Kristoffer Ragnstam
Piano’s
August 27, 2008


In the packed back room of Piano’s Bar on Ludlow Street an audience of young American hipsters learned why they should support Swedish music- because it rocks. From the very first stroke of the guitar, Kristoffer Ragnstam and his band captured the attention of the crowd with an addicting melody and a diverse, innovative rock sound. The hour-long show highlighted a number of tracks off of Kris’s new album Wrong Side of the Room most notably “Swing That Tambourine” and “May I Admire Her.” The performance was cut with a great raw energy and the songs were tight musically and more than just a little iPod friendly. Kris closed the show with the song “Delicious,” which showed off the band’s great ability to play live as they worked through climatic changes in tempo and a terrific keyboard solo.

Tim Needles

Join Sonic Youth as they Play McCarren Park Pool's Final Show

Friday August 29

Location: Gramercy, NYC
Bands: The Giraffes + Stalkers
Show time: Midnight
Venue: Rocks Off Boat Cruise (aboard the Half Moon)
Food: Kelley & Ping Gramercy
Drink: Rodeo Bar
Miscellaneous: City Bakery

NYC rockers, The Giraffes are notorious for two things: members with a revolving variety of mustaches and putting on great live shows with plenty of hairpulling and beer throwing. Catch this sex metal band along with the Stalkers on the high seas. For dinner, Kelley & Ping offers a taste of the food stalls from all over Asia including noodles, curries, and of course street food like pad Thai. The food is delish! Though honky-tonk doesn’t spell R-O-C-K, the Rodeo Bar offers both. With the bar itself being an old horse trailer and the bartender offering up 10 kinds of margarita's, this place is white trash awesome! For some of the best bakery goods and hot chocolate in the city, indulge in City Bakery’s delectable morsels. Expect to pay for every delicious cent of em’ cause they ain’t cheap, but they’re worth it!

Friday August 29

Location: Chelsea, NYC
Band: Cecil Taylor
Show time: 10:30 PM
Venue: Highline Ballroom
Food: Pastis
Drink: Red Rock West Saloon
Miscellaneous: Ninth Street Espresso

If you think some bands lately are innovative because they’re using noises that aren’t typically rock-related, think again. You might then want to check out one of the greats of avant-garde jazz piano, Cecil Taylor. He practically started that trend decades ago. If French cuisine is what you’re after, Pastis, a French bistro run by Keith McNally, offers some of the best classic French food and bistro fare in the city. Usually crowded, it’s not known for its intimacy. Also not known for being quiet, Red Rock West Saloon is a biker and blue collar bar where you can throw back a beer and listen to some Southern rock. What’s a night in NYC without a great cup of coffee in a low-key café? Ninth Street Espresso offers that kind of setting and a well-chosen selection of coffees.

Saturday August 30

Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Bands: Sonic Youth + Wolf Eyes + Times New Viking + Vivian Girls
Show time: 4:00 PM
Venue: McCarren Park Pool
Food: La Locanda
Drink: Enid’s
Miscellaneous: Royal Oak

Looks like this is the last show at McCarren Park Pool before it becomes an actual pool. Going out with a bang, join Sonic Youth, Wolf Eyes, Times New Viking, and Vivian Girls for some serious rock action. One of the last vestige’s of real Brooklyn in this hipster neighborhood, La Locanda serves simple Italian dishes like Chicken Parmigiana and pasta, but don’t be fooled, the food here is excellent, affordable and the vibe is homey. A good place to drink and talk nearby, Enid’s has cheap beer, a friendly atmosphere, and even food. Another good place for drinks if you feel like bar-hopping, Royal Oak offers a dark and sexy vibe, where excellent DJs play old-school R&B and 80s metal all mixed up like Britney Spears!

Saturday August 30

Location: Long Island City, Queens
Bands: Warm Up 2008 with James Chance and the Contortions + Matthew Dear and Ryan Elliot + Jason Evans + Jonathan Kane’s February
Show time: 3:00 PM
Venue: P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
Food: Sripraphai
Drink: Saints and Sinners
Miscellaneous: Baruirs

James Chance and the Contortions have been around since the No Wave scene in the early 80s blending funk, Punk, and jazz with spazz. One of my favorite bands of all time, this is the first time they will be playing in over a decade with several original members. Joining them are Matthew Dear and Ryan Elliot, Jason Evans, and Jonathan Kane’s February. Being that you’re in Queens anyways, you HAVE to take the 7 train to Sripraphai, one of New York’s top Thai restaurants. What makes it better than most is the fact that the ingredients are fresh, and instead of choosing your entree with a choice of meat, they offer a novel sized menu with pics of every dish, with most under $10. Once a heavily Irish neighborhood, Saints and Sinners is one of the best looking Irish bars left. Grab a Guinness at the bar or traditional Irish food. If you can, head over to Baruir’s in Sunnyside for one of the best cups of coffee in Queens.

Sunday August 31

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Bands: Black August with EPMD + Bilal + Immortal Technique
Show time: 9:00 PM
Venue: B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
Food: Empanada Mama
Drink: Circus
Miscellaneous: Vintage

This benefit for Black August, a project that celebrates hip hop, brings together an amazing lineup of some great hip hop pioneers and newer acts including EPMD, Bilal, Immortal Technique, Smif N Wessun, Das Efx, Blitz the Ambassador, DJ Scratch, DJ Marley Marl, DJ K-Salaam, DJ Evil Dee, and more. Though small, Empanada Mama packs a hefty punch with more than 40 kinds of empanadas. Choose from a wheat or corn flour shell to start as ingredients include basic rice and beans to what they have dubbed “Viagra,” a wheat flour empanada stuffed with shrimp, scallop, and crab ($3). Appropriately, at Circus, you’ll get free hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn without the animals, screaming babies, and clowns at this Rudy’s Bar spin-off that has beer just as cheap and a neighborhood feel. If cheap beer ain’t your thing, Vintage has a wine list with over 200 wines by the glass or bottle from most of the boutique wineries in Long Island and Upstate New York.

The Words of Every Song
Liz Moore
Random House






The Words of Every Song is a jarring collection of vignettes that all link together in some way. The story of rockstar Tommy May and his connection to a young gay teen or to a female groupie, A&R superstar Jax Kline-Powers and her connection to Che, even the lead singer of The Burn's connection to the other major players in the novel. At first, the division of chapters into characters feels intriguing. Personally, I thought the first chapter was the strongest and most powerful of the novel. But when it ends...it is not over. Tiny references in that chapter keep coming back and changing over time (The Burn--a tiny band mentioned in this chapter--come back later to have their own chapter). I felt at times that I wanted chapters to be left as they were. I wanted to have that little snapshot of a character. However, a later reference would tell that we are years later and something that happened in that characters life. For example, an early chapter tells of someone quitting their job and the next chapter mentions how many months it's been since that event happened. An even later chapter in the novel brings this character back in another time frame. Sometimes, the character connections seem too convenient.

Though the time changes and character glimpses pull away from the over all story, the novel as a whole is enjoyable. I would read it every day on the subway and each story was just enough to complete my morning or nightly commute. It's the perfect novel for the reader looking for shorter works to fill in their time. It would make a quick read for someone looking to sit down with a book.

Tania Katherine

Trevor Dunn Photo Credit: Peter Gannushkin

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Band: Trevor Dunn’s Proof Readers
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: The Stone
Food: Pukk
Drink: The Magician
Miscellaneous: Mason Dixon

Ex bassist for the disbanded avant-rock group Mr. Bungle, Trevor Dunn’s newest project, Proof Readers consists of drummer Ryan Sawyer, sax player Darius Jones and Nate Wooley on trumpet, paying tribute to one of the fathers of free jazz, Ornette Coleman. Pukk serves up some delicious vegetarian Thai food. With a futuristic design, plastic and green tint everywhere, the menu offers everything from Pad Thai to Spicy Watercress Duck, only the duck, like all meat here, is made of vegetarian soy. A chill bar to go for a drink and not be bothered with loud, annoying drunks is The Magician. This place, which has no visible name, is across the street from Welcome to the Johnsons. With a southern theme, the draw at Mason Dixon is being one of only two bars in NYC with a mechanical bull. For $10 you can ride it. Expect to be thrown off in 5 seconds, if you can stay on that long!

Cowboy Junkies
Trinity Revisited
Latent Records






The Cowboy Junkies 1988 breakthrough album has received a celebratory 20th anniversary makeover including a DVD documentary of the recordings filmed at the Church of Holy Trinity in Toronto. It’s obvious the band soaked up the church’s warm ambiance. Trinity Revisited is a haunting alchemy of quiet emotion, top-flight country/rock, and Margo Timmins’ whispery vocals.

This time around, the Junkies are joined by Natalie Merchant, who has the presence of a melted fudgicle and the tight-lipped pipes of a stroke victim; a wobbly Ryan Adams, and craggy Vic Chesnutt. Guest star failures aside, the Junkies can mine a slow groove, particularly Jeff Bird, who provides woodsy back porch harp for “Blue Moon Revisited,” blares like a passing train in the bluesy “I Don’t Get It,” and turns Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight” into a threatening stroll. Adams regroups with a cozy campfire rendition of “200 Miles,” and the group’s languid reworking of Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane” still oozes with backwoods sensuality.

Michael Jefferson




Matt Pryor
Confidence Man
Vagrant Records






If you happen to be out driving the open road in Middle America spending time thinking about changing your life, maybe for a montage sequence in a film- Matt Pryor’s album Confidence Man might be a good soundtrack for you. Confidence Man is the first solo offering from Matt, who was formerly of The Get Up Kids and continues to play with The New Amsterdams. The album is more of a showing of potential than a finished piece with a few moments of greatness like the title track, which blends a number of different melodic sections, layered instrumentation, and original lyrics. Unfortunately, it has a number of unoriginal coffeehouse tunes that cry of immaturity and could be used as waiting room muzac or a sleep aid at an old folks home. Some songs such as: “Dear Lover” and “Where did I go Wrong” are a bit too musically reminiscent of 90’s tunes “More Than Words” and “She Talks to Angels” and end up being blandified. There are a few glimmers and sparks like lead track “A Totally New Year” and “Lovers Who Have Lost Their Cause” but they don’t rise to the occasion in the same way the title track does. Matt clearly has potential but his freshman effort comes off just as that- a freshman effort.

Tim Needles

Untitled (Patti Smith), Polaroid, by Robert Mapplethorpe, 1973.

Location: Upper East Side, NYC
Art: Polaroids, Mapplethorpe
Show time: Wed–Thu 11:00 AM–6:00 PM , Fri 1:00 PM–9:00 PM , Sat, Sun 11:00 PM–6:00 PMpm . Through Sept. 7.
Venue: Whitney Museum of American Art
Food: Brother Jimmy’s Bait Shack
Drink: BB&R
Miscellaneous: Dylan's Candy Bar

Focusing on the instant photography used by Icon Robert Mapplethorpe from 1970 to 1975, this exhibition features one hundred objects, including self-portraits, figure studies, still lifes, and portraits of lovers and friends including Patti Smith, Sam Wagstaff, and Marianne Faithfull. If you’ve got a craving for barbeque, check out Brother Jimmy’s Bait Shack as the ribs, chicken, beef, and pork are all smothered in some amazing BBQ sauce. BB&R, which stands for Blonde, Brunette, and a Redhead is the brainchild of three best friends. What they’ve created is something between a neighborhood bar and a lounge with leather seats in the front and a pool table, photo booth, and video games in the back. Looking more like it came out of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Dylan’s Candy Bar is a colorful place to get lollipops, licorice, and all things sugary. Don’t go crazy or your sweet tooth might melt here!

David Bowie
Live in Santa Monica '72
Virgin Records






Chameleon-like David Bowie has never left his fans wanting for material with a steady stream of albums and re-issues hitting shelves over the last four decades or so but, if the release of this stunning live set from 1972 is any indication of what he's sitting on - let the floodgates open and keep the disc's coming! In the early 70s, Bowie came to America and introduced his Ziggy Stardust persona to U.S. audiences. This Santa Monica gig, originally recorded for broadcast on a Los Angeles radio station, featured songs ("Space Oddity," "Ziggy Stardust," and "Changes") that would become instant classics. But what can't be underestimated is Bowie's raw electric delivery, which showcases one of music's most enduring artists at the beginning of his career.

--Amy Wagner





Oxford Collapse
Bits
Sub Pop






The Oxford Collapse make music for wise-asses. Their latest album is a soundtrack for sarcastic guys who bandy about words like "over-produced" and phrases like "overtly earnest melodrama" while hanging out in coffee shops and mocking the world around them to mask the fact that they're too hung-over to do anything productive with their lives.

The music sounds like it was recorded in murk, with the lo-fi charm that's seen a resurge in dominance lately. The lyrics crackle with wit and a playful love of language. Bits might be too energetic to be the perfect record for those mornings when you want to pull the covers over your head and pretend getting out of bed won't help you feel better, but it is the perfect record for those of us who feel that sublime mixture of regret and elation, trying to recover the morning after.

--Nate Campbell

Kenny Scharf, Agua Pollination, 1983, oil and spray paint on canvas, 91 1/2 × 103 1/2 inches . Courtesy of Paul Kasmin.

Location: Chelsea, NYC
Art: Totally Rad: New York in the 80’s
Show time: Mon thru Fri, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Thru Sept. 6
Venue: Paul Kasmin Gallery
Food: Pop Burger
Drink: Gaslight Lounge
Miscellaneous: Amy’s Bread

At Totally Rad: New York in the 80’s, paintings, sculptures, and works on paper highlight the New York artists who were the center of attention in the art world in the 80's. Featured artists include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, Kenny Scharf, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, David Wojnarowicz, and more. Burger joint in the front, upscale lounge in the back, the menu at Pop Burger includes basics like 2 pop burgers for $5 for a quick fix or if your lounging, the likes of tuna tartar with soy truffle jus ($15). The Gaslight, a great hotspot bar in the meatpacking district, is dark and cozy while affordable for the area. If you don’t know Amy’s Bread, when you order a sandwich at a café or restaurant in the city, ask where they got the bread. There’s a good chance it’s from Amy’s because she’s one of the best bread makers in the city.

Want to have healthier and stylish hair? Who doesn’t! Kiehl’s happily answers your call every Thursday through September 25th by giving customers the chance to consult with Kiehl’s experts one-on-one to help you find out what type of shampoo, conditioner, or treatment works best for your hair. Best of all, you walk away with a recipe for the perfect hairstyle for you, and who can say no to that? Did I mention that they will style your hair in the store and turn you on to all of Kiehl’s latest products including their Stylist Series formulas.

The event is FREE, but you must call one of the two Kiehl’s stores that this event is taking place in below to schedule an appointment.

“Natural Recipes For Healthy Hair” will take place at the following Kiehl’s stores:

• Kiehl’s Since 1851, FLAGSHIP STORE, 109 Third Ave., 212-677-3171
• Kiehl’s Since 1851, 154 Columbus Ave., 212-799-3438

--DaVe Lipp

As the kind of woman who rarely leaves her apartment without mascara, I consider a good quality version of this product to include (a) definition (aka no “spider-eyes”), (b) volume, and (c) easy removal. Put to the test, Maybelline’s Define-a-Lash Volume Mascara excelled in creating both definition and volume. Furthermore, much to my pleasant surprise, I found that while water alone obviously wouldn’t take it off (applying water actually did not even cause smudging in the slightest), a small dap of cold cream did the trick, making it easily removable.

Having met all necessary criteria, and knowing that now, not even the most subtle splash of water from a sidewalk-cleaning hose can threaten raccoon simulations on my face, this product has achieved a secure position alongside its non-waterproof compatriots already lined up like soldiers in my medicine cabinet.

--Jessica Stein

CURSE OF THE BLACK GOLD: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta, Photographs by Ed Kashi, published by powerHouse Books

Location: DUMBO, Brooklyn
Exhibition: Ed Kashi: Curse Of The Black Gold: 50 Years Of Oil In The Niger Delta
Show time: Mon to Fri 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Sat & Sun: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Venue: The Powerhouse Arena
Food: RICE
Drink: Low Bar
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

With the release of his photo book Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta, photojournalist Ed Kashi will also have an exhibition of photographs from the book which examines the impