On November 1st, we introduced you to Christine Hoberg – the energetic songstress who serenaded a boat load of people on the East River Ferry, qualifying her as New York’s finalist for Pop Up Live presented by SPIN Magazine and popchips. Well, now it’s time to get to know Christine a little better…

We got to chat with the Midwest-gone-Brooklyn broad about her upcoming EP release, “junky instruments” and where you can find her slinging the best Bloody Marys in the ‘hood. So check out the interview below and be sure to cast your votes before Monday, Nov. 14th to get Christine to the SPIN Stage in Austin, TX! And find out how to win tickets to Miss Hoberg’s Record Release show for her newest EP, Moonlight Never Shined So Bright, TOMORROW night at 10pm at Rockwood Music Hall after the jump…

How would you describe your sound to, let’s say, somebody’s grandma?

I describe my music as indie rock meets indie jazz, which maybe doesn’t make sense to a grandma. I think the stuff I have out now is mainly rock meets throwback motown or jazz.  I love those old chanteuse-y and sassy songstress types and have embodied that into a lot of my songs, but I also write and love really messed up noise music and love creating new sounds–I’m in love with artists like fever ray and radiohead–and more and more of that kind of stuff is coming out in my songs, especially my new album I’m releasing this Friday!  Lots of layered vocal chanty stuff, can’t wait to put it out! (more…)

After sifting through 250 emerging bands, your votes and the expertise tastes of some of your favorite tastemakers, Spin Magazine and popchips are proud to announce New York City’s Pop Up Live finalist — Christine Hoberg!

With an infectious energy reminiscent of St. Vincent, Christine caught our attention by performing “Plain Faced Jane” on our new favorite mode of transportation, the East River Ferry.

Now the rest is up to you! Head on over to to the popchips Facebook page and vote for Christine, or one of the other contestants from Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago or Los Angeles… if you dare.  Remember, at stake for the grand prize is a performance on the Spin stage in Austin, TX. So show your fellow Brooklyn girl some love & vote!

So if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably still got Future Islands last album playing on repeat — and luckily for all of us, Thrill Jockey will be bringing us the Baltimore synth-pop trio’s newest, On The Water, on October 11th.

To visually capture these heart-breaking and simultaneously soothing tunes is our good friend and previous Future Islands music video director, Jay Buim, who takes us on a stroll through what feels like endless summer in some of New Jersey’s hidden gems. So go ahead, play it over and over and over again until you get mad at your make-believe boyfriend for not pushing you around in a shopping cart and gently sweeping the hair out of your eyes. Oh, is that just me? Le sigh.

Future Islands – Balance from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Check out Buim’s video for “Tin Man” after the jump and, since he’s a man of many talents, be sure to swing on by Good Company this Saturday to get a taste of the this one half of Rude Dudes’ DJ skillz.

(more…)

Our friends over at popchips have teamed up with Spin Magazine to bring us Pop Up Live — a fan driven competition designed to expose new music in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle featuring 250 up-and-coming bands!

Exclusive tracks from each are artist can be found over on the popchips Facebook page, so head on over to cast your vote by downloading your favorite song by Sept. 12th to enter the band of your choice to win $500 plus the opportunity to play at one of Spin Magazine’s always awesome parties in Austin… but only if they impress some of the industry’s most influential folks first!

Not to toot our own horns, but we’re excited to announce that yours truly will be sitting on a panel along with Tom Windish of, you know, Windish Agency, David Marches, Senior Editor of Spin, and Jesse “The Devil” Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal to help decide which band makes it to Austin.

On Halloween this year, the five finalists from each city will be announced and go on to the final voting round where the fans will be invited to vote again on popchips facebook page for the grand prize winner. The winning band will be announced November 16th and will be Austin bound come March 2012.

So do your part and vote ensuring that when your favorite new band is all over the blogosphere you can totally pick up that hottie on the other end of the bar by saying something like “You know that band [enter Pop Up Live contestant here]? I totally discovered them…”

It’s that time of year again, when the high heels get higher, the black chiffon gets blacker and the women all around our New York City streets seem a foot taller – Fashion Week is almost here! But before the madness begins, Brooklyn’s gotta represent!

Tomorrow night at Public Assembly, Fashion & Flow will be showcasing independent local designers — including our absolute favorite Maria Severyna, who combines the languid silhouettes of Donna Karen with avant-garde construction of Rick Owens to make totally Oak worthy designs — along with musical performances by Australia’s The Morning After Girls, Imaginary Friends and more!

In addition, 20% of all ticket sales will be donated to ART START — an amazing New York City based organization that gives homeless and at risk youth the means to express themselves through art, and hopefully save a life along the way through impressive programs such as Homeless Youth Outreach, Youth Offender Outreach, Emerging Artists in Residence and 1:1 Apprenticeships.

So fashion and music lovers, and do-gooders alike, grab your tickets here for a special presale price… or comment below to enter to win a pair of tickets for you and a friend! Also, FREE booze from Brooklyn Brewery and an afterparty at High Horse from 11-4am!

$15/advance, $20/door, 7-10pm

Ray:  because I’m convinced that if you listen to “Hard In Da Paint” enough you can tell the future. But, only if your future involves gun violence. No, I combined them because they’re both about archetypes.

me:  When making the collection, did you match rappers with tarots that signify them in some way?

Ray:  I matched the attributes of the major tarot cards with the rappers personas, most of which matched pretty perfectly. Like, Tyler The creator as the Devil Card which symbolizes pessimism, lust, obsession and anger which is pretty spot on

me:  On your website you say that you “connect dots on things that never really needed to be related” – other than your current show, give us some examples.

Ray:  At the show I’m also debuting a short book I wrote called “Quotations From Cash Money” At one point in there I believe I compared Juvenile to Shakespeare and God. I don’t think anyone ever really needed to consider those three sitting in a room together. Unless we’re talking about the illest cipher in heaven. Also, nudity and power tools.

Aaron Pfenning no doubt knows how to churn out synth heavy dreams, you know, being a founding member of that little Brooklyn band called Chairlift and all. But under moniker Rewards, Pfenning’s synth takes a turn from the drearier variety to an up-tempo worthy of rubbing bodies together.

To be frank, each track has that reverberating quality that is nicely paired with a sexual partner and the newest single “Equal Dreams” is no exception.

With the addition of Solange Knowles’ yearning “am I everything you always wanted” cry to Aaron’s breathy bellow, we’ve made a promise to ourselves to play this on repeat… with a stranger from Union Pool or, well, dancing on our own.

Equal Dreams (Feat. Solange Knowles) by DFA Records

I’m not going to bore you with all the facts — just come check out Wayne’s World and a very special performance by Yellow Dogs TONIGHT at the McCarren Park ballfields… you know you can barley hold it together just thinking about the sing-a-long that awaits you!

Yellow Dogs go on at 7pm, movie starts at 8ish!

We’ve partnered with our wonderful friends over at The L Magazine again to bring you yet another series of music and movies, not to mention yummy Bark Hot Dogs and Six Point brews!

Tonight at Summerscreen, we’ll be kicking it in South Central with everybody’s favorite homeboy gone well, we’re not sure…We’re talking about the movie that taught us all not to owe drug dealers money – Friday, of course!

Get there early to check out a musical performance by our girl TECLA – who you’ve probably spotted killing it on the keys alongside Gordon Voidwell. TECLA’s carefree-upbeat synth partners with her sensual rasp to create a sound that has been described as “SWV on acid” that’s sure to get you all sorts of transfixed.

Doors open at 6pm, performance by TECLA at 7pm, and Friday starts at sundown. So put on your favorite red or blue bandana and come on down to the ballfields on the corner of North 12th and Bedford tonight and every Wednesday for the next few weeks, you may even win an iPad2.

Check out the full lineup of nostalgic movies and our neighborhood’s favorite bands (curated by yours truly) after the jump… Did we mention that it’s FREE!?

(more…)

Our homies over at Death + Taxes and Ray-Ban know how to throw a party — and by this, of course, we mean that this Thursday at Santos Party House guests will not only be treated to grooves to make your butt move but that there’s also an open bar.

And since nothing goes better with free cocktails than tropics-infused musical libations, Beach Fossils, Javelin and Punches will be there to remind you why summer is better than, well, anything else.

In case you need a soundtrack to your walk through the perfectly sticky Chinatown streets Thursday night, grab Punches remix of “LightHouse” by NewVillager below — a band that has recently garnered a whole ‘nother level of recognition.

So take Ray-Ban’s words to heart like a new found “stay gold,” and never hide… RSVP, get there early, and save me a dance! NewVillager – LightHouse (PUNCHES Remix) by punchesbk