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Santos Party House hosted a loud, sweaty rager last night with the performance of the San Diego-based Wavves.

Nathan Williams a.k.a. Wavves, and his new drummer Zach Hill (of the noise-rock band Hella) started it off with their hit “I'm so Bored,” from the album Wavvves to get the show started right. The crowd was comprised mostly of testosterone, and as soon as the music started, a mosh pit formed in front and center. As the performance went on, the pit expanded to a point where everyone in the room was at least slightly involved.

To spare the audience from suffering through a dull moment, the band filled time between songs with screeching guitar noise. At one point, there was hardly a single person without cupped hands over their ears to filter out the harsh sound. “The ear is a tiny organ, it will heal,” said one devoted fan in the front.

If you’re bummed to have missed the show last night, don’t fret: they’re playing again this evening with Todd P. NYC and Ganglians at 8:00 pm.

More pics after the jump!

Ganglians

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 06:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 06:52 PM | Permalink

Blue Mountain Arts is interested in reviewing writings for publication on greeting cards. We are looking for highly original and creative submissions on friendship, family, special occasions, positive living, and other topics one person might want to share with another person. Submissions may also be considered for inclusion in book anthologies. We pay $300 per poem for all rights to publish it on a greeting card and $50 if your poem is used only in an anthology.

To request a copy of our writer’s guidelines (which include contact/submission information), please send a blank e-mail to writings@sps.com with “Send Me Guidelines” in the subject line, or write us at: Blue Mountain Arts, Inc. Editorial Department P.O. Box 1007 Boulder, CO 80306. You can also visit our Web site at www.sps.com.

Imagine never having to decide between homemade card or buying a card again.

Posted by Jackie Snow at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's done! This is what I've been working on for the last few months, I think it's the biggest project I've done so far. 16 Redesigns of famous Masters of the Universe-characters! I imagined them somewhere in the indie/hipster/fashion-scene, as if they were doing a photoshooting for some magazine. I'm a fashion-nerd myself, so I dressed them up in things that really excist and that I like. They were hand-drawn on A3, and I plan to print them on fluorescent or glow in the dark paper. And hopefully do an exhibition with them.

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

Get ready for the second installation of the Guggenheim's It Came From Brooklyn series-- this time with the honorable Julian Plenti, you know... a.k.a. Paul Banks of Interpol. Much like 2002's Turn on the Bright Lights, the solo debut of Mr. Banks, Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper, has been caught in a loop on my iTunes. These are the kind of tracks that embrace a space with a perfect frost, a mix of glistening sadness and a twirling danceable haze. Bring on the cold weather, with Skycraper, we're well equipped.

The series, named after Robert Gordon's birth of Rock 'n Roll novel It Came From Memphis, "is meant to have a cabaret-like atmosphere" says co-producer Sam Brumbaugh. Along with the rhythmic orchestrations of Brooklyn's experimental post rock I'm In You, this promises to be a night of echoing proportions, and in that rotunda quite literally. Plus, that Eugene Mirman is a funny guy.

So let's talk the money issue-- there's something about experiencing a show within the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, and although Brooklynites could argue against the cost of the show, spending the few extra bucks seems worth it. Plus, if you get there early, you can take a stroll through the current Kandinsky retrospective-- which on a regular day will cost you at least $15 (with student ID) in admission. Oh and, are we forgetting that it's Julian Plenti and Eugene Mirman!? I'm there.

Friday Sept. 25th @ the Guggenheim Museum, tickets available here.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 12:52 PM | Permalink

Read it and weep-- this is the last Yo La Tengo show in the greater NY area this year (looks like the Hanukkah shows at Maxwell's aren't happening).

But have no fear, our dear readers. One of you lucky folks will win a pair of tickets for tomorrow night's Roseland extravaganza. Not only are the Black Lips opening, but you've got John Oliver of The Daily Show as MC, not to mention the fabulous Gary Panter (who created the lovely B&W flyer) with a (get this!) light show. And we thought On Ice was dead!? If you haven't gotten your hands on Yo La's newest release, Popular Songs, you're seriously slacking.

How do you enter to win, you ask? Well, just hit us up on Twitter @freedubya with an I <3 Yo La Tengo!, and those tickets could be yours! Tweet away, my lovelies.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Because everyone knows rock shows are always better when performed on ice:

Rick Wakeman's "King Arthur on Ice" - 1975

We want to see Grizzly Bear on ice. Mastadon on ice. Or how about the Pavement reunion on ice?

From Wikipedia

The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a 1975 progressive rock concept album by Rick Wakeman of Yes fame. The album tells the legend of King Arthur and is certainly among Wakeman's best works--as well as being a great favourite among his fans. Besides, this album includes some of the most popular and frequently performed Wakeman pieces, such as Arthur, Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight, The Last Battle, and especially Merlin the Magician. Also, the theme of Arthur has been used by the BBC since 1979 for its election night coverage (with the exception of the 2001 election).

The tour in support of the album was a theatrical performance on ice, an expensive project which, despite being sold out, caused Wakeman to go bankrupt. [2] [3] The album enjoyed good reviews but the live show in support of the record was ridiculed over the years as being a bloated and overblown affair and considered as one of the most notorious failures in rock n' roll history (it made VH1s "100 greatest shocking moments in rock and roll" at number 79).

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tanlines first popped up on our radar last year with a remix of Telepathe's "Chrome's On It", and shortly thereafter became an actual, well, band. This strictly production based project from Professor Murder's Jesse Cohen and Brothers producer Eric Emm (also of Don Cab and Storm & Stress fame) shortly became a conceptual music duo. It was only natural that once you got these two in front of a computer together, some original dance-y prog pop tunes (with a touch of calypso) would emerge from the collabo.

In addition to the remixes, from the Tough Alliance to Au Revoir Simone, you can catch up with Tanlines original tracks in video form over at what they've called "the best record label ever", YouTube. And if you love what they've been up to, be sure to check them out with our favorite LA noise rockers HEALTH at the Bowery tomorrow night. Tickets are $15 day of the show.

Jesse Cohen gave us some details on the upcoming EP on True Panther and his crash course in iMovie when we caught up with him earlier this week. Check out the rest of the interview, and some more YouTube goodness from the boys, after the jump...

So is the name Tanlines in reference to something specific?

If anything it's a reference to the necessity of working indoors to create music on a computer. And actual tan lines, as in the color.

If you could compare your sound to one band from each decade you've lived through so far (80s, 90s, 00s), who would those bands be and why?

I don't think I'd want to be specific, but something we've talked about before is how a lot of music in the 80's was pop music that you could dance to, rather than "Dance Music" with a capital D. and that's something that we'd be into doing. More specifically, we've been inspired by the Wikipedia entries on Stock, Aitken, and Waterman and also the KLF.

What's your writing process like? And how does it translate in the live set-up?

It's mostly editing. We write a ton of parts and throw most of them away. Then Eric plays guitar over the song for about ten minutes and we edit that down to one or two 5 second loops. then we arrange the track and then Eric sings something over it.

The video for "Three Trees" is a roller coaster ride, literally. Is that made up of footage you found on the interwebs? Or did one of you or someone you know white knuckle a video camera for the sake of musical expression?

Found footage of two specific roller coasters that have personal meaning to each of us.

What's the deal with the videos anyway? Which is your favorite?

We feel that Youtube is the best place on the internet to consume music and we wanted to be a part of that. I am proudest of the Chili Peppers video (for "Bejan") because that's how I learned how to use iMovie.

The two of you have been collaborating for a while now, from a production side on Professor Murder to the first strictly remix beginnings of Tanlines, can you pin point the moment you decided to buckle down and work on a project that was all your own?

A number of unusual factors in each of our lives coincided to form Tanlines. Our first single 'New Flowers' has Eric singing on it, so that helped us move forward with original songs and the "band" side of the project, rather than strictly doing production

Tell me about Restless People.

Restless People is members of Professor Murder and Tanlines. Our official headquarters is at http://www.familyedition2.com

Out of the previous work you've both done, I'd say Don Caballero is the least similar to Tanlines. How would you describe the difference in the creative process from heavy guitar to more danceable beats?

There was a heavy rhythmic component to Don Caballero, and people used to say that it sounded like there was more than one drummer. I think people would say the same thing about most Tanlines songs.

How's the EP coming along? What can we expect from it? And when can we expect it?

I think it sounds really good. It sounds mostly like the songs in our live set right now. Hopefully it will be out by the end of fall.

In addition to the music thing, do you guys have day jobs?

Eric is also a music producer and Jesse is also a photo archivist.

And finally, if you had a choice to live anywhere in the world but Brooklyn, where would you end up?

Pittsburgh.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My CSA just sent me this notice:

Anyone in Greenpoint and Williamsburg who is interested in food justice, access, sustainability and security is invited! This first meeting will be a chance for people who are working on food issues in the neighborhood and those who would like to be more involved to meet, share experiences, and talk about how we can pool our resources and knowledge to build on the amazing food activism that is already taking place here and to talk about how we can connect with food activists in other Brooklyn neighborhoods.

DATE & TIME: Thursday, September 24th 7:00 p.m.

PLACE: Lutheran Church of the Messiah 129 Russell Street (btw. Nassau and Driggs)

We are inviting anyone in Greenpoint and Williamsburg who is interested in food justice, access, sustainability and security to join us. This first meeting will be a chance for people who are working on food issues in the neighborhood and those who would like to be more involved to meet, share experiences, and talk about how we can pool our resources and knowledge to build on the amazing food activism that is already taking place here and to talk about how we can connect with food activists in other Brooklyn neighborhoods. This is an outcome of the Brooklyn food conference, which has been instrumental in getting these neighborhood meetings organized all over Brooklyn: "After an incredibly successful and exciting Brooklyn Food Conference we are morphing into a grassroots-based Brooklyn Food Coalition. So far 10 Brooklyn neighborhoods (and hopefully many more) are creating local, neighborhood-based groups that are choosing 1 or more projects to work on to improve the food situation in their communities. Each neighborhood will send 2 reps to a Council of Neighborhood Groups so we can share strategies, projects and campaigns across the Borough." For more information, check out http://brooklynfoodconference.org/

Posted by Jackie Snow at 11:37 AM | Permalink

Guys. I entered my subway stop at Lorimer and Metropolitan today only to discover that our longtime guide, overseer, and friend, is gone. A victim of the draconian MTA cuts, our station agent is gone and he's never coming back and nobody cares that he's really, really, really gone!*

Friends, let us share in remembering the only man in this city who truly loved us, mr. lorimer street station agent. And for those who miss mr. graham street station agent, your thoughts, memories, and asinine insults are welcome in the comments too. I'll start.

Friend, one time I remember you were standing there in that MTA jacket you loved so much, and you gave me a free bus pass because the subway was down. And with that pass, you practically walked me home and tucked me in to bed. I'll miss that. Goodbye.

Related reading: John Borrero, 57, tells Kate Pickert of New York about life in one of the 164 booths the MTA may soon (ed: just did) eliminate.

Posted by Brian Ries at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:44 PM | Permalink

I've been a "social smoker" since the age of, hmmm, thirteen, and when I say smoker, I mean cigarettes. I'm not trying to say that one is cooler than the other, or rather cool at all, to be honest I can't muscle the snarkiness right now. I can't even begin to argue the health risk comparisons in the Clove vs. Cigs vs. Weed debate, because frankly, I don't really care. But it looks like Cloves be gone for good, so let's get on with stimulating the economy with taxable marijuana, and finally-- please stop telling me I'm killing myself via my pack of P-Funks.

The folks over at Wunderkammer Magazine are hosting a week long symposium about the deportation of these sexy and habit-forming Indonesian little friends. Personally, I'm just happy that, as of tomorrow, there's one less thing that smells like shit in NYC. Smoke shop owners, well, they have different opinions.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 05:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Earlier this month, Pitchfork blurbed about Brooklyn's (can I say icons yet?) TV on the Radio taking a break, which of course made us a little weepy, but also pretty excited on the solo front. Guitarist/vocalist Kyp Malone kicks off his solo tour as Rain Machine tonight at the Bell House. The debut album will be released tomorrow on Anti Records. From what we've heard so far, we are LOVING it, as is everyone else who has ever heard of Malone.

Candles of Paradise and the lovely Sharon Van Etten open, so get there early. See what Sharon had to say about Kyp when we caught up with her in August. Doors at 7:30, Tickets $15

And, of course, we'd like to suggest that you greet Rain Machine with a sea of Paper Foldables...

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Earlier this summer, we all had a chance to enjoy Bushwick Open Studios-- A time when people who looked like they definitely didn't live in Bushwick walked around checking out the local galleries and studios, confusing the inhabitants of my Morgan L stop block. Although initially disorienting, BOS '09 gave us the opportunity to enjoy refreshments in the apartments where Brooklyn art is born, while reminding us all that 3rd Ward isn't the only art space in the East Williamsburg Industrial Park, like our homies over at Centotto on the first floor of 250 Moore St.

Well, now it's Greenpoint's turn! And after flipping through some of the websites from the contributing artists list, we've already got some favorites-- Alysha Colangeli, Ghost of a Dream, Soo Lee, Hyla Skopitz, Dan Sabau, Christopher Saunders, and Maj Anja DeBear.

So take a walk around Greenpoint this weekend, and pay a visit to these peeps. Much like BOS, pamphlets will be handed out near the subway stations to let you know where you should be heading. More info here.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Since Friday's video premiere of Glass Ghost's "Like A Diamond" over at The Music Slut, it has become the theme song to my uselessness this weekend. Now, press repeat and take a nap with us:

Mark your calendars and be sure to pick up the Glass Ghost debut LP, Idol Omen, from the good folks at Western Vinyl on October 27th. Sadly, there are no New York dates on their upcoming tour with White Rabbits, but you're in luck dear readers-- this Tuesday, Glass Ghost will be playing The Silent League CD Release Party at Union Pool. You want to go to there, I promise.

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

At this point we've all seen Lady Gaga's outfits for the VMAs, and we've all questioned her gender and outrageous behavior. And like John Norris, I'm a fan of the indie scene and not so much, well, anything you'd probably see on MTV these days, but Lady Gaga is a force and I'd be a liar if I said that I've never busted out a "what's the name of this club?" in a non-ironic way. Here's Miss Gaga sitting down with Norris on Noisemakers:

Remember, keep a lookout every Thursday for the weekly installments on Noisevox-- next week, Deerhunter. Ok, so here it goes... From one New York girl to another... Lady Gaga, I think I love you?

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Going on right now, and again tomorrow from 12pm-8pm, in the mobile Stand Alone Gallery in front of Artist and Fleas, the awesome Seasick Mama is presenting a verbal declaration of sorts. Well, using the words of some of our favorite locals, including The L Magazine, Impose, and Peru Ana Ana Peru, and displaying their 6-word stories in large scale canvases by artist Ian McGuillivray, as well as limited edition t-shirts from the Mama herself.

Worth checking out, for sure!

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The guys at Mikey's Hook-Up alerted us to their recent Ed Hardy-wearing shoplifters, and we say double no. No Ed Hardy, and no stealing. The duo took some Macbooks from the shop on North 6th, but got spotted right on the security cameras. If you recognize either of these d-bags, notify Mikey's and the police.

Posted by Elizabeth Brady at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

North 5th and Bedford

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

We apologize in advance for posting this, because it is the dumbest shit we have ever seen, and therefore hysterical.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 05:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Photo via Ben5000 on Flickr

Hugs. What are you, uh, trying to say here, buddy? I might be going out on a limb but it appears that you have turned your bunker-like bar into an exclusive tree fort that excludes "certain patrons," as Gothamist puts it.

No fitted hats? No sports attire? No long white t-shirts? No hoodies? No baggie [sic] jeans? No Timberlands? Being "selective"????? Are you serious?! Everyone, please, go to Hugs this weekend wearing all of these things and let us know what happens. Stay tuned to Gothamist in case Hugs answers their phone calls.

update: the sign has been removed, so says an internet commenter.

Posted by Brian Ries at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Quick notice: If you've got something going on this weekend, or are looking for something to do, head over to our Facebook page and let everybody know. So far it looks like you can see everyone from Organs to "the greatest all-japanese-girl punk/metal band EVER," The Hard Nips. This thread is helpful.

Posted by Brian Ries at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From The Guardian

I am not a hero. But I have a point of view. I have a stance. It humiliated me to see my country humiliated; and to see my Baghdad burned, my people killed. Thousands of tragic pictures remained in my head, pushing me towards the path of confrontation. The scandal of Abu Ghraib. The massacre of Falluja, Najaf, Haditha, Sadr City, Basra, Diyala, Mosul, Tal Afar, and every inch of our wounded land. I travelled through my burning land and saw with my own eyes the pain of the victims, and heard with my own ears the screams of the orphans and the bereaved. And a feeling of shame haunted me like an ugly name because I was powerless.

As soon as I finished my professional duties in reporting the daily tragedies, while I washed away the remains of the debris of the ruined Iraqi houses, or the blood that stained my clothes, I would clench my teeth and make a pledge to our victims, a pledge of vengeance.

The opportunity came, and I took it.

I took it out of loyalty to every drop of innocent blood that has been shed through the occupation or because of it, every scream of a bereaved mother, every moan of an orphan, the sorrow of a rape victim, the teardrop of an orphan.

