TONIGHT: Buy Me Some Booze!

I'm gonna be honest:
Someone told me what your plans were for tonight . . .and it sounded whack.  SO, because you're my peoples and I don't want you wasting a perfectly good Friday night, I'll tell you where you need to be.

Tonight at Public Assembly in Brooklyn is the album release party and performances from some personal connects of mine that you've seen around here before:  Raw Nature and KON.  Along with special performances by St. Joe Louis, Silent Knight and others.

Be there...Hear some good Hip-Hop.  Buy me some liquor.

2010 Afro-Punk Festival

Highlights from 2009.

Believe it or not, I've never been to Afro-Punk.  I know.  Doesn't make sense to me either.  You'd think it was an inevitability.  I'm slippin'.

Anyway...the 2010 edition kicks off today and goes through Sunday @ Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn.  For more info, tix and whatnot, head here.

The Sandpit by Sam O'Hare

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

This "tilt-shift" stuff is amazing.
The Sandpit takes to sprawling giant that is NYC and makes it appear to be no bigger than a Micro Machines setup.

Empire State Building to Light Up In Honor of Red Bull Arena Opening

Not sure why this makes me so happy, but it does:

Empire State Building Lighting
The New York Red Bulls are proud to announce its partnership with the Empire State Building. This is a special opportunity for the New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Arena to partner with the world’s most famous office building and its world famous tower lights.The Empire State Building will be lit up in red and white to match the New York Red Bulls kits on March 20th, the Grand Opening of Red Bull Arena!

To which, I respond the only way I see fit.
No confirmation to the rumor that the building was named after the supporters' club.

E.M. Theories: Tri-State of Mind

For you local cats, this is where you need to be next Wednesday night.  You WON'T be disappointed, and you're gonna have a serious Hip-Hop head bragging point to hold over your friends if you go . . .trust me!  The "flyer" doesn't tell the whole story, man.  Go.

::giving you that look where I'm trying to tell you something but I can't say it out loud::
GO to the show!!

For real, though . . .support my peoples . . .or I'll fart in your dinner.

UYD FOR LIFE!!

Gonna get all up in them podcast guts.
No way am I missing this.

Brooklyn Through Foreign Eyes...

Thought this was interesting...
Alex of Franz Ferdinand gives a pretty good description of "New Brooklyn":

I’m back in London to rehearse for the summer festivals. I was in NYC for a few days, where I’m fascinated by the slew of shops, cafes and bars that appear almost daily in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, yet look like they’ve been there since George Washington discovered Brooklyn. One day there is an old bodega or an empty car repair shop, the next day there is a place that seems like it was there for a hundred years, with mirrors distressed by age, ancient flaking gold leaf signs on the windows, flickering lamps, floorboards worn down by ten thousand footsteps, pressed tin on the roof and Ancient Artefacts on every shelf. It’s a phenomenon you find a little of in other cities, but nothing like in new Olde Broolyne Towne. I don’t know if there is a term to describe it, but I call it “Faux Past”. If you find yourself in that plot of land between the Newton Creek, BQE and Broadway and discover a dive bar selling PBR and micro-brewed IPA that wasn’t there a week ago, or a wee boutique selling vintage ephemera that wasn’t there last month, or a dusty old diner selling organic burgers with arugula, blue cheese and walnut salad where the wait staff all have stunning tattoos and Edwardian Levis held up by braces/suspenders (apart from the Latino guys who actually make the food, bring the water and clear the tables) that you could have sworn was an empty funeral home last time you passed… and want to describe it to your pals, it would be something like: “I was in this café/bar/shop on Driggs between 7^th and 8^th. It’s cool, really Faux Past, yeah super old and shit, the chick behind the counter has the name of the place tattooed on her back on the footplate of a massive steam locomotive riding between her shoulders, yeah, a bit like the ‘Rembrandt’s Radio’ tatt the guy from that place on Franklin has on his arm. Cool. See you at 6. We’ll go check out that band.”

The Roots Take Up "Residency"

The Roots are about to do something very interesting, and not usually seen in hip-hop. Beginning on March 5, and through June 23, Black Thought an'nem will be performing a total of 12 times at Highline Ballroom:

03-05 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
03-19 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
03-31 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
04-14 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
04-21 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
05-13 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
05-18 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
05-26 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
06-02 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
06-10 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
06-16 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
06-23 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom

Pitchfork calls this sort of thing a "residency" . . .they know more than me...so we'll roll with that.

Here's Yor Famous ESC!

It's time.

If you're a soccer fan in the NJ/NY area, it's time to do your honor-bound duty and support your local club. I know you love sitting and spending your Saturday and Sunday morning watching FSC, Setanta and Gol. I don't blame you. I do it too. But let me assure you, that none of that means a thing when compared to the pride and passion of of standing and singing for the team that represents the patch of soil you call home.

The best way to do so, is to stand shoulder-to-shoulded with America's most intense band of hardcore MLS fans, the Empire Supporters' Club.

The first wave of sign-ups will be on Staurday, the 24th at Nevada Smith's, where ESC will be gathering to cheer on the US National Team in their friendly against Sweden.

"I think everybody here can agree, that a party ain't great without the ESC"
- The Rapture

The Return of Head Automatica

The children gather and cheer . . .Head Automatica's return is upon us.
You have no idea how much time I spent figuring out what clip was best to display the greatness of H.A. . . .first impressions are important, you know. Their first album, Decadence is classic material.

Anyway . . .the point of this post is to share some info. Head Automatica is currently wrapping up their third album, and to get the "comeback" train rollin', they will be playing 3 shows in January:

Jan 8 2009 - Music​ Hall of Willi​amsbu​rg Brook​lyn,​ New York
Jan 9 2009 - North​ Star Bar Phila​delph​ia,​ Penns​ylvan​ia
Jan 10 2009 - Great​ Scott​ Bosto​n,​ Massa​chuse​tts

I HIGHLY recommend seeing Head Auto live. The band is dope, Daryl Palumbo flips his shit at least 4 times during the set, the PBR and Schafer will flow like the Nile . . .and the women in attendace are going to be heart-stoppingly gorgeous (assiming you're down with the Suicide Girl steez . . .and if you aren't . . .what the hell is wrong with you?!)

Enough With The Bullshit . . .

Music folks, allow me to switch gears for a minute . . .this is for the soccer crowd:

This Sunday afternoon my beloved New York RedBulls will be playing in the MLS Cup Final for the first time in team history, and apparently the soccerati in this country are up in arms and sick over the idea of a team with a mediocre regular season record being considered Champions. All week I've had to listen to and read spewed bile about MLS needing to change to a single-table format and eliminate the playoffs. To call it frustrating would be an understatement.

To make it clear, my opinion has ALWAYS been that the Supporters' Shield winners should be recognized as that year's Champions, with the MLS Cup being our version of the Carling Cup and US Open Cup, our FA Cup.

MLS can't go single table without promotion/relegation. The end of the regular season would have been unwatchably dull and unimportant because no one would have had anything to play for after Columbus locked the Shield up. Instead, we had great games to watch, with 6 teams fighting for 2 playoff spots, and the better teams jostling for seeding. Until the USL & MLS merge (never) and/or we have 30 teams (maybe for grandchildren), MLS CANNOT GO SINGLE TABLE.

The problem is not the current league structure. The problem is the fans. The fans continue to go along with the league mandate and give all the glory to the MLS Cup winner. If the fans gave the accolades to the Shield winner, this wouldn't be a discussion. People bitch about this non-stop...but where was all the "Congratulations Columbus Crew" talk when they took the Supporters' Shield? NOWHERE. It's bullshit. People cry about the possibility of NY being Champions, yet fail to recognize that the trophy they're begging for already exists, but they just fail to acknowledge it properly. You don't like the idea of a 10-11-9 team being Champions? Well blame yourselves because since 1996, you've all failed to celebrate the regular season's best team in a way they deserve.

I stood in Nevada Smith's last Saturday night and witnessed first-hand the greatest scene of fan passion this league has EVER produced. I saw grown men shed tears, strangers embrace and people sing and dance in the middle of a Manhattan street because they were experiencing something that they never thought possible. It's an absolute fucking shame that the rest of the country is trying their hardest to poison that feeling.

He Loves A Fat Girl

REAL footage from Queens, NY public access TV show, Goddesses.
My life is better because I have seen this video.

Oh, holy hell...there's more. Evidently, the dude dancing to the jam with 'ol girl is a stripper/rapper named Ecstasy (I'm gonna take a wild guess and say he actually spells that with an X or two), and he had his own performance that night of his jam, "Plus Size Is Happening":


Aaaaaaaaand, just because I don't think your head has exploded yet, let's watch their interview together with the show's host:

We Are Scientists + Kings of Leon

Much like the first time I tried Choconilla Rice Krispies, I am cautious...yet very much intrigued.

Hey, locals . . .
We Are Scientists and Kings of Leon (not sure who's "supporting" who) are playing The Electric Factory in Philly next Saturday night (the 15th). Sounds like a mighty fine show to me. I can imagine they draw very different crowds (with the exception of KoL newbies like me). Should be entertaining on and off stage.

Also, W-A-S are flying solo in Asbury Park (at Wonder Bar??) on the 21st, and Irving Plaza in the City on the 22nd.

What say you, good people?

Your Plans For Tonight

Without a doubt, The Carps are my favorite band in that realm of bands that are infinitely better than everyone else, yet no one has a clue who they are. Their lack of exposure is frustrating for ME, so I can only imagine what they must be dealing with themselves.

Tonight, I will finally get to see The Carps over in the City, as part of the CMJ marathon. I am, in a word...giddy.

Behold the greatness:
"Heaven's Gates & Hell's Flames"


"Veronica Belmont"


"All The Damn Kids" (Greatest thing ever?? Post-punk soca!!)

CMJ is Here

Yup, the CMJ Music marathon is here.
If you're a regular reader of this blog, then there's a 99.9% chance that at least 10 bands/artists that you like will be performing in NYC sometime between tonight and Saturday.

To put it plainly, there is no bigger or better event than CMJ. I would have to be a madman to try and run through the list of artists and venues for you. Luckily you can find it all and sort it conveniently right here.

Don't forget...with shows come after parties and random DJ sets. Get your friends together, map out your week(end). The streets will be over run with (legal aged) Nicks and Noras. Don't miss out!

Chromeo DJ Set

Official after-party for the show.

Sports / Cardboard City

If you know me, then you know I love me some Cardboard City. Hands down, no questions or debate necessary, the dopest music collective this planet has ever seen. So, if you're in the area, I highly recommend checking out Sports' set tomorrow night.

And while you're at it (and I type this more emphatically than anything I've written on this blog) MAKE SURE you go through the Cardboard City friends list and get down on all of that good shit.

Pics and Vids From the Bloc Party Show

If you're a fan, and you weren't there . . .you have my deepest sympathies. It was a free show, but the Bloc damn sure didn't treat it like one.

After the Show It's the Afterparty . . .

"Amazing" Baby?

In case you were wondering who was opening for Bloc Party tomorrow night, it's these dudes, Amazing Baby. One of those "we're from Brooklyn" bands. Yeah . . .sure you are.

To put it mildly, I won't be getting to Roseland Ballroom any earlier for these guys.