The Underground Lobster Pound: A Purist, An Apartment & The Perfect Lobster Roll
Meet Ben Sargent, a Boston born and bred die-hard traditionalist when it comes to seafood.
Ben's got a bone…actually, make that cartilage to pick with New York City's lobster rolls, claiming that most New Yorkers don't know what a 'real' lobster roll is, the kind he grew up on eating dockside in Cape Cod and Boston.
So, aiming to educate, he opened The Underground Lobster Pound, a questionably legal underground lobster shack out of his basement apartment in Brooklyn, welcoming friends, strangers and die-hard lobster roll aficionados to get a true taste of what “God had a hand in creating”…the true version of the Northeast lobster roll. It's a roll he believes in and the start of a lobster roll and chowder shack he hopes to build in the near future.
Please enjoy this little tale about a man re-discovering his true purpose in life, and take a moment to think if you've truly tasted the perfect lobster roll, if not... well, you've still got time.
To find Ben & his semi-secret underground lobster pound, you can DM me on Twitter and I'll give you his ordering number, or friend him off his website at http://www.brooklynchowdersurfer.com/
What do you get the Fucked Up fan who already has everything? How about a custom made, one-of-a-kind copy of their new, only-available-at-fine-indie-retailers, Couple Tracks 7″ with YOU on the cover art? If you win this contest, we will add your photo to the outlined area of the cover art above and ship this one of a kind record to your door. Kinda cool, I know.
So how then do you get yourself immortalized on this 1 of 1 Couple Tracks 7″ cover? Simple. Gather together all your Fucked Up singles and display them in some way. Sure, your collection can be laid out on your bed but we’ll look favorably upon people who go the extra mile here. What’s the “extra mile”? Hard to say. Impress us. Feel free to take inspiration from Extreme Ironing. Prove yourself to be worthy of this honor.
Send your submissions to CoupleTracksContest@gmail.com by Feb. 6th
Its curator, Liz Dimmitt, told NBC, "Gawker is pretty hard to shock -- everyone here is used to crazy things going on in the office. Employees don't remember that [the art] is up when they have someone in for a meeting and suddenly [they realize] there's an Asian woman having sex with the Presidents over the receptionist's desk."
Guesses as to which employee got the Hitler lap dance welcome in the comments.
N.Y. “PB-ART CONTEST” SUBMISSION PARTY!
THUR 1.28.09 @ The Suffolk bar
Doors 9PM w/ DJ ILAN
4 categories to chose from (2D, 3D, Photography/Digital Media, & Poetry) & 3 ways to enter:
1) Submit your PBR artwork onsite between 6-8PM Day-of for display & to be entered into the contest
2) Produce PBR artwork live at the party for submission (Paint, Markers, Canvas, Paper, Brushes will be provided onsite).
3) Submit PBR artwork online at www.pbrart.com from home!
4 national grand prize winners will receive: $1893 + one year’s supply of PBR! 4 Runner-up prize winners will receive: $631 and 4 months of beer. There will also be tons of PBR Swag and Give-aways
@ The Suffolk - 107 Suffolk Street (bet Rivington & Delancey)
Download the track that's been making me want to jump on my bed in bad 90s sitcom fashion here. Montreal's We Are Wolves will be opening at Hot Chip's record release party on Feb. 6th at Brooklyn Bowl, and they drop their own album, Invisible Violence, on Feb. 2nd.
Try and tell me "Blue" doesn't sound like a young Ozzy singing on an old !!! (Chk Chk Chk) track? It's the goods.
Local Natives released the video for "Airplanes" a few days ago and I haven't been able to stop watching it-- maybe not with the same grossed out hypnosis "Brothersport" induced, but hypnotizing none the less... in a if-a-ghost-with-great-taste-decided-to-mess-with-your-grandma's-house kind of way. Finishing the prank with the explosion of a garbage disposal, of course:
Local Natives are currently gearing up for a spring tour for their debut LP, Gorilla Manner, out on Frenchkiss Records, February 16th. We'll be sure to let you know if any New York dates pop up... Maybe even some free tickets from your friends here at FREEwilly...
There's a party at The Woods tonight called Hot Pursuit with the DJ's of VHS or BETA, Kids with Snakes, and Gavin Royce. Your presence has hereby been requested and they ask you "put on your whiskey hat," should you own one. Last we checked, photog Nicky Digital was 4sq mayor of the joint that's on the fastest track yet to replace Union Pool as "the new Union Pool," and he'll be there shooting tonight so look hot to be pursued.
Starts at 10, goes till 4, drinks are cheap and the tacos are delicious. Here's the Facebook event.
There are blogs and websites about them. You can buy fake ones on etsy. The hipster grifter even had a tattoo devoted to them. New Yorkers, it seems, have a beard thing. And now they have a ball to celebrate.
The folks behind the blog Build a Beard are throwing the Beard Ball, next Thursday, Feb 4 at the bar Matchless in Greenpoint. The event will feature three bearded bands (Transatlantic FM, Quiet Loudly, and Julius C) a raffle and drink specials. Tickets are $5, and go to support RightRides.org, that awesome group that gives late night rides home to "women, LGBTQ and gender nonconforming individuals."
Can't grow a full beard? Don't worry. They promise the event will be welcoming of all types of facial hair creativity.
Check out this great behind-the-scenes video from P4K of Yeasayer recording Ambling Alp. In it, you'll see that they, like all bands from time to time, worried Chris Keating's vocals might come off as too Jagger, or that the band's back-ups were going too Queen.
Yeasayer's new album Odd Blood comes out February 9th, and it's fantastic. (preorder)
Tickets are on sale tomorrow at noon for An Evening with Tegan and Sara at the Music Hall.
"we've decided, quite spontaneously, to offer an opportunity for some of you to spend an intimate night with us at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. perhaps it's worth noting that my use of the word intimate only applies to the small-ish size of the venue and the stripped down nature of the material we will be performing. i wouldn't call it an acoustic performance so much as a night of reinterpretations of the well worn and well loved album versions you've come to love.
we realize it's short notice, and we know the tickets will go fast. to those of you who miss out on the opportunity to share your post valentine's day loot with us, do not fret! we will return to your neck of the woods sooner than later. big announcements coming soon!"
Last night moody rock, boy/girl duo The Naked Hearts played a show at Cakeshop with The Nasties and Richie Folloin of Willowz's side project Baby Fangs. Check out images from the show after the jump!
There was an air of significance before Beach House’s show at the Bell House last night that carried the weight of the sold out crowd’s collective excitement for the official release of the new album, Teen Dream. But thanks to the rusty spigot that we call the internet, there was no suspense as to whether Teen Dream could compare to Beach House’s previous two albums; it’s already garnered near universal praise, and a good portion of the audience already knew the songs well enough to “ah-ah-ah” along with front woman Victoria Legrand’s breathy hooks.
The Bell House show caught Beach House poised on the brink of what will inevitably be broader success with audiences outside of the indie circles that have made them as popular as they are. And thus the crowd’s anticipation wasn’t just of seeing what Beach House had already done, but rather of learning just how far Teen Dream will propel them.
Beach House released their 2006 self-titled debut with their distinct sound already intact -- a plodding, buzzing, keyboard, a sparse lead guitar that slides and echoes accents and hooks from open to close, and haunting female vocals courtesy of Mrs. Legrand.
By 2008, with their second album Devotion, the intimate bedroom-style lo-fi was gone, replaced by a cavernous and clean reverb that makes the songs sound like they are bouncing off of clean, white walls as they slowly progress from one minor chord to the next. The effect is devastating and desolate (in the best possible way, if you’re the type of person who wants to slip on headphones and disappear into the cavernous sound). So what happens when a band that is attuned to the lonely ballad starts to sound more confident while they do it? Good things. The things of which Teen Dream are made.
Before opening act Jana Hunter had even started her set, the space directly in front of the stage was packed, but not with fans. Squeezed in shoulder to shoulder were bloggers and photojournalists, their bulky zoom lenses extending past the monitors on stage. Jana played a fairly short set that showcased her brand of subdued rock. Due to the levels during the performance, her understated croon blended with the fuzzy guitars in an altogether too-quiet manner. When a song’s feeling is conveyed not with a pronounced melody but rather its timber, to be properly appreciated it should be loud enough to be felt, and based on how chatty the crowd was during the set, that effect was nil.
Beach House’s performance was elegant, masterful, and seductive. The way Victoria Legrand moves her mouth when she sings is sex. The meticulous arrangements that give Teen Dream such a dynamic presence were fully and beautifully displayed by Legrand, guitarist Alex Scally, and a drummer whose presence made the percussion significantly more pronounced than the vacuous drum machine that he replaced. A few songs into the set, Scally asked for his vocals be turned up, which made his surprisingly strong voice more prominent. What I assumed on the record to be multiple tracks of Legrand’s voice may, upon future, more discerning listens, be Scally whose clear upper register yielded complex, pitch-perfect harmonies live.
Beach House only dipped into their back catalog briefly to play the “hits” from Devotion: 'Gila' and 'Heart of Chambers'. 'Gila' sounded gorgeous. It was alternately ceremonial and sensual; a single, stately light focused on Legrand accentuated the churchiness of the organ’s tone, and the five, fuzzy, white, mushroom capped lights with their throbbing red tips appeared increasingly phallic as her sheer sexiness dawned on me. When 'Gila' was over, Legrand complained that the band was “tired” of playing their old songs. And then it hit me. The pokey pace of Gila? The hollow, scarcity of their early work? These songs were always tired sounding. It’s true -- I came to enjoy their dreariness, but it was initially off-putting, and it’s hardly Beach House’s most attractive asset. Teen Dream has a driving force behind it that Devotion and Beach House lack, and the performance at The Bell House showcased it. The passion and energy that a human drummer brings enlivens the moroseness that Beach House does so well and turns their unique sound into a one that doesn’t require intense listening to invoke more than a tepid response.
So, yeah, Beach House is going to be huge (or, huger, depending on how insular your tastes are). Just last week they made their network television debut on Jimmy Fallon with the new fave, Teen Dream’s opening track, 'Zebra.' The crowd’s excitement was a response to its sensing the shifting wind. By this time next year, everyone who was at The Bell House will probably feel justified saying, “yeah, I saw Beach House when they were still playing small venues.”
From the esteemed alien spacecraft-spotting website LATEST-UFO-SIGHTINGS.net (creed: only real and true latest UFO sightings) comes reports of not one but TWO unknown objects spotted over Brooklyn sometime on Monday night! Aliens!!
A YouTube user who has favorited quite a shit ton of UFO clips writes, "Spotted from my backyard in williamsburg. I watched for about 40 min. so i could tell they were moving but very slowly. They sort of looked like stars but were hanging too low and the blue one was a bit too sparkly."
That's not all! The very next night, the same YouTube user uploaded the video UFO Brooklyn Jan 26th with the description: "Something odd floating in the skies over bushwick." The video shows what basically looks like a star with some auto-focusing effects making it a tad crazy. But I dunno. Star? Or alien spacecraft. One commenter isn't sold. Or maybe he is? His comment is confusing! "i know what it's not but i can't tell you what is... sorry. it's not a star thats for sure."
One thing I'm not for sure of definitely is that it's definitively not what it is, rather, isn't what it's not. Which isn't not what you think it is, star gazers, but what you don't think it isn't being what it is.
(((unartig))) has a great video series on Excepter over on his site, here's a taste:
The first time I saw Excepter was five years ago at Tonic, a small experimental music venue in the Lower East Side that slowly went under as the condos went up. I don’t think I had moved to the city yet but Excepter would be one of the reasons I’d be doing so eventually. The group performed something like musical theater that night: Caitlin Cook, who I remember being tall and blond and beautiful (I only saw her this once, so don’t hold me to it), wore a short fur coat and walked on and off stage into the audience, seeming aloof and murmuring into a microphone whose signal was treated with considerable delay and reverb. When she took off the coat, revealing a backless dress, you could count every one of her vertebrae, from the top of her neck and all the way down. I had never seen anything like that before. John Fell Ryan, who I am nearly certain was wearing his linen suit and a bucket hat, also looked the part of prophet, while the rest of the band played bass guitar, a drum set with torn cymbals, and a small drum machine. Sometimes the sounds made sense together, other times they did not. Each player held the other in quiet disregard. The crowd, which had been wall-to-wall, thinned out considerably. But for whatever reason, I had the distinct feeling that night of wanting to understand–who were these quiet, disregarding people, what did they read, what did they listen to, what food did they eat, where did they get their clothing, what did they worship, what did they think of the walls closing in around them.
Fans of the up-beat, off-kilter, Danish indie-pop-rockers Oh No Ono, rejoice! You have three (3!) consecutive nights to catch the act perform their lustrous tunes starting tonight at 7 p.m. at Sound Fix Records for free ($0.00!). The show tonight celebrates the US release of their second album, Eggs, out today on Brooklyn’s own Friendly Fire records.
Check out the music video for their first single "Swim" if you need plans for any of the next few nights:
Of course, if you’re busy this evening, or want to give the band some monetary compensation for hearing them, you could check ‘em out tomorrow (Wed., 1/27) at Mercury Lounge with Bear in Heaven, or even the next night (Thu., 1/28) at Union Hall.
Evidently this hideous thing, known as 'Big Money Rustlas', has already premiered in Detroit (where else?). Dammit, we missed it:
"Big Money Rustlas," shot in California in 2009 on a $1.5 million budget, is a comedic western that finds the Insane Clowns running amok in the Old West. It is the follow-up to their'70s/exploitation send-up "Big Money Hustlas," which was released in 2000 and sold more than 100,000 copies.
As a line of fans wrapped down Elizabeth Street, past Park Avenue and almost down to Clifford Street, ICP's Psychopathic Records labelmates -- most of whom had roles in the film -- pulled up to the front of the building in limousines. Reflecting on the excitement in the air, Twiztid's Paul Methric remarked, "this makes me want to move to Hollywood."
Last to arrive was the Insane Clown Posse themselves, with Violent J (real name: Joe Bruce) in a blue sport coat and blue jeans and Shaggy 2 Dope (real name: Joe Utsler)in a black and white fur coat, accessorized with a bling-studded walking cane.
Outside, chants of "family! family" -- a popular Juggalo rallying cry -- turned to "let us in! let us in!" as fans were forced to wait several hours in the bitter cold before being let indoors. Once inside, the mood was more like a concert than a film screening, as the crowd of around 2,000 cheered and whooped throughout the movie, which was introduced live by J,Shaggy and the rest of the Psychopathic roster.
Since the band has a big rivalry with Slipknot--whose fans are called Maggots--we can only imagine there will be a Slipknot film next. The horror. [via]
Bicyclists & Hasidic representatives debate the Williamsburg Bike Lane
update 9:40am below w/ video
I learned a couple things tonight at the Bedford Avenue bike lane debate, where bikers met representatives of the Hasidic community (namely: Isaac Abraham, bit more on him here) and hashed out their differences. I also left feeling that, though civil, the debate didn't really get anyone anywhere, other than a few shared laughs and a feeling that neither side is budging more than mere inches.
At one point, Abraham asked a fellow pro-bike lane panelist, "How long have you lived here?" Before she could answer, he belted out, "I've lived here for 56 years!" (ed: number may be off by one or two, but 50-something.) At other moments, the audience broke out in laughter over the absurdity of Isaac Abraham's claims (ie. cars don't kill children, asthma does). He admitted he felt like a sheep in a lion den, a claim not far from the truth.
Going into tonight's bike lane debate at Pete's Candy Store, it's safe to say I was of the camp that believed the whole dispute was primarily a cultural thing -- the Hasids didn't like to see scantily-clad women biking through their neighborhoods, and the bikers didn't like the Hasids using their political power to remove their lane.
But I'm not so sure that's the whole picture anymore. (Continues after the jump...)
As ridiculous as it may seem to bikers who use the lane (or lack there of nowadays), the Hasids genuinely appear to be concerned about the safety of their pedestrians. Isaac offered anecdote after anecdote of a child, or a woman, being hit by a biker speeding down the road. Of course, reps for the bikers had stories to match -- one included a bus driver chasing a bicyclist with a club after he asked the driver not to park in the bike lane. His overall discomfort with the lane in the first place lies in his claim that the DOT essentially came in over night and paved the lane, leaving them with no choice but to oppose it and advocate for its removal.
On top of that, despite the panel leader's attempts at keeping the discussion about the lane, the discussion continually returned to parking, and the fact the Hasids lost a lot of valuable spots when the lane came.
Caroline of Transportation Alternatives Throughout the night, A resounding theme that they've both been screwed by the DOT continued to surface -- the Hasids when they were forced to move their cars on the Sabbath, and the bikers when the lane was suddenly removed. (update ed: the strikeout is b/c this is disputed by TA. their comment re: "At no point did Caroline and Isaac find themselves on the same side last night." is below.) Both sides came to agree that the DOT are essentially "a bunch of morons," in Isaac's words given to a member of the audience after the show. During the debate, Isaac attempted to argue that the bike lane itself was installed by the DOT without any community consent, a fact Caroline very much disagreed with.
She really came well prepared, offering stats and facts to back up her various arguments, many of which centered around her belief that bike lanes bring safer roads for bicyclists and pedestrians. You'll probably hear remarks about some of the other remarks given by pro-lane panelists (see: the titty joke).
Caroline brought up the fine point that the lane keeps everything more predictable - pedestrians can see bikers coming, cars and buses will see them too, and bikers can ride without feeling like they're going through a gauntlet of clubs, doors, and parked cars.
I overheard one Hasidic man saying bicyclists need to be held accountable as drivers do -- with licenses, registration numbers, etc. That's ridiculous. If that's really the case, then OK, lets do the same for pedestrians. Give them a giant embarrassing hand-held stop sign to cross the street and have them walk only when the traffic signals allow.
But long story short: The Hasids would like the bikers to slow down, ride more respectfully through the neighborhood, obey traffic, etc., as much as it may pain them to do. Bikers, meanwhile, would like the Hasids to drive safer, not block traffic, let them keep the lane, etc. (There are many etc.'s on both sides.)
Either way, I think they'll have to come to common ground that involves a Bedford bike lane (b/c people are going to ride it anyway) that keeps everyone happy and safe. In the meantime, Caroline hopes, everyone should wave. Waving Wednesdays is Transpo's new plan to get people enjoying each other more in the neighborhood. (more here)
Anyways, if you want to have your voice heard and maybe make a difference in this whole shibang, Community Board 1 is holding a public safety meeting on Thursday, Feb. 4th at the Swinging Sixties Senior Center on Ainslie at 7pm. Be there at 6:15 to register to speak. There will also be a general Community Board 1 meeting on the 9th, same deal. No amount of whining in the comments or at Wreck Room will get you anywhere near what your appearance at a Board meeting with do.
For a few off-the-cuff remarks from the debate, check out my twitter, I was furiously live-tweeting the comments to the point my API locked and tweets backed up.
Any comments from either side are welcome in the comments. I think the only way we're going to get anywhere is, like all neighborly debates, people understand where the other side is coming from. So, g'ahead. Make your case. Everyone's got Google, they'll find what you have to say.
Oh, and media, please stop calling this "Hipsters vs. Hasids." This is not the Hasidic community cracking down on an MGMT concert over discounted sales of PBR. It's bikers fighting for a safe lane through Brooklyn and a community that doesn't like them there, for one reason or another.
update:
later update:
statement from transportation alternatives: "At no point did Caroline and Isaac find themselves on the same side last night. Associating Caroline with Isaac's assertion that folks at the DOT are a bunch of morons is completely inaccurate, as is saying that we felt similarly "screwed" by the lane's removal. I realize the story you're trying to tell here, but associating us with Isaac's flame-throwing (which is extremely unpopular in the Satmar community)is extremely unfair to us, and does not convey our organization's position at all." They add, "Our persistent position on this issue has focused solely on street safety, and the merits of bike lanes. We've navigated this issue as deftly as possible, and these mischaracterizations are extremely unhelpful."
my comment re: that...Caroline wasn't nearby for the "morons" comment, so yes, that's true, we shouldn't associate her with that. The resounding theme throughout the debate however was that both sides have been screwed by the DOT. This may not be Transportation Alternative's official position per say, so take it for what's it worth. I'm sure other people will weigh in. When I say "Both sides came to agree..." I'm referring to both sides of the debate, not simply Caroline (and TA by proxy).
Just Announced: moe. Playing Brooklyn Bowl Tuesday Night
Bad Girlfriend was supposed to play a free show with TV Baby tomorrow night, but that show's now being rescheduled as moe. is stepping to play 2 sets. Doors are at 6, show's at 9. Tickets: $25 at the door. There will be no advance ticket sales, so as @Moelinks says, you'll want to be there around 6 to get tickets. moe. fans are nimble.
"The cemetery was known as the Old Methodist Burying Ground which serviced the Attorney Street Methodist Church and the First Methodist Protestant Church of Williamsburg. When the church closed in 1856, the bodies were allegedly moved to Cyprus Hills Cemetery, but the Scout wonders if a few bodies may remain."
And of course, owner Paul Kermizian told them "The only ghosts we've seen have been in our Ms Pac Man game!"
Mr. Noorda’s best-known work in the United States was for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which in 1966 commissioned his firm, Unimark International, to modernize and unify the look of the subway system’s signs. At the time, Mr. Noorda was based in Milan overseeing the firm’s European projects. But the M.T.A. commission lured him to New York, where his design partner Massimo Vignelli had opened a Unimark office.
“I remember when Bob came to New York and spent every day underground in the subway to record the traffic flow in order to determine the points of decision where the signs should be placed,” Mr. Vignelli said in an interview.
He and Mr. Vignelli set about standardizing the type family to make sure that the signs were cleaner and clearer; they settled on Helvetica, originally a Swiss design known for its sans serif economy and sterility, against a white background. Mr. Noorda worked on every detail, from typeface selection to color coding.
He “had a very systematic mind,” Mr. Vignelli said, adding that “his work was extremely civilized.”
Certainly you'll recall the big cool quotient around Machete, that famously fake trailer by Robert Rodriguez from Grindhouse. It was considered the single best thing about that Weinstein Co double-feature flop that also included Quentin Tarantino's pic. Rodriguez' fake trailer hinted at a good story (Mexican day laborer is set up, double-crossed, and left for dead -- then starts everyone's worst nightmare) and carried an even better catchphrase ("They just fucked with the wrong Mexican.") Machete's YouTube video alone has 1.4 million views, which wasn't lost on Hollywood. The result was 6 studios all very interested in domestic distribution rights to Rodriguez' latest.
Some of the players in the Williamsburg bike lane drama battles will fight it out like gentlemen tonight at Pete's Candy Store for the Open City Dialogue series.
Guests include Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives and Biking Rules!; Bike messenger Heather Loop,; Satmar representative and City Council Candidate Isaac Abraham, and Hassidic Bike Enthusiast and founder of Tarif Bike Geshaft Baruch Herzfeld.
FREE PUBLIC DEBATE
MONDAY, Jan. 25, 7:30pm
PETE’S CANDY STORE
(709 Lorimer St., Brooklyn)
im casting 50-60 hipster kids to be in a beer commercial for tooheys extra dry. we are shooting a party scene in a warehouse, think rumblefish meets the warriors meets a clockwork orange. super 16mm. edgy/disaffected youth/high fashion vibes.
shoots next friday night, jan 29th, in greenpoint. groups of 4 or 5 friends preferred. $150 per person.
anyone interested should mail me at blyth@blythstyle.com with a headshot and their age.
Telepathe, Apache Beat, Boy Crisis and Brahms at Glasslands
Friday night, Telepathe, Apache Beat, Boy Crisis and Brahms played at Glasslands. Glasslands recently upgraded its stage to include a cloud inspired art installation. (An upgrade from the Ikea lofted bed that functions as a balcony space.) The installation is extremely striking, especially in photographs. Every image ends up looking like it was taken in front of either: A. an action movie's epic, climactic explosion; B. a sun flare or 3. A scene from 2012 where there were about ten different climactic explosions. Check out images after the jump!
The author Dan Lichtenberg of the very fabulous, very witty, and always pertinent piece of literary art The Ancient Book of Hip, will host a reading this Saturday night at Book Thug Nation at 7:00 pm (RSVP).
After a brief tour of our gorgeous city, this will be the San Francisco-based author's last NYC reading for his east coast tour. FW very earnestly makes the recommendation you support our brother in hippery and attend this reading.
Book Thug Nation Reading of The Ancient Book of Hip
By Dan Lichtenberg
January 23rd, 7:00 pm
103 N. 3rd Street
Hip hop DJ and Queens native Rob Swift, late of the pioneering turntablism collective X-ecutioners, is set to release next month his newest and fourth proper album, “The Architect,” on Faith No More front man Mike Patton’s heavy freak-rock record label Ipecac.
Solo since 2005, Swift continues to uphold the traditional, manual approach to hip hop beat creation—that of deft twelve-inch vinyl beat juggling and supernatural groove fusion.
Having traveled the world as a true ambassador of hip hop and rocked with heads old and new, Swift has much to say about the state of the hip hop DJ. Swift answered 10 questions for FreeWilliamsburg.com in advance of his two upcoming Brooklyn shows—a star-studded show tonight at the Knitting Factory (8 p.m.) and a set at Savalas on the 30th.
Free Williamsburg>> Your new solo album merges classical music with hip hop beats and overall funkitude. What moved you to fuse the two sounds?
Rob Swift>> Blame the initial inspiration to compose “The Architect” on my girlfriend. She recently introduced me to classical works from composers like Chopin and Mozart. Although I've heard such types of work in movies and commercials in the past I don't think I was really ready to appreciate just how amazing the genre of classical music is.
She sat me down and was like, ‘listen to this,’ and I was finally prepared to take it all in. I immediately fell in love with it all and I began taking little excursions into vintage record stores throughout the city finding as many works from these composers as I could. My main goal was to soak up as much of the genre as possible.
Free Williamsburg>> The album is due out next month on Ipecac, a label noted for releasing experimental and heavy rock. What sparked your relationship with Ipecac?
Rob Swift>> Earlier in the decade, during the peak of my run with the X-ecutioners, I and the rest of the crew linked up with Mike Patton. It was a mind blowing experience for me because I realized, here was a guy that went from being one of the pioneers of that rap/rock sound… to reinventing himself and his music as a solo artist.
In 2004, Mike approached us about making an album together, “General Patton Vs. The X-ecutioners.” It was a great experience for me because Mike really emphasized a let’s try everything, no limitations mentality in the studio as well. Mike’s open mindedness really made an impression on me—I channeled Mike when I worked on “The Architect.”
So, once I completed “The Architect,” it made perfect sense to approach Mike about releasing it on Ipecac! Thankfully he felt where I was coming from on this album and we inked the deal!
Free Williamsburg>> Have you ever composed a love song along the lines of Tribe’s “Bonita Applebum?”
Rob Swift>> Never, but that’s definitely one of my goals. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to scratch in a way that conveys feelings of love. I’ve always thought about composing a love song through scratches but doing it is gonna be a challenge. I’m gonna try though—mark my words!
Free Williamsburg>> It seems that mainstream, rap-based hip hop is no longer based on DJ abstraction but on studio wizardry. What is the current state of the hip hop DJ?
Rob Swift>> That’s actually a great question. Thanks to new technology it seems people aren’t taking the time to really hone their DJ skills. These days you can program a sampler to scratch for you. I’m cool with it though because that’s what will always separate what I do from what “that guy” does.
As for “the current state of the hip hop DJ”—it’s what I make it. I’m not gonna worry any more about the lack of innovation I see in the art. Instead of complaining about it, I’m just gonna do my part to offset the wackness I hear. So for fans of the genre that are disheartened by DJs that push buttons, they can simply turn to me and be reminded of the true essence of the art form.
Free Williamsburg>> Do you miss working as part of a group—the collaborative effort?
Rob Swift>> Sometimes I do miss it. It’s like having a million dollars but not having anyone to spend it with. Making music with the X-ecutioners was a great experience. However, working as a solo artist has its advantages too… you can really test the boundaries without anyone discouraging you and that’s very important for any artist.
Free Williamsburg>> Is the ever-changing face of NYC changing you? If so, how?
Rob Swift>> NYC is my muse. Every time I step foot out into the streets of Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, etc..., I get inspired. This city oozes creativity. Whether you’re seeing it in its people or simply the structure of its buildings. New York City has played a major roll in my music and how I approach it from one album to the next.
Free Williamsburg>> You’ve rocked audiences around the world. What would you say is the current global state of hip hop?
Rob Swift>> Wow, that’s an interesting question. Depending on where you travel, it feels like you’re in a hip hop time machine. What I mean by that is, I’ve DJed in places like Beijing and Shanghai, China, where the only way you’ll pack the dance floor is if you play Flo-Rida or Black Eyed Peas.
I’ve Djed here in the U.S., where, with few exceptions, audiences want to hear what they listen to on the radio, be it Lil’ Wayne, Jay Z or Beyonce. So the global state of hip hop really depends on where on God’s green earth you end up.
Free Williamsburg>> Have you ever insured your records, your tools of the trade? How hard would it be to start over if they got lost, stolen or destroyed?
Rob Swift>> I’ve never insured my equipment (knock on wood, haha)—I take pretty good care of my stuff. And thankfully, with technology like Serato Scratch Live, I don’t have to worry about bringing my record collection with me on the road and stress over losing them on international flights or them being damaged.
Although I still bring a small amount of vinyl with me, the fact I can now bring all of my music on a little laptop is comforting because I know my stuff is always with me!
Free Williamsburg>> How does your tool box grow, actually?
Rob Swift>> Well my tool box grows according to what I need to accomplish in the studio. I’ve never been one to go blow thousands of dollars on the latest sampler or turntable. I’m of the opinion that it’s not what you use, but how you use it!
Free Williamsburg>> What can audiences expect from your upcoming Brooklyn shows?
Rob Swift>> My show at the Knitting Factory… will revolve around a lot of heavy cutting, scratching, beat juggling and body tricks. It’s gonna be a high impact, energetic type of performance. I guarantee I’ll be sweating buckets by the time I'm done!
My appearance at Savalas is gonna be more chill. There is no stage at Savalas and the vibe of the party there is geared more towards the type of music I play opposed to what I’m actually doing to the music. It’s gonna be one of those parties where I get to spin music, make people dance and basically enjoy the various songs I rock. So if you’re in the neighborhood for either of these please come out. You won’t be disappointed!
Congrats are due to Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich, two soft-spoken twenty-something girls from Williamsburg who just landed a book deal for their tumblr "Stuff Hipsters Hate."
"Stuff Hipsters Hate appealed to me for two reasons. First, it was a Tumblr site, so it had already been formed in a community and so wasn't just being read, but was part of a subculture's conversation about itself...Second, the authors are truly writers. Their humor is not a result of a cheap gimmick; they have voice."
"So, cat’s out of the bag: After a cuppla whirlwind months, we’re going to turn Stuff Hipsters Hate into a handy field guide to hipster scorn. In Fall 2010, awesome indie publisher Ulysses Press will release our analysis of the mating habits, habitat, theology, grooming practices and preferred entertainment of the modern-day hipster, with helpful graphs and charts to understand the elusive character of the trendy beast."
To celebrate, they're throwing a party at Glasslands on Saturday, February 13th.
Ciampi said he found examination room No. 2, which is only about 10 feet from his office, and the hallway outside its door was littered with debris with the ceiling and walls and three chunks of stone on the floor.
In Williamsburg. Virginia. Thank god. Sometimes my Google Alerts give me heart attacks.
A tipster to Brownstonersent in some photos of a new construction trailer set up at the back of the Pool, where the construction fence has been removed. They say, "Ground may have been officially broken at McCarren Pool last month, but it looks like the heavy lifting may be ready to begin in earnest now."
Moving along, moving along.
I'm still upset that such a great, world-renowned live music venue was wiped out by a few community groups looking to score some political points. Can't wait for the floating band-aids!
Here's Matt & Kim playing the pool back in July 2008, from Baeblemusic (w/ a Final Countdown opening!):
Friday Night: Galette Des Rois Party at The Richardson
With the weekend just 48 hours away, why not plan a unique Euro-twist to your Friday night happy hour plans?
On Friday the 22nd The Richardson will be hosting a traditional “Galette Des Rois” party, complete with Kir Royales and Edith Piaf songs. What's more, they'll be serving pastry cakes with prizes inside for whoever is lucky enough to snag the winning slice.
The celebration will be hosted by Sam Maher, a local French instructor who has been teaching out of a studio in Williamsburg for several years. Check out samteachesfrench.com for more information about course levels, cost and blogging en francais. For more details about the party, RSVP on the Facebook invite.
Friday, January 22
6:30-8:30 PM
The Richardson, 451 Graham Ave
Up-and-coming infrastructure manager proposes L express route.
Faaaantastic. Find a few more hits after the jump, including "L service restored with residual delays," "New L express route experiencing service interruptions," and "L is experiencing delays due to police investigation," all with esteemed hat-tipping to @FakeMTA & Buzzfeed.
Art Tonight: Borbay's Urbania at M&T Bank, Flatiron Branch
A friend of mine, the artist Borbay, is hosting a one-night only exhibition at M&T Bank, Flatiron branch, tonight at 6pm. I suggest you go. Not only is he a fantastic individual with a broken leg (an injury sustained in a Friday night beer league hockey game), he is a fine painter who's done everything from the Brooklyn Bridge, Neils Coffee Shop, and the Woolworth Building. AND, for those of you who like magazines and the things they say, he was recently named the Most Creative New Yorker by Time Out New York.
And as for why he's holding this thang in a damn bank?
“I decided at the inset of my art career I was not going to be another one of a thousand artists begging a gallery to put my work on their walls once a year, be 100th in-line for promotion and give them a 50% cut. Instead, I decided I can be my own business and promotional entity - so what better venue to host my first show than a bank? You like that painting? Good, there's an ATM behind you, withdraw $500 for a down payment and my manager will send you a contract tomorrow. Warhol said, "Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art." I fail to recognize how joining some sterile gallery in Chelsea with no interest in my work or brand at the price of 50% a pop is good art.”
So, come check out the exhibition, Urbania, tonight at M&T Bank, the Flatiron branch (200 5th Avenue). It runs from 6 - 9PM.
Disclaimer: As I said in the first four words of the post, he is a friend of mine. But an intelligent, creative, and fine-looking friend at that!
Does this mean Wolf Blitzer is going to start wearing skinny jeans and doing blow with Terry Richardson at Market Hotel? Bizarre.
CNN announced today that it will be teaming up with Vice's VBS.TV, overseen by Spike Jonze, on certain reporting projects on its website. The first will be the Vice Guide To Liberia. Vice's founder, Shane Smith, has a pretty classic quote in the release:
"Most people who hear about this partnership will think, 'Vice and CNN, hmmm... That's an odd pair of bedfellows for you.' And you'd be right. The 'Hipsters' Bible' hooking up with the World's News Leader is a bit odd. But as our company began to evolve and cover stories around the globe, CNN was our first and only choice for a partner. In a world of hyper-partisan opinion-led 'news,' CNN's credibility and reach put it in a class by itself. We couldn't be more excited with a partner unless it was Jimi Hendrix (nod to all the Baby Boomers out there) joining our rock and roll band."
CNN is also teaming up with Sub Pop band the Handsome Furs to show their band's first tour across Asia, filmed on Flip cams: www.cnn.com/IndieAsia
Speaking of CNN, if you missed this footage yesterday of Anderson Cooper in Haiti, it's pretty revealing—and also very upsetting.
Developers recently cleared the way to building housing at the Domino Factory. Final approval needs to happen, but the plans actually aren't half bad. Don't worry, since it's a landmark, they are keeping the sign. But what are we going to do about all these awful Duane Reades?
Tattoos come to Cameo from 8pm - midnight tonight for a launch of the book Tatted that will show off "nearly 200 images that did not make it into the book based on photographer Marianne Bernstein’s Tattoo Series 2007-2009."
Tonight at Cameo (8pm–midnight, free), Bernstein presents 300 images, with music courtesy of Terry D and DJ Never Forget. There will also be a fashion show by Brooklyn Royalty and the only chance to snap up a limited-edition GritCityInc (the book’s publisher) versus Brooklyn Royalty T-shirt ($32).
Help Haiti: Upcoming Benefit Shows at Brooklyn Bowl, Union Pool, & Bell House
It's been said that the best thing we can do is get cold, hard, cash in the hands of those leading the relief effort in Haiti. To help make that happen, a few local venues have stepped up to offer benefit concerts in the upcoming days. Here are three. Feel free to leave any others you know of in the comments.
Tonight at Union Pool, Joe Driscoll, Living Days, Pagoda, and Sam Bisbee will perform at the Chances for Children Benefit for the Creche De L'Enfant Jesus Orphanage. It's $15. They have an eye-roller on Gawker today with the quote, "Show the world that hipsters care," which makes me cringe but whatever, just suck it up and donate for the children. Here's the story: "The orphanage lies on the outskirts of the city, but because of the devastation in the Haitian infrastructure their food and water supply will be depleted by next week. New Yorkers, Duke and Lisa Scoppa, are in the process of adopting two children from the orphanage and are now heading this fund raiser to get the orphanage the supplies they need to survive." Aside from door proceeds, all taco truck proceeds will go to the Red Cross, so go hungry.
The Bell House is hosting Strength Through Unity: A Benefit for the Victims of the Earthquake in Haiti next Weds., Jan 27th at 6pm. It's $50. Jimmy Fallon, The Walkmen(!), the Cold War Kids, Sondre Lerche, and a few more bands are set to perform and 100% of the proceeds are due to go to Save The Children and Partners in Health.
We're looking for writers on all topics: music, fashion, NY events, performance art plushies. Clips are helpful. Drop us a line at mail@freewilliamsburg.com, subject: blogger.
Meet Megan Paska and Katrina Mauro both Mother Hens to four curious egg-laying chickens in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. They decided to raise chickens for the first time in their tiny urban backyard as a way to live more sustainably. What they discovered is that raising chickens is easier than raising a dog…and just as rewarding.
Come take a peek into their backyard operation and see for yourself why keeping chickens should be something more urban dwellers (with a backyard, of course) should entertain.
To read up on or possibly purchase your future backyard egg-layer, visit My Pet Chicken: http://www.mypetchicken.com
Was pretty #fail this morning, but looks like it was b/c someone jumped in front of a train at Atlantic early this morning. That's unfortunate. Our hearts go out to whomever that was.
If you’ve lived in Williamsburg for a while, you know how IMPERATIVE it is that you drop what you’re doing and go to Leon’s IMMEDIATELY. For the rest of you, Leon’s is a burger hut owned by a wizened old Lion of Judah who is excellent at burger craftmanship, but not so hot at the whole regular-business-hours or sometimes-ANY-business-hours game.
Tell Time Warner Cable To Remove Pat Robertson From Your Cable Package
If you're a Time Warner Cable subscriber in New York, we encourage you to copy & paste this email and send it to their Office of the President:
Subject: Remove CBN From My Cable Package: Hate Speech on 700 Club
To: twc.cotp@twcable.com
cc: Julius.Genachowski@fcc.gov, Michael.Copps@fcc.gov, Robert.McDowell@fcc.gov, Mignon.Clyburn@fcc.gov, Meredith.Baker@fcc.gov
On Wednesday, January 13, 2010, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) aired an episode of Pat Robertson's 700 Club that I found deeply offensive. In the wake of potentially hundreds of thousands of deaths in Haiti -- the most devastating natural catastrophe since the 2004 tsunami -- Pat Robertson asserted that the citizens of this impoverished country were being punished by God for making "a pact to the devil." Here is the entire quote:
"[S]omething happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French, you know, Napoleon the Third and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French.' True story. And so the devil said, 'O.K., it's a deal.'"
To any sensible person, this amounts to hate speech.
The 700 Club has aired similar assertions in the past, most notably following 9-11 when Jerry Falwell asserted that al-Qaeda's slaughtering of innocent Americans was God's wrath:
"The abortionists have got to bear some burden for [9-11] because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"
As a Time Warner Cable subscriber, I am writing to request that the CBN be unbundled from my cable package until they agree to stop airing the 700 Club.
I am a firm defender of the First Amendment and free speech, but as a customer of Time Warner Cable I should not have to pay for what I believe constitutes hate speech.
If my request is not addressed, I will have to consider terminating my service.
Memphis musician Jimmy Jay Lindsey Jr., better known as Jay Reatard, was found dead in his Midtown home this morning, according to family and friends.
Memphis police have opened a death investigation, spokesman Jennifer Robinson said. Lindsey was found around 3:30 a.m. in his bed, Robinson said.
"Yeah, it’s true," said Alicja Trout, a friend and former bandmate. "I don’t know much about it yet, because I haven’t been able to get in touch with the police."
Added Eric Friedl of Goner Records: "Yeah. He was found at his house. That’s all I know right now."
On the Web site of Goner Records, the following statement was posted this afternoon: "It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our good friend Jay Reatard. Jay died in his sleep last night. We will pass along information about funeral arrangements when they are made public."
I recently went fishing with Dean Ween which was, well, awesome. From Vice:
Since getting his captain’s license last summer, Mickey Melchiondo, better known as Dean Ween, has been leading fishing tours off Long Beach Island, New Jersey. He’s the kind of skipper who also kindly gives shelter to anglers when there’s room in his trailer the night before and books it all himself through the magic of a lo-fi internet information page, mickeysfishing.com.
Mickey also has his own online fishing series called the Brownie Troop Fishing Show that’s kind of like that old Fishing With John series hosted by actor and musician John Lurie, but without the irony. The Deaner is dead fucking serious about fishing.
“Lurie’s show was more about the guests,” Mickey told me. “Mine is about the fishing.”
So far Mickey’s posted 11 episodes on brownietroopfs.com, a site that also looks like a 16-year-old designed it in 1996. Go there to watch guests like Butthole Surfers’ own Gibby Haynes get blind drunk and say stuff like “I dunno where the fuckin’ stern is.”
Like the rest of the world, I’ve been a fan of Ween since the early 90s, so of course I had to sign up for a Mickey-helmed fishing trip. As a committed landlubber with wobbly sea legs, I was plenty OK when Mickey called and said he’d prefer to surfcast. He had just returned from tour and finds it more relaxing. But at $300 a whirl, you might want to consider making him hoist the anchor instead.
Shove These Fossils Up Your Magnificent Creationist Ass
I really like when bands give out their music so I don't have to go torrent it somewhere. Bossasaurus has repeatedly made my life easier on this front and has done thus again with their latest album. It's nice when hip hop groups are so web savvy. and when they know how to make a beat.
Download Shove These Fossils Up Your Magnificent Creationist Ass here.
Williamsburg According to Craigslist Apartment Classified Listings
This is a map of "addresses and cross streets of apartments listed on Craigslist between January 1st and January 7th, 2010 advertised as being in Williamsburg or East Williamsburg."
Should be helpful for those of you searching for an apartment in Williamsburg on Craigslist but keep seeing "East Williamsburg" listed on the ad. Quick hint: East Williamsburg is a figment of realtors' imaginations. It's Bushwick.
The bro who created Hot New Website Subway Douchery is tellin' some jokes tonight at Legion. He, and a few others. Should get some lols.
Tonight, 8pm Tuesday January 12 @ Legion Bar in Williamsburg
790 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211-2514 - (718) 387-3797
Featuring:
JORDAN CARLOS ( Colbert Repot: Stephen’s black friend “Alan”, Live at Gotham)
TOM SIBELY (The jerk who created SUBWAY DOUCHERY)
GREG JOHNSON (Sirius Satellite Radio)
JAMIE LEE (CollegeHumor.com, title role in “The Cooler” w/ Alec Baldwin)
ROSS HYZER (Huffington Post)
Hosted by: Danny Solomon (New Orleans Comedy Fest)
Creepy Plushy Reunites With His Pervy Match, Moan Of Arc
Bailey Nolan aka Moan of Arc and Nate Hill aka Death Bear
Last weekend, Death Bear, who in a former incarnation was a pervy dolphin plushy who gave free lap dances and in real life is known as Nate Hill, the leader of the performance art group Club Animals, reunited with his obvious soul mate Bailey Nolan aka Moan of Arc — she's got her own performance art group too called BabySkinGlove. I know, it's all very confusing, annoying and pervy. The two used to date and Moan of Arc, apparently out of revenge, decided to stage a reunion of sorts: [via youngmanhattanite]
Near the end of a day visiting ten or so homes as the character I created Death Bear, (dressed in a black jumpsuit, black boots, a heavy, scary black bear mask, and carting off the objects that bring people pain), I was ambushed by one of my ex-girlfriends, Bailey Nolan aka Moan of Arc along with the performance art group she leads BabySkinGlove. That night, in the apartment, they did a performance intended only for Death Bear, and Bailey gave me a box containing the following (among other items):...
1. One of my tied off used condoms (with dried sperm crystals)
2. A swatch of her bloody bed sheet (blood from my testicles from an accidental, unfortunate hair clippers incident -- the band-aid came off during sex)
3. A colored paper heart with one side glued her pubic (?) hair and the opposite side small bits of weed and perhaps specks of feces (?)
4. The complete collection of our text messages transcribed into eight pages or so
5. A Trey Songz CD
6. A figurine of two elephants in love
7. Letter to the “Mother of My Death Bear”
8. A diary style drawing
9. Our married names written in different permutations
I am responding to this incident as Nate and not as the character Death Bear:
A little back story…I dated Bailey for about a month. My memory is terrible but I think it was about a month. I had to end it because I started to get feelings for her, and I knew that I should be with another girl that I’ve been dating off and on for seven years.... So that night, Bailey lured me (as Death Bear) to her friend’s apartment whose address I did not recognize.
Young Manhattanite has the full story, via Nate, of what went down. Here's hoping these two realize they're meant for each other.
Her small storefront, Tedone Latticini, houses a modest, well-manicured selection of Italian goods, but the real draw is the fresh mozzarella this ivory-haired nonagenarian has been making by hand every morning for more than 75 years.
And though anyone can now make his or her own at home, Tedone crafts her mozzarella using the same technique she learned at her parents' dairy counter--the proof of these years of experience lies in the unmatched flavor of her cheese.
Tedone Latticini is at 597 Metropolitan Ave and I swear to God has some of the best italian meats and cheeses you'll ever taste.
Shinobi Ninja iPhone Game: Battle Hipsters on the L
Shinobi Ninjaplans to release an iPhone game called "Shinobi Ninja Attacks." In it, users can play as a band member as they battle from Brooklyn to Club Babylon, fighting “evil hipsters named 'Larry,' douchebags from the Jersey Shore and angry subway bums."
The game is set to release on January 28th in the app store, coinciding with a show that night at Le Poisson Rouge.
It's inspired by their song, Brooklyn To Babylon. Video below, which def features a Mr. Bungle t-shirt:
Last night, it was decidedly less picturesque. Moto was closed, spotlights glared harshly on Broadway and thick wires coiled around the corner of Hooper, where I overheard “Tony Baloney,” a neighborhood fixture, tell a curious passerby that a Chanel ad was being filmed.
This morning, all traces of the camera crews and their equipment were gone — as was Tony Baloney.
Was it a dream? I called Billy Phelps, Moto’s owner, to find out. He told me the commercial was indeed for Chanel, and none other than Martin Scorsese was directing.
Speaking of Scorsese, has this trailer been running in theaters since the mid-nineties? I swear to God I've seen it 30 times (and it looks horrible). I'm not too hopeful about Sinatra — yes he's doing a Ole Blue Eyes film, yikes — which is in production either.
Ah WTF, I'm almost late on this one, but tonight at Public Assembly AV-DJs Eclectic Method are throwing a party with Dark Igloo as part of the NYC WTF series. RSVP on Facebook for a $7 2 for 1 deal.
Le Chev & Eclectic Method & Faux Mex with another fucking night of loud music and hypnotizing video at Public Assembly 10PM-4AM
The Joy Formidable, who opened for Passion Pit at T5 last night (and again tonight), are playing two more New York shows before heading on tour with The Temper Trap. Luckily for you, we've got a pair of tickets for Monday night's show at Union Hall with The Jaguar Club and Ravens & Chimes.
You wanna go? Well, all you have to do is comment on the Facebook thread, and you could have the chance to win tickets to see The Joy Formidable before they blow up real big.
Animal Collective debuted their music video for Brother Sport. Combining live action, animation, and costume scraps from Where The Wild Things Are, it's a little trippy... and then it gets gross... and then it goes two minutes past my attention span. ENJOY!
We love this new track by Portishead. Who knew they'd still be relevant and making great music this decade? We'd almost written them off in the nineties.
The Mercury Award winning trio have joined forces with Amnesty International to release their brand new track ‘Chase The Tear’ - on the eve of International Human Rights Day. Download it now, exclusively from 7digital.
Ticket Giveaway: Animal Collective DJ Museum of Natural History
With Animal Collective at the top of everyone's Top of '09 lists, it's no wonder this show is already sold out. Add a special guest DJ like Fischerspooner, and people are going to get a little more bananas than already expected. Lucky for you, The Fader has hooked us up with a pair of tickets to give to one of you beautiful people. All you've gotta do is RT to win!
If you're at the show this Friday and you wanna holler at you favorite music editor, I'll be in the ocean room getting my Noah Baumbach on with this guy.
In case you missed it, we named Best Coast's Make You Mine the Best EP of 2009, not to mention, according to my iTunes play count, "When I'm With You" off of the Black Iris 7" was the track I listened to most this year-- which is a pretty big deal considering it didn't drop until November. But when I hear a feel good jam with the right amount of sadness, I tend to play it on repeat (just like I haven't stopped playing the new Beach House record since it arrived in my mailbox).
There's something to be said about the fuzzy delivery of Best Coast leading lady Bethany Cosentino's beckoning 60's inspired pop. The dizzying effects of heavy reverb combined with her girlish timidity float us away to the cavernous beach coast of California at the very first blink of an eyelash. I'm a New Yorker born & raised, but Bethany's Beach Boys and burritos make me long for a warm winter, all while successfully playing as a foreground soundtrack for Brooklyn snow days. And with two more 7" to be released before the end of February, including a split with Jeans Wilder, as well as talks about an upcoming full length-- 2010 just may be "the year of Best Coast!"
FREEwilliamsburg caught up with Bethany before the end of the year about what the future brings, the things we have to be thankful for in our 'hood, and how awesome Stevie Nicks is. Check out the interview after the jump!
So what's so wrong with the East Coast? And more importantly, in your time spent here, did you succeed in finding comparable Mexican food?
There is nothing wrong with the east coast! I have no beef! It just wasn't really the place for me. New York is just super hectic, and I felt like I was always on the go, and I couldn't keep up with the pace there. I was just really stressed out, and life there is hard...that doesn't mean I hate it though. It’s an amazing place to visit. But dude, in all honesty, Mexican food in New York could never compare to Mexican food in California. I had to eat chipotle every time I wanted a burrito! plus people there say "ew" when you talk about fish tacos...wtf is that about?
What is one thing Brooklyn has that you wish California could import permanently?
Wait, I sort of have a list of shit: wild ginger vegan restaurant, public transportation, the bagel store, and Academy Records.
In your Band Crush interview with Nylon you talk about Bobb being your former babysitter. How old were you when you first met? And how did he become a friend whose musical opinion mattered in your life, and now, as a band mate?
Haha, I hate to break it to you..but that was actually a lie. I couldn't come up with anything interesting to say when they asked me for a "fact" so I told them that Bobb and I had been joking that we were going to start saying he was my babysitter, and the girl doing the interview, as well as the camera guy were like "dude say that as your fact!" my best friend even believed it, and I’ve known her since I was 11..She was like "Why the fuck didn't you tell me Bobb was your babysitter?" My mom said, "It's not nice to lie, Bethany"
Name a Los Angeles band that you think will become a big deal, that none of us Brooklyn kids know about yet. Dunes. I’m basically obsessed with them. They’re like Cocteau Twins meets Marine Girls. Seriously sooooo good.
How do you feel about Bethany Sharayah these days? How would you say you've grown as an artist since then?
I pretty much listen to that music now and I laugh. I was so young then, and I mean I guess it's cool that I was writing music at such a young age, it's just so different from what I’m doing now. I mean obviously, I was 15...I’m 23 now...my taste has changed, as have I. I think that now I kind of just approach things (musically) in a more relaxed manner. Back then I was trying really hard, and I wanted everything to have this really serious vibe. Now I’m more about just writing simple songs that are fun. I’m all about fun. I just want people to hear the music and think, "this is fun"
You get to curate a show with 4 other bands, including Best Coast on the bill, at a venue anywhere in the world, where would it be, with who, and why?
Ok...so it would be: Best Coast, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, The Ronettes, The Beach Boys, and we would play on the sand at El Matador Beach in Malibu with just a generator and a bunch of dogs and cats and babies would be running around... adults too.
I’ve always wanted to play a show on the beach, and El Matador is the best beach in all of LA. It has these awesome secret caves that you can swim to and there are all these crazy rock formations all over the place. It looks like something out of a movie. I’m convinced mermaids live there.
Ok.... Fleetwood Mac, because Stevie Nicks is like my number one hero, plus it would rule to see her dance in the sand. Nirvana because "smells like teen spirit" is one of the first songs I ever learned on guitar--plus, who the fuck wouldn't want to play a show with Nirvana? Especially on the beach…so awkward. The Ronettes because obviously I’m obsessed. Actually, I saw Ronnie Spector play at McCarran Pool last summer before they tore it down, and it was one of the coolest shows ever. My best friend Alex and I were right up front dancing around so many 50-year-old women, it ruled. And then The Beach Boys, because again, I’m obsessed, and watching The Beach Boys play in the sand would be like the most overwhelmingly perfect thing ever.
What are your Top 5 songs of 2009? Anything you're really excited about, musically or otherwise, in 2010?
Ok, this is not in any particular order, but here goes...
Miley Cyrus "Party In The USA", Jay-Z "Empire State of Mind", Drake "Best I Ever Dad" No Age" You're a Target", Vivian Girls "Can't Get Over You" - I think 2010 will rule for music. We’re definitely going to have an album out next year, so that will be exciting. Plus we're going to start touring and stuff, so it's going to be awesome to get out of California for a second and travel around, meeting new people, see new places, etc. I’m really excited to hear the new Wavves album, all the new stuff I have heard is really rad so far, so it will be cool to hear the album as a whole. I think Abe Vigoda are going to have a new record out too, which I can't wait for...they have been playing these new like goth/industrial songs at their live shows that I’m fucking obsessed with.
Let's talk full-length album... what's the deal?
2010! Year of Best Coast! Get ready!
And finally, if your home was about to burn down, what's the one thing you'd grab?
My cat
This Thursday, Vampire Weekend will be celebrating the release of Contra, their second full length. In addition to free booze, schwag, & DJ sets from the Weekend boys themselves, a ping pong tournament will be taking place to win a pair of tickets to their upcoming sold out United Palace show.
Here at FREEwilly, we've got the Contra single COUSINS 7" as well as the Exclusive Bonus Contra Remix Disc to giveaway for one lucky reader. So Facebook and Twitter it up and it might be you!
Also, be sure to RSVP and arrive early on Thursday, you wouldn't want to ruin your chances of beating Ezra Koenig at a friendly game of ping pong, would you?
Check out the video for "Cousins" after the jump...
The 
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There was an air of significance before 
Hip hop DJ and Queens native 
I recently went fishing with Dean Ween which was, well, awesome. From 