I say to those who reproach me: do you know how many broken homes that shoe which I threw had entered? How many times it had trodden over the blood of innocent victims? Maybe that shoe was the appropriate response when all values were violated.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

We love how dumb, PG-13 stuff like this turns the Times into a blushing, incoherent, stammering, Midwestern housewife who spells hell with double hockey sticks:

Whatever Ernie Anastos, the longtime New York television news anchor, was trying to say, it did not come out right on Wednesday night. His inadvertent use of what could literally be called a barnyard epithet made him an unintended star on the Internet all day Thursday.

In the course of one of those familiar jocular exchanges, Mr. Anastos, the co-anchor on the 10 p.m. newscast on WNYW (Channel 5), seemed to be referring to the old commercial for Perdue chicken when he suggested to the weatherman, Nick Gregory, that “it takes a tough man to make a tender forecast.”

That was not the objectionable portion of the broadcast, but it may have befuddled some viewers because Perdue has not regularly used that phrase in its advertising since 1993. But then Mr. Anastos added a suggestion for what Mr. Gregory could do with the chickens, using a term that qualifies as the sine qua no-no of live television....

Bruce Greengart, 58, a retired civil servant from Midwood, Brooklyn, said: “You’re not supposed to say those words. Kids may be listening to this thing.”

After watching the clip, Heather Scott, 38, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, said, “Oh my God, what is he thinking?” She added: “We’ve all said things that are inappropriate. We’ve all done it, he happens to be broadcasting it.”

Not that she had heard the term that particular way. “What an odd phrase to use,” she said.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Comment of the Day: Amy, on naming the next cool beer: "i vote we cut the hive-mind shit and we each drink whatever beer we personally like."

Posted by Brian Ries at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

But have you seen it in slo-mo? [Thanks Kevin]

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 02:56 PM | Permalink

Pabst Blue Ribbon, or PBR as it's so affectionately called, has seen its sales rise 25% this year despite a crippling recession and price hike that brought a case to "$1.50 more than MillerCoors' Keystone, $1 more than Anheuser-Busch's Busch and Natural brands, and 50 cents more than Miller High Life." Hipsters, it's long been known, have led the charge in making PBR such a powerhorse in the shitty piss-water beer market. But when did this all start? Years ago, Ad age reports.

Back in 2004, Pabst executed a highly effective word-of-mouth campaign that made the long-declining brand an "ironic downscale chic" choice for bike messengers and other younger drinkers who viewed the beer as a statement of non-mainstream taste. PBR sales surged by nearly 17% that year, and have climbed at single-digit rates since, until this year, when the recession sent its sales soaring as more drinkers were pushed into the subpremium category.

You hear that? PBR is now subpremium, which by my scale is way too close to that "mainstream beer" that you all refuse to imbibe in. So what's next, PBR drinkers? Expect Monday Night Football commercials featuring dudes getting laaaaaid while holding footballs and throwing high fives.

It's time to let our Ribbon'd friend go, bike messengers and angry youths, and start the hunt for a new icon of the underground to slurp up with your rebellious lips.

My vote? Genny Cream Ale and/or Modelo. Or what if we all just drank Hugs, those little juice drinks that look like grenades. That'll get 'em. What's your vote?

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

From Matador:

After years of speculation, the most important American band of the Nineties is returning to the stage with the lineup of Mark Ibold, Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West reuniting for dates around the world in 2010. Please be advised this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion.

Described in their own Wikipedia entry as having experienced "moderate commercial success," Pavement's catalog for the Matador, Domino, Drag City and Treble Kicker imprints has come to define in the eyes of many the blueprint for independent rock over the past generation. An evidentiary compilation release is planned to coincide with the touring sometime in 2010.

The first show announced is a New York performance on September 21, 2010 at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. A pre-sale begins at 10:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 18, 2009 (tomorrow). The password for the pre-sale is ZOWEE and the ticketing link is http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00004330A3C355DD. The general on-sale is slated for 10:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 25, 2009. Please note that tickets will be available without surcharges from the Nokia Theatre box office in Times Square and from Earwax at 218 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.

Please visit http://www.crookedrain.com for details on this on-sale as well as all Pavement news as it develops.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I was already sitting at my computer on Monday when I "sat down" with Tao Lin (blog, twitter), author of the recently released Shoplifting From American Apparel, to have a little gchat about being fucked, Dan Brown's new book, and his new life as an internet t-shirt model.

I volunteered that we'd keep this interview embargoed until next week sometime, but am posting it now so the New York Times will see they're not the only ones breaking those things these days.

Here, have a look at what we talked about!

An Interview with Tao Lin, author of Shoplifting From American Apparel

me: hello

tao: hi

me: shall we chat?

tao: yes

(No, that's not it! There's more! After the jump...)

me: these questions are random and may resemble ink thrown at a wall, but ok!

tao: sounds good

me: the book, shoplifting from american apparel, obviously has a title that has people going 'hmmmmm.' how would you say "shoplifting" differs from straight-up theft? does it? is there a sense of reclaiming what's rightfully yours in the former?

tao: To me "straight-up theft" and "shoplifting" mean the same thing, to "gain[ing] ownership of something for free that the previous owner was selling."

me: ah. but in the book, the item in question was reclaimed, yea? so the title really only applies to the few seconds that you walked out before the big man took you inside. which is cool. i have nothing wrong with that.

tao: “Maybe.”

me: i've actually used the bathroom there, inside, at the american apparel on north 6th street. my girlfriend used to work there. how would you, or, sam, interpret that? is that fucked? or, poetic?

tao: "Seems good."

me: sam, whom some would call the "protagonist," is kinda "fucked," as you note, and it appears he may have put himself in that position, what with bailing on sheila and all. does he represent anything? you see the fucked generation as at fault or victims of a larger ploy?

(silence)

me: do u want to "pass"?

tao: (what do you mean, i responded)

tao: To me Sam is representative of a very small minority of "[whatever generation he is literally in]." I feel that Sam is not a victim, and that he is able to move through the world freely and in a manner that is satisfying to himself artistically and physically. Sam seems able to work to put himself into positions where he feels satisfied. I would say that Sam, when he says he is "fucked," is doing what he wants to do. Saying "I'm fucked" in a certain tone, with a certain amount of self-awareness, is satisfying in some ways to some people.

me: oh! didn't get that.

tao: (think one of our gchats might be broken)

me: weird. google. ok.

me: so, are you sam? or is sam someone you strive to be? or just straight-up fiction...

tao: Sam is a character I created using myself as a model. But it seems like “me” is also a character I am constantly “creating” using “myself” as a model.

me: the book is for sale, today of course, which is why we are talking. i'll be linking to amazing for peeps to buy it. how important is an amazon sales rank these days?

me: (amazing = amazon...freudian slip?)

tao: (hehe, damn)

tao: Seems important, to some degree. If any book sells an amount of copies, "thus" influencing the economy a certain amount, mainstream publications will "cover it" no matter what the book is about. The New York Times reviewed Dan Brown's new book yesterday I think.

me: yes they broke an embargo, which is apparently a big deal.

me: can we say this interview is embargoed until next week or something and then i can break it and you can tweet about how angry you are?

tao: Sounds good.

me: ok, i won't post this until next week due to our embargo.

me: it says "Gift-wrap available," but i imagine it's boring jeff bezos type shit. do you get to pick the gift wrap? if u could, what would you wrap it in?

tao: I would wrap Shoplifting from American Apparel in Bookforum pages maybe.

me: and if you had $100,000 to run a "viral campaign," what would you do?
for the book...

tao: Buy as many 2" x 2" ads in the next "the New Yorker" as $100,000 can get it.

me: There "might be an additional 15% charge for all bleed advertisements," says the New Yorker's media kit. That's frightening.

tao: Sounds "harsh."

me: you've recently entered the apparel business as an esteemed model for the iamcarles line of clothes. what is iamcarles aiming to do? and how's life as an internet model?

tao: Carles is pretty secretive about his plans for I Am Carles. But I think he wants to start his own airline company. Life as an internet model seems okay. I seem to have no opinion about it. I don't know what the other model, Bebe, thinks about me. I've been in group chats with her and Carles and she seems to ignore me.

me: thats a shame. bebe might be self-conscious about the other apparel line bebe.

me: the media was going crazy for a while there when everyone was scooping each other on the "are you carles?" beat. did you ever feel the the journalists/bloggers trying to get that scoop had shark eyes for the "crazy links" that the blog with the exclusive would get?

tao: Sort of, I think.

me: why are we all obsessed with crazy links? besides traffic, what does a link mean, and why are morning or afternoon link dumps so damn common?

tao: Are you talking about "hits?" If you're talking about "mad hits" it just seems better to have them than to not have them. I've never heard the term "crazy links."

me: when is your album dropping?

tao: ~2010.

And that's that. I hope you find yourselves more worldly, a tad bit more compassionate to animals, and confused. Perhaps to fix that, considering buying Tao's new book, Shoplifting from American Apparel, today.

[Key -> Me = Me, Brian Ries; Tao = Tao, Tao Lin]

Posted by Brian Ries at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

We make like this even more than the official video:

[via]

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The lovely folks over at Pitchfork TV are streaming Todd P Goes To Austin in it's (16 part) entirety, so in the words of director Jay Buim... Please feel free to watch it from the comfort of your home or on your company's dime at work. Here's a clip from the awesome SXSW documentary adventure (after the jump).

Foaming at the mouth for more info on Jay and the Todd P project? Just check out the FREEwilly interview!

Now, head over to Pitchfork and watch the whole thing from the begining...

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Though the Wall Street Journal just broke the trend a few months ago, Williamsburg has been the skinny jeans capital of the world for nearly a decade now. So without further ado, here's installment #04 of our Hipster-of-the-Month series, "Hipster With the Skinny Jeans"! This hipster is designed to sit on the edge of your desk or computer or whatever... his long legs dangling over.

And in case you've been wondering why skinny jeans are so popular in the first place, those arbitrators of cool over at WSJ have the scoop:

Explanations abound for why men would want to wear jeans that look so uncomfortable and impractical. Some fashion observers say skinny jeans' hold on certain men stems in part from the wearers' desire to show off their gym-sculpted bodies. [...]

The brands also hope the changes will make their skinny jeans appeal beyond the urban hipsters, skater-types, rockers and hip-hop fans who already wear them to men with meatier legs. "I'm an avid cyclist and need to have more room in my jeans because my quads are getting worked on so much," says Michael Ball, co-founder of premium denim brand Rock & Republic, which late last year added stretch to its men's skinny jeans [...]

Though the jeans may be getting easier to wear, the look isn't easy to pull off. The trick is to wear skinny jeans with slim-fitting shirts and pointy-toed dress shoes or dressy boots. Any squarish, loose or, worse still, boxy-fit sweater or shirt can make a man's proportions look out of whack and his legs way too skinny.

Thanks again to Bryan. And remember, send us photos/suggestions for future foldables!

DOWNLOAD THE HIPSTER IN SKINNY JEANS PDF HERE

Previously:
The Gutter Punk
The Hipster Grifter
Hip Kyp Malone

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

And by creepy, we mean wonderful. Evidently this was shot by the late Japanese artist Nagi Noda for the 2004 Athens Olympics. [via Lemdondrop]

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The debut record by folk supergroup Monsters of Folk—featuring Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), M. Ward (She & Him), and Mike Mogis (Saddle Creek)—isn't out until next month, but its streaming on Myspace. Let us know what you think in comments. [via]

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We secretly feel kinda bad for the guy since he's clearly crazy—and we're still proud of him for standing up against homophobia in hip hop—but this totally made us laugh. [via]

And let's not forget ODB did it first:

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 02:07 PM | Permalink

New York Times writer Jenny 8. Lee had an extraordinarily long wait for the 8th Avenue-bound L train last night.

Posted by Brian Ries at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Just a friendly reminder that today is Primary Day in NYC – get out and vote! Polls will be open from 6am to 9pm Tuesday, so registered Democrats should cast their votes for City Council, Mayoral, Comptroller, Public Advocate and more. If you aren't sure who is running in your district, you can access lots of information from the City's election site. (Hint: if you live in Greenpoint, Williamsburg or Bushwick, chances are you are part of the 33rd or 34th Districts.)

For more detailed info on the candidates, we suggest you take a look at NY1’s debate series, or one of the fantastic candidate profiles done by our friends at the Greenpoint Gazette. The Times also offers a relatively concise breakdown here.

Posted by Elizabeth Brady at 07:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Franklin Park Bar & Beer Garden in Crown Heights, BK
8:00pm - 10:00pm
618 St. John's Place, between Franklin and Classon Avenues
Subway: 2/3/4/5 trains to Franklin Avenue

"Come get crunk, shrunk, photographed and advised by Susan Shapiro and Frank Flaherty NY Times editor on how to rock the mic at your own rock star writer bash. Join veteran journalists and rising media stars for a night of lit, laughter and libation." - Pomp Online

Featuring:

Susan Shapiro (Speed Shrinking, Five Men Who Broke My Heart)
Frank Flaherty (The Elements of Story, New York Times editor)
Royal Young (Pomp & Circumstance Magazine)
Lori Bizzoco (The Bizz pomponline.com/SingleEdition.com/Dating Columnist)

Posted by Lauren Mooney at 12:20 PM | Permalink

Channeling her inner Serena Williams (who Saturday night told a line judge at the US Open, "I want to take this ball and shove it down your fucking throat."), twitterer RaychullTek brain-told fellow L train rider this morning, "hipster girl on L train, pick your organic fruit up off the seat before i punch it straight through your head."

So please mind your fruit, hipster women.

Posted by Brian Ries at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Needless to say, all you eligible bachelors out there could have polished up on your moves by emulating any of these vintage stallions:

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

"Complicated" by Keegan DeWitt from Keegan DeWitt on Vimeo.

This Sunday, September 13th @ Public Assembly (front room) you should go see Keegan DeWitt with Wakey Wakey & Parachute Musical. DeWitt goes on @ 8PM and it's $8.

FREE Williamsburg was lucky enough to interview him the other day - peep on for more reasons to check him out Sunday (other than us being there, duh). DeWitt talks about working with Aaron Katz, playing with Sigur Ros and Nashville vs. Brooklyn. Here is an MP3 of "Telephone" for your listening pleasure & my fave is his soundtrack to Quiet City which you can download on his website for FREE.

Where are you from and how do you think that has shaped you musically?

I was born in a small mountain town in Oregon called Bend. It's grown massively since I left, but when I was a kid, it was this amazing small/special place in the middle of the mountains. It was the high desert, so it'd be beautiful and sunny in the summer and snowing and incredible all winter. I moved to Portland when I was about 10 years old and spent the rest of my childhood there until I graduated early for film conservatory at 17.

Portland is the most essential piece of who I am, Portland and my family, and they seem much like the same thing. I can't entirely explain it except to say that it was the perfect mix of culture, care, nature and family.

Mainly, amazing and supportive mentors surrounded me. I had a screen/stage-writing mentor in Barry Hunt, another writing mentor and advisor in Kasey Church and on top of all that, my family. In New York, or anywhere for that matter, it's tough to find people who put a vested interest in you, and Portland (and the people in it) really played an integral part in me becoming a hungry/educated/ambitious artist.

When did you first pick up a guitar?

I learned piano first, when I was maybe 9 or 10. A couple years later I convinced my dad to get me a guitar. I had a couple lessons on each but am mostly self-taught, which is both a pain and a huge advantage. For me, the majority of the creative process is exploration. As much as it would be amazing to be able to explain music theory to a string section, it would also ruin a large amount of the mystery for me. A lot of times, if I've written a lot of songs recently on the guitar, it'll seem like there is nothing unknown about it for me... so I'll have to move to the piano, or open up logic and start sequencing something out. The idea of having to really discover something is the center of my process, I never sit down and go... lets write something sad in a c minor and have it crescendo up into a blah blah blah."
How does scoring a film differ from making an album?

Scoring a film allows me to do something totally separate from my music in that I can be as simple as possible. I create 75% of my score work based purely on improvisational recording/composition. I'll sit at the piano, drums, etc and either have the film in my mind, or actually be watching it. From there, I just record everything and start working. Then I can layer and layer, or subtract until something is absolutely simple.

Overall, my work (Islands and the scores) is cinematic in that it's primarily about "moments". It isn't necessarily topical in that way. All of my material will focus on the intangible smaller items of specific moments. Scoring films lets me do that in an even more concentrated way because there is a literal image hitting people's brains. And in that way, I get to ONLY say the intangible stuff. If two people are standing next to one another on the street, not speak, I can have one... and I mean one... simple/sad piano note, and it's like the ground just shook beneath their feet. That's amazing to me. It's also why I've never enjoyed John Williams or any massive film scores. There was no specificity, and no real definitive addition to the emotional life of the film in those (huge sweeping strings, big Timpanis). It was, in my mind, redundancy. I like to, in as simple a way as possible, say something truthful and intangible about what's happening on the screen.

How does Islands differ from your last album?

All of the other recordings demos or sketches. This is the first legit LP, where we sat down, crafted something from the top to the bottom, and really broke our backs to make it. This is the first definitive piece I've created, the other recordings that preceded it were random collections of songs I had amassed over my 6 years in New York.

What can you tell us about Cold Weather (upcoming Aaron Katz film)?

It's been a significantly different process than "Quiet City". The "Quiet City" score was created pretty quickly, and was entirely improvised (a lot like Dance Party USA). For Cold Weather, we finally had a budget, a production office, etc. Aaron and I started demoing cues very early. I was on the road playing guitar with Roman Candle in February and I was writing cues in the back of the van, sequencing it out in Logic as we bumped down the freeway. Once I got back to Nashville, I went up into the middle of nowhere in Indiana where my parents live and spent another week experimenting. At the time, we were trying to use organic found-sounds (foot steps, claps, water, rain, etc) and turn that into some sort of canvas. As we progressed along, we started to release that this was going to pull from the diegetic world of the film, so it started to shift into a "live/percussive" feel. We let it feel like there were pots and pans clanking inside of an orchestra. We took this idea into our scoring sessions, which lasted about 3 weeks, or so up in Brooklyn. We'd hold ourselves up in the production office, Aaron would be cutting and I'd be scoring and we'd stop each other and say, "Hey, check this out, let me know what you think". Although it felt a bit weird at first (to be scoring sitting right next to the director), our friendship and the improvisational foundation for everything made it a really fun experience.

What we ended up with is something really interesting. It's notably less emotional than "Quiet City" in some ways, but considerably more crafted... and not to a default. There are builds and swells and much more interaction between the score and the image throughout.

You live in Nashville and Brooklyn – 3 words to describe each place please!
Nashville: Beautiful Bike Rides
Brooklyn: Home. Youth. Love.

What it's like hanging out with Madi Diaz?

Madi and I became quick friends when she was visiting from Boston, trying to figure out whether Nashville was a good fit. We've definitely bonded, mainly being Northeasterners relocated to the south for the first time. We're also really similar in terms of our crazy work ethic. We are both so frantic and tireless about stuff, but when we spend time together, we kinda relax for a second and can appreciate that. We seem to both have that thing where you're hanging out with a bunch of friends and you're thinking "I've gotta get out of here, I have so much STUFF to be doing, I should be doing STUFF!" haha.

Madi is massively talented, that's really apparent from first meeting here. But the thing that I think is truly special about her is that I think she could be phenomenal at whatever she chose to do, she has all of the right intentions and focuses on the work. She can sing the hell out of almost anything, she can kill anyone at guitar, she could write a song that'd make you wanna quit in her sleep... but it kinda seems secondary to her, in a great way. She's focused on something outside of that stuff, which makes all those details seem effortless, which is fantastic and I appreciate and connect to.

How do you know Aaron Katz? What's it like working with him?

Aaron and I have been friends since freshman year of high school. We both attended a fine arts private high school in downtown Portland, Oregon that was run by a bunch of amazing lesbians and didn't have anything resembling a serious sports team. We would spend half of our days together in these long writing and acting classes with our mentor Barry Hunt. The funny thing is, it wasn't until the very end of our time at school together that we started to spend time together OUTSIDE of that. I left a year before him and went to NY for film conservatory, and I came back after one year, disillusioned and confused. We'd get in my car and drive around Portland all night, we'd find abandoned parking lots and sit and talk. This is where I feel like a lot of the grounds for "Dance Party USA" and "Quiet City" came from. We would talk about Antonioni and Terrence Malick and these other filmmakers that were really expanding our brains. We'd talk about the difference in the kind of relationships we were searching for versus the ones we kept seeing presented to us. That's the basis for "Quiet City", this idea of those special friendships/relationships built on small moments. That all stems from us driving around as 17 year olds.

In terms of working with Aaron, it's really simple. There are the normal pitfalls obviously, but those are consistent with ANYONE. You both battle to keep each other's interest. There will be a piece that I write that I love, and he'll have to listen to it one million times while editing and suddenly, he'll want something new. Or the reverse is possible too, he'll not care for something and have it in as a temp track, and then suddenly... he'll love it haha. Sometimes, I'll mail him 10 tracks, and he'll somehow pick the ONE that I really felt unsure about. That's all part of it. It's a great game of trust.

Where are you most excited to play live?

For me, New York is home, and it's always special to play there. Everyone in NY is so busy and so focused on what their hustling towards that it's such a privilege to get one evening of their time and get to share music with them. I ALWAYS appreciate that. For Europe, I can't wait for Paris. Paris is easily my favorite place on earth. The idea of spending some time there to write this upcoming record and tour is amazing. It's exactly what I would hope for. It will be a unique experience for sure.

Dream people to play with?

My dream night would be Damon Albarn performing with Mali Music, a solo piano set by Michael Nyman, a set by me (feeling silly in the company of ALL of these guys) and a closing slot by Sigur Ros. Come on.... it's possible?

Posted by Nicole Wasilewicz at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

My favorite neighborhood restaurant, Caracas, recently got their liquor license. Go get the Classic Hemingway Mojito and the La Del Gato Arepa if you know whats good for you.

Posted by Jackie Snow at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This weekend our neighborhood is serving up an almost overwhelming amount of cultural goodness. The Cult of MJ Chapel opening tonight, the TROUBLE Maze at Death By Audio, Bushwick's new Castle Braid space and the Brooklyn Artillery Fall Kickoff, and Brace For Impact at the Front Room Gallery are particularly on our radar.

And oh yea! There's also a free show going down at Bruar Falls on Saturday night. Brooklyn's own Lady Magma, Pass Kontrol and the Nasties are playing. The sets start at 9 pm, and there will be a down 'n dirty dance party afterwards.

Posted by Elizabeth Brady at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Farm-to-Table Chef for Busy New Yorkers: Sweet Deliverance from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

A cool, local video about Chef Kelly Geary, founder of Sweet Deliverance in Brooklyn. A Blue Hill trained chef with a soft spot for small organic NY farms and New Yorkers with busy schedules.

She's on a mission to help locals who want to take advantage of the farm-fresh produce in their area, but just don't have the time to cook. Sound familiar? Plus, all the food gets delivered right to your doorstep.

You can sign up for the winter season food deliveries that start in October. It's organic. No stress. Worth looking into...

Posted by Liza de Guia at 09:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Brooklyn's Pearl and the Beard just posted this cute little temptation to their Myspace:

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! CALLING ALL PEOPLE WHO'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE IN A MUSIC VIDEO OF DYNAMIC PROPORTIONS!!!

Dear PatB bestest friends ever (Are you still wearing your necklace? Because we are.),

We are filming a music video for our WILL SMITH MEDLEY in collaboration with the Goddamn Cobras, and we need your help!

In our song, dedicated to the artistry of dear Mr. Smith, we include 8 of his most beloved and well-known songs. We need 8 different locations to perform this song live to 8 different groups of people. Filming will take place in one day, guerrilla style, on Saturday, September 19. Think of it as a Will Smith Medley Musical Scavenger Hunt.

We are asking you, our most trusted allies, to choose the 8 locations at which we will perform and film the video. Does your workplace need a 15-minute Pearl and the Beard break? Do you know a group of fireman desperately in need of a cameo? Does your boss' birthday party need a surprise pick-me-up? Be creative! Not only will your idea be chosen if it's totally awesome, but you, your grandma's bridge class, your marching band troop, your co-workers, or your pack of Chesapeake Bay Retrievers will get to be in our music video! It doesn't matter if people know Will's work or not; in fact, it makes it more interesting if they don't!

Your submission must have the following:

1. Name of location and address/description of location.

2. Contact name and phone number.

3. If your location is time sensitive (i.e., building availability, synchronization with crashing a pre-planned event, etc.), please include a specific time preference.

4. Tell us about your location choice, and why you think we should choose yours over someone else's.

5. Send your responses to pearlandthebeard@gmail.com

The Rules:

1. It's got to be legal (sorry, kids).

2. It has to be on the island of Manhattan (sorry, Brooklyn).

3. Be creative! Want to wear wigs? Sport all blue? Choreograph a dance routine with The Rockettes? Bring your favorite Will Smith memorabilia? Teach a group of kindergartners the songs? It's up to you!

4. Our rule: Pearl and the Beard has to perform our Will Smith Medley at all 8 locations within the course of the allotted time frame! Give us a challenge. Make us sweat!

-LISTEN TO THE WILL SMITH MEDLEY HERE!

Alright, get brainstorming!

The last day to send us your submissions is September 15th, next Tuesday!

With so much love it's gross,

Pearl and the Beard

Posted by Jackie Snow at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Image c/o Gowanus Lounge

In Jack Goldstein and the CalArts Mafia, Robert Longo relays how crazy and different Jack Goldstein was for making his studio home-base in Williamsburg during the 1970s. Like many others of his time, Goldstein was one of the first wave of artists to take advantage of its cheap rent and massive spaces, a situation that gave birth to one generation of artists and musicians to the next.

Jumping to present day Kent Avenue's glass tower promenade, it's hard to imagine the opportunity (and poverty) that infiltrated Williamsburg at that time; it seems that those days--if they still exist-- are numbered. Loren Munk of the James Kalm Report recently spoke to Art:21 about the last days of artists in Williamsburg. You can read/watch here.

Posted by Lisa Baldini at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Rusel Parish, a Michael Jackson artist and now leader and spokesperson for the newly arrived Cult of Michael Jackson, is opening a chapel for worshipers on North 6th this Friday, "despite the tragic passing of the object of its obsession."

With his "years of experience and study working in the image of Michael Jackson through paintings, drawings, and sculpture," Parish hopes to recruit "believers" to help turn the late singer's songs into scripture, spread the love, and "move forward with plans" that he's been working on since 2008. Those plans, I hope, are not apocalyptic, and rather focus on making the world a better place for you and for me.

The Cult of Michael Jackson chapel, located at 168 North 6th Street, will open this Friday, 9/11, at 6pm and stick around through October. Like every good cult's chapel opening in Williamsburg, they'll be hosting an after party. It's at Hope Lounge, with BBQ & drink specials from 9-11. It's gonna be thrilling.

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

One of Jordan Seiler's National Bestseller pieces recently popped up in the phonebooth at Metropolitan and Lorimer.

On his site, he explains the project:

National Bestseller is an ongoing project happening on a bi-weekly basis in NYC Phonebooths. Each piece is created using a single national bestseller or popular modern title. This book is then released of its spine and wheat pasted back together into a single sheet. For every 9 regular pieces I put up there will be a tenth like the one pictured below. These images, accompanied by a red treatment serve as a counting system for what will surely be a large project. If you see a red one, know there are probably 9 others nearby.

It is constructed of wheat-pasted pages from Elizabeth George's 1993 murder mystery For the sake of Elena, which follows the winding last path of a murdered deaf student at Cambridge University.

Here's a photo via Wooster Collective, and below the jump feel free to peruse the embedded book preview.

Posted by Brian Ries at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Driggs and North ?

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Union Pool is screening Ruthless Films' "Wildwood, NJ" - a 1994 documentary and unintentional precursor to MTV's "True Life: I'm a Jersey Shore Girl" - at 9pm tonight. @UnionPool also announced that Maker's Mark will be providing cocktails.There's probably no better way to bid adieu to summer than by sipping whiskey and laughing at beach-folk's personal problems and social myopia, so post-Labor Day Tuesday is perfect timing to see the movie.

Watch the video below for a sample of the amazingness that was mid-'90s Wildwood. SPOILER: fake nails, heterosexual whimsy, and girls who love physical altercations abound. If you can't be on hand at the screening tonight, you can also buy a copy of "Wildwood, NJ" directly from Ruthless' website (highly recommended).

Posted by Elizabeth Brady at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Today!

| Golden Triangle
|| K-Holes
||| Knyfe Hyts 81
|||| Cult of Youth
||||| Barry London and Brad Truax
|||||| Georgiana Starlington
||||||| X-Ray Eye Balls
|||||||| DubbKnowDubb
||||||||| Trilateral Commission
|||||||||| Buckets of Blood
||||||||||| Bezoar
|||||||||||| TRYCRYTRY
||||||||||||| Andrew Deutch
|||||||||||||| Psychothriller/ Big June and the Supple Moon
||||||||||||||| Advaita Vera
|||||||||||||||| Knives Everywhere
||||||||||||||||| Backoff Track
|||||||||||||||||| the Yes Way
||||||||||||||||||| Lionshare
|||||||||||||||||||| Le Rug w/ Fiasco
||||||||||||||||||||| Animal
|||||||||||||||||||||| special guests and more

|| dj Hairwaves, Artur, and Matt Mikas

|| 2 ART OPENINGS OUTDOOR INSTALLATIONS ALL DAY BBQ

| MONSTER ISLAND |
210 Kent Ave @ Metropolitan Ave | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Bedford, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy | free | all ages | 3pm-midnight

[pictured: Cult of Youth]

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Greenpoint's transformed little record shop, EAT Cafe, is now doling out CSA shares to neighborhood locals looking to enjoy farm fresh goodness.

Until November, you can sign up (on a weekly basis) to pick up a "Straight Out of the Ground" box full of the latest vegetables coming into season in the NY area. And, apparently, the food is picked the same day it's delivered. We just signed up. It set us back only $30. Looking forward to seeing what comes in next week!

FYI - Weekly pick-ups happen on Wednesdays from 6-10pm.

Posted by Liza de Guia at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Yacht is playing a (secret?) surprise show tonight at Glasslands (289 Kent Ave). They go on around 10:30. The band is in town after filming an upcoming episode of Dinner with the Band for IFC, shot out of a converted loft somewhere in this fine city.

Posted by Brian Ries at 09:34 AM | Permalink

by Dave Thomas
[Check out Dave's amazing new project straight2dvdmovies.com]

Extract

The month begins and ends with thrillers about people who live their lives through androids or other people while they stay at home. Think Hollywood's getting a little passive aggressive about people who don't go out to the movies?

September 4

GAMER

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Gamers control real-life death row inmates as if they were characters in an first-person shooter.

WILL IT SUCK?
From the guys who gave you Crank and Crank 2, so expect lots of stylized action...and not much else. Interesting cast: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Zoe Bell, Alison Lohman, Milo Venitmiglia, John Leguizamo, Keith David, Kyra Sedgwick, Efren Ramirez, Sam Witwer, and Chris 'Ludacris" Bridges.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Probably about as well as any late summer/early fall action flick (like, say, Crank). $28mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
I'm not sure the Academy knows what a gamer is.

------------------------------------------------------------------

EXTRACT

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Factory Space

WILL IT SUCK?
Mike Judge (Office Space, Idiocracy) has a proven track record. Cast is hot: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristin Wiig, J.K. Simmons, and David Koechner.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Will probably do well for a Mike Judge film, which isn't very good. $20mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If they didn't recognize Office Space...

------------------------------------------------------------------

CARRIERS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
You know those tough who lives/who dies decisions you have to make during a zombie attack? Same ones generally come up during a global viral outbreak.

WILL IT SUCK?
Impossible to tell. It didn't get a release date until star Chris Pine made it big in some Star Trek movie. Writing/directing team fairly fresh on the scene. Trailer looks scary as hell (although, as usual, they ruin it with that stupid post-credit "scare" shot).

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I don't know that Chris Pine fans (is that a thing yet?) are going to necessarily be psyched about a horror film. $15mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Not unless Meryl Streep is playing the virus.

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ALL ABOUT STEVE

(Delayed from March)

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Sandra Bullock stalks Bradley Cooper. But, you know, in a cute way.

WILL IT SUCK?
You lost me at "from the writer of License to Wed." And the supporting cast looks much more interesting than the leads: Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong, DJ Qualls, Keith David, M.C. Gainey and Jason Jones. Can they make the movie with just them?

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Not sure why this was delayed, but now that Bradley Cooper has arrived (thank you Hangover) and Sandra Bullock has returned (thank you Proposal) this seems a more likely slam dunk. $54mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Bullock might go for it in The Blind Side in November, but not here.

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NO IMPACT MAN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy tries to live without a carbon footprint for a year. Drives his family crazy.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. By the way, this used to be a blog.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It won't quite be An Inconvenient Truth. $500,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
It won't quite be An Inconvenient Truth.

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September 11
------------------------------------------------------------------

9 (September 9)

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
The last remaining form of life on Earth teams up with eight others like himself to battle our new robot masters.

WILL IT SUCK?
If it's at all like the Academy Award-nominated short on which it's based, it should be pretty cool. Same writer/director, with an assist from a Corpse Bride and Monster House co-writer.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Good on 'em for scoring the 9-9-09 release date ahead of Rob Marshall's adaptation of the musical Nine, but Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballls the following week will suck up that oxygen right quick. $20mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
An easy sell for Best Animated.

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TYLER PERRY'S I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Taraji P. Henson gets stuck mentoring some kids who tried to break into Madea's house. Oh, and she meets some hot latin boarder.

WILL IT SUCK?
Overlooking for a moment that the url for the film's Web site spells out ICANDOBADMOVIE.COM, I'm sure Henson will be magnificent.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a little bit of an issue the following week but, let's face it, Perry's only getting stronger. Throw in Mary J. Blige singing the title track and this could be Perry's first title to break $100 mil. $101mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Currently, Perry's highest-rated work on IMDb is an episode of House of Payne.

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SORORITY ROW

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
I Know What You Did Last Semester

WILL IT SUCK?
The only point of interest in this remake of The House on Sorority Row is that Rumer Willis is now old enough to star in a remake of The House on Sorority Row.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Whiteout provides a little bit of competition this week, but far more comes from Jennifer's Body the next. $19mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
There are probably enough films released each year to have a Best Horrror Remake category, but why would you?

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WHITEOUT

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Kate Beckinsale investigates strange goings-on at a scientific research base in Antarctica.

WILL IT SUCK?
Apparently this Dark Castle production's been around for a while (it was promoted at Comic Con 2007), which is not a great sign. A worse sign is that half the writers did House of Wax and The Reaping, two other Dark Castle titles. And Dark Castle titles tend to suck. That's the other bad sign.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Pretty much in the same pickle as Sorority Row, but with a name actress. $25mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No.

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BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Reporter gets himself put on trial to expose a corrupt D.A. (Michael Douglas). Guess how well that goes.

WILL IT SUCK?
I've always had a soft spot for director Peter Hyams, even though he hasn't done anything special since Running Scared. Here he reteams with Douglas for the first time since The Star Chamber. Early buzz is relatively good. Getting the same rating on IMDb as the 1956 film upon which it's based. With Amber Tamblyn and Orlando Jones.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Probably the biggest cast of any limited release around. $3mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
That's okay. They didn't like the original, either.

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WHITE ON RICE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Middle-aged man competes with younger co-worker for the affections of a younger woman.

WILL IT SICK?
Early buzz is off the heezy. No synopsis is really gonna do this justice, so you should just check out the trailer. You'll recognize James Kyson Lee as Ando from Heroes.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Distributor Variance has really got its work cut out for it without any major studio or festival support, it may just come down to word of mouth, which should be solid. $1mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
The same way they remember other quirky comedies like Napoleon Dynamite.

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September 18
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CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy invents machine that makes food fall from the sky. CG animated version of the children's classic.

WILL IT SUCK?
What little footage has trickled out is getting good buzz. From the minds behind Clone High (heard it was good) and a few How I Met Your Mother's (know that's good) and Extreme Movie which, to be fair, had about 352 writers.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Is it just me or is it brilliant to release this in September with virtually no other kid's competition? $125mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
I think the Best Animated category is still pretty wide open.

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JENNIFER'S BODY

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Demon-possessed cheerleader (Megan Fox) starts devouring boys while mentoring the (in my opinion, way hotter) class ugmo (Amanda Seyfried).

WILL IT SUCK?
Even more interesting to me than Juno scribe Diablo Cody writing the screenplay is Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, and let's forget about Aeon Flux) directing, because how many times do you have a horror film written and directed by women?

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Teen audience compromised by Fame the following week, but this has Megan Fox. $40mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Even a Diablo Cody horror script will run up against the Academy anti-horror bias.

------------------------------------------------------------------

LOVE HAPPENS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Self-help guru (Aaron Eckhart) falls for self-help attendee (Jennifer Aniston).

WILL IT SUCK?
I got concerned when I saw that the writers penned Dragonfly. And when will Judy Greer graduate from best friend status?

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I won't say Aniston is unstoppable, but it's not a good idea to bet against her. $89mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Well, maybe you can bet against her here.

------------------------------------------------------------------

THE INFORMANT!

WHAT'S THE PITCH!
The Insider but, you know, funny.

WILL IT SUCK!
Based on the Kurt Eichenwald novel about the true crime Archer Midland Daniels price fixing scandal. His Enron book is next up for adaptation. Steven Soderbergh directs, and I'll pretty much watch anything he makes, even if it sucks. This is looking more like Ocean's 11, though, than The Good German. The screenwriter co-wrote The Bourne Ultimatum, and the cast - Matt Damon, Tony Hale, Patton Oswalt, Clancy Brown, Eddie Jemison and Paul F. Tompkins - is promising.

By the way, does anyone else think the poster is a 40 Year Old Virgin rip?

HOW WELL WILL IT DO!
Corporate greed movies tend to have a glass ceiling, even with Matt Damon. $50mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME!
The Insider but, you know, without any nominations.

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BRIGHT STAR

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Story of the true-life romance between John Keats and Fanny Brawne, the inspiration for his eponymous poem.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is the best writer/director Jane Campion has had since The Piano. Better, if you believe IMDb, where this is her top-rated film.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Another strong woman on the indie horizon in Coco Before Chanel, and that one's played by Audrey Tatou. $1mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Campion's been to the show and has the Best Original Screenplay Oscar to prove it. Abbie Cornish, who plays Brawne, could be in for some Academy love, especially if the film does better than I predict.

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THE BURNING PLAIN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Interracial, forbidden love ensemble piece.

WILL IT SUCK?
Written and direced by Guillermo Arriaga, who wrote all those kick-ass Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu flicks (not to mention The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada). Early buzz is split. Some like it better than the work he did for Inarritu. Some really don't.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Best bet would be to play up the Inarritu angle, even though the two famously split post-Babel. $3mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
With better reviews, the presence of two Oscar winners (Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger) in lead roles might make more of a difference. As it is, seems more of a long shot.

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PARIS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Ensemble piece in which a dying man observes the lives of those living around him in, uh, some city in France.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Editing at the Cesar Awards (French Oscars).

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
You know what French movie is going to make some scratch this month? Coco Before Chanel. $500,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Not to beat a dead horse, but Coco has just as much chance to be France's foreign language submission.

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September 25
------------------------------------------------------------------

SURROGATES

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
In a world (can you believe I've never started a synopsis with that before!? It's so exciting!) where people live their lives through android avatars, one man (Bruce Willis, natch) must figure out how someone is killing real people by killing their robot counterparts.

WILL IT SUCK?
Director Jonathan Mostow has done some good thrillers (U571, Breakdown) and the writers have done a good thriller (The Game) and some not so much (The Net, Catwoman). They all worked on Terminator: Rise of the Machines which was okay, so...probably a good premise not exploited to its full potential is what we have in store.

Oh, and if I were Bruce Willis choosing my surrogate I would not choose that hair. Or Ving Rhames'.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Not much in the way of action right now, so this could stand a chance. $50mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No, but how many Academy members do you think would send their 20-year-old surrogates in their place to the ceremony if they could?

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FAME

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Step Up 2 the Remake

WILL IT SUCK?
The original Fame was directed by Alan Parker (Mississippi Burning, Pink Floyd: The Wall, The Commitments). This one was directed by a guy who did some Pussycat Dolls eps. And with that, we know why this film is being remade.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
People watch that Pussycat Dolls shit. $59mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
The original Fame was nominated for six Oscars and won two (Best Music & Song). Somehow I don't think that's going to happen here.

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PANDORUM

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Two spaceship crewmembers wake up in deep space with no idea what's going on. And that's when the CHUDs come after them. (I don't know if it's CHUDs actually, but some bad shit goes down).

WILL IT SUCK?
The involvement of Paul W.S. Anderson at any level makes me suspicious (here he produces), but I love me some Ben Foster and the latest trailer actually looks pretty intriguing.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The horror contingent is pretty well covered this month, and Zombieland is just around the corner. $28mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No, but mark my words, Ben Foster will get a nod someday (he was rumored to be a contender for 3:10 to Yuma).

------------------------------------------------------------------

COCO BEFORE CHANEL

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Coco Begins

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. Director Anne Fontaine (The Girl From Monaco) directs and co-writes with her sister. Audrey Tatou stars as Coco Chanel.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
About as good a shot as any foreign film could hope for, with a recognizable star and subject. $11mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Tatou could get the nod she already deserved for Amelie.

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BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
In an effort to find out WTF is up with men after her boyfriend suddenly dumps her, a graduate student starts interviewing men for her dissertation.

WILL IT SUCK?
John Krasinski writes and directs based on the novel by David Foster Wallace. Could be worth it just to see some of these interviews. Subjects are portrayed by the likes of Timothy Hutton, Bobby Cannavale, Will Arnett, Will Forte, Christopher Meloni, Josh Charles, Frankie Faison, and Krasinski himself. Early buzz is mixed.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I think normally the combo of Krasinski and Wallace would be catnip to the arthouse crowd, but with these reviews, that might be tempered a bit. $750,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Again, the reviews hurt.

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THE BOYS ARE BACK

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Recently widowed man (Clive Owen) copes with single fatherhood.

WILL IT SUCK?
From director Scott Hicks, who lost some credibility with No Reservations, but will never really lose credibility after Shine. From a guy who wrote Prime Suspect 2 for British TV, so he has to be good.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
With a feel-good trailer like this, I could actually see this being marketed wide. $7mil.

Next Month: Michael Moore, The Coen Brothers, and (seriously this time) Ricky Gervais. And that's just the first week.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Gus Porter gets mauled by a bear, but he won't let the socialist Canadian health care fix him up, so he'll hike back to America. This would be funny if it didn't pretty much reflect the substance of the debate. [via]

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

Meet the grown ass men who like to throw a party once a month to ask you " Where Are You From ??? "

Photo by: Yunice Kang

Profession:
Dave: Sports Television Production, The Ohio Party DJ
Nate : Baseball Player, The Ohio Party DJ
Joe: Music Biz, The Ohio Party DJ

Your Spotted for the unique Ohio Parties you host, how and when did this idea sprout about in Brooklyn?
We were tired musically of what's going on in Wiliamsburg and wanted to give people (ourselves included) an experience that was real and fun. We're not trying to sound like some hard motherfuckers or haters, but have you seen us.....? - Just kidding. But seriously, we just wanted to throw a fun party with all of our friends. We moved to New York about 7 years ago as part of a sort of mass exodus of friends from Cleveland. We all see each other pretty often, but we wanted to make sure everyone stayed together and had a chance to stay up to date on what each other are doing and rock out together at least once a month. Our buddy Larry Hyland put us on at Matchless and we set up OHIO PARTY.com

How do you kids know each other?
First off, we ain't no kids - we're grown ass men. As for how we met, we pretty much came together for the party. Dave assembled the crew - he knew Joe and Nate and knew we all listen to the same type of music and we all play vinyl and the concept for the party just sort of came together after that.

You have such a loyal following, whats the catch? Other than reppin the 216 and the 440 zip, what makes your parties so different?
Pretty much we love the music we play and people can tell. We don't take it too seriously. We have fun. We play vinyl. And people appreciate it. We also make t-shirts every month and then give them away to people at the party. And it's all free. We don't really know. People just like to come out and talk about where they come from and have fun. Oh, and we have a lot of help. Yunity Yunice takes pictures and Raspypoo Doyle takes care of the merchandise. They're the best.

When and where is the next Ohio Party so we can all attend?
Saturday, September 5th. 11 pm. The party is the first Saturday of every month at Matchless in Greenpoint.

Do you have any favorite hangout spots?
Ever heard of this place called the Hamptons? Yes? No? We mostly kick it at home, record shops, the Statue of Liberty etc.

Any claims to fame?
We're not famous. But we should be. We're making a good push with this party thing. That's actually another motivation to be doing this - straight fame.

If I am not from Ohio, am I still cool?
Fuck yeah. The dirty secret of Ohio Party is Joe isn't from Ohio, but we had to make him an honorary citizen based on the fact that he fucking rocks.This party isn't just for people from Ohio, it's for anyone who loves good music and in general is on some good shit. For a while, we had a state of the month where say if you were from california you'd drink free, but it didn't really work. No one ever really knew what state was the state of the month and then some girl freaked out on us - she was yelling about how Texas was supposed to be the state of the month and she ripped our poster off the wall before we had to get Louie, the security guy at Matchless, to get her ass out of there. But yeah, even if you're not from Ohio, you're welcome to come. We're very inclusive.

Make sure to check them out this Saturday at Matchless!

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

As opposed to "spiritedly competing," Bowery Presents and Williamsburg's upturned collar the Brooklyn Bowl have "mutually realized that [they] should work together, rather than compete against one another." This brings the venue into the same party tent as the Bowery Ballroom, the Music Hall of Williamsburg, the Mercury Lounge, and Terminal 5. Josh Moore, the Music Hall's promoter, will now be the lead talent booker at BB. Their release is after the jump. But, before you go, this isn't such a bad thing.

Brooklyn Vegan notes it "will continue to occasionally program its own events too, and continue to work with various promotional partners (for instance partnering with JellyNYC to make the bowling alley / music venue the official afterparty location of the Pool Parties this summer)."

Starting today, the two organizations will collaborate to bring ticketed and free shows to Brooklyn Bowl. Josh Moore of The Bowery Presents (TBP) has been named lead talent buyer for Brooklyn Bowl, in addition to his ongoing duties as talent buyer for the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Brooklyn Bowl will continue to occasionally program various aspects of its entertainment schedule, including events with DJs, bands, and multimedia showcases. Brooklyn Bowl will also continue to work with various promotional partners including Jelly NYC, Flavorpill, The Fader/Cornerstone, DFA, Finger On The Pulse, Learned Evolution, Velour, and more.

"We watched Brooklyn Bowl grow from the ground up," says Moore. "The project was indeed ambitious but it was so well conceived and executed -- it just worked. We are also excited to be in business with our good friends, Peter Shapiro and Charley Ryan, who did an amazing job bringing the venue to life. After spiritedly competing on bookings over the past few weeks we mutually realized that we should work together, rather than compete against one another."

Posted by Brian Ries at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, because he likes them! And he wants to "push hip-hop," as he tells MTV:

"They're an incredible band," he said. "The thing I want to say to everyone — I hope this happens because it will push rap, it will push hip-hop to go even further — what the indie-rock movement is doing right now is very inspiring. It felt like us in the beginning. These concerts, they're not on the radio, no one hears about them, and there's 12,000 people in attendance. And the music that they're making and the connection they're making to people is really inspiring. So, I hope that they have a run where they push hip-hop back a little bit, so it will force hip-hop to fight to make better music, because it can happen, because that's what rap did to rock."

Ok, that's all fine and dandy. But my, such great timing with The Blueprint 3 Jay. Well played, sir. Well played. I really like Ghetto Techno, and I can't say for sure that I would've streamed it without seeing you on Sunday. But, I woulda heard it somewhere. Can't avoid these things, can we.

photo c/o Michael Rusch

Posted by Brian Ries at 05:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Thanks Kevin

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We were beginning to get the shakes from Auto-Tune the News deprivation. Welcome back!

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

From the Free Stuff section on CL:

87 - 100 bottles of soy sauce

various brands

may or may not be expired

ready to take away

located here.

Posted by Jackie Snow at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[via]

After the jump, the opening scene to Woody Allen's classic. (And my favorite opening scene from any film, well, ever).

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

After watching this sex tornado short trailer for Heads & Tails, an indie TV pilot about a handful of bi boys and girls who sleep with the same handful of boys and girls that looks to have been shot at Huckleberry Bar, I have to admit, I am curious!

As self-described, the show "follows seven intertwined New Yorkers grappling with love and relationships as their views on sexuality collide." The site's profile then asks, "Can you handle both sides?" I don't know! After watching that trailer, I don't think I can? Not that it's bad or anything but it needs a dog or a grandma or someone to offer a stabilized viewing position where I can be like, OK, she's off limits, no one's going to make out with her, or love on her. Otherwise it's kinda like LOST, and everyone's fucking Sawyer. Basically, we need a Hurley here. Maybe I'll go see if one exists later tonight.

Until we hear more on this sloppy love cycle of Hucklesex, we'll be keeping an eye on the bathrooms. Or our hearts. Because it seems that after all, this story is "really about the messiness of love - no matter whether you're gay, straight or somewhere in between." Aw, lessons to be learned!

The filmmakers will be screening the pilot tonight at Huckleberry (588 Grand St.) at 7pm. And yes, they have a Twitter.

Watch two more clips after the jump!

Posted by Brian Ries at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

And you can check out four tracks here. Sounds solid, but not all all what you'd expect. (He sings on the first track!). Start with the fourth song, "Feelin'." We can't wait to hear the whole record. From Pitchfork:

Kamaal the Abstract, the Q-Tip album that J Records refused to release in 2001, is finally coming out. On September 15, Battery Records will release the heavily experimental mindfuck of an album, which is more of a squelchy jazz-funk record with occasional rapping than an actual rap album. That's the cover above. Tip, evidently, is very proud of his drapes.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Your many local city council candidates will be out and about tonight in a candidates' debate for what might be your best and last chance to admire the range of local transportation issues and general affability of our future representatives.

City Council candidates in the 33rd district, including Isaac Abraham, Kenneth Baer, Douglas Biviano, Kenneth Diamondstone, Stephen Levin, Jo Anne Simon, and Evan Thies, will debate transportation, focusing on "the bicycle network, congestion pricing, truck traffic, pedestrian safety and public space," in an event sponsored by Transportation Alternatives and sponsored by NAG. It starts at 7 and is at Automotive High School (50 Bedford Avenue).

Meanwhile, over in the 34th, Diana Reyna's supporters are out slapping her signs on construction sites, taking the street artist approach that we're all so familiar with. Maybe they should get Judith Supine on the case and crown the W'burg bridge?

If you're not sure which district you live in, use this map to find your home, and come out! It'll be fun. Local politics is always so dramatic, so don't fear boredom.

Posted by Brian Ries at 09:52 AM | Permalink

South 6th and Berry

Posted by Clarissa Roudabush at 12:47 AM | Permalink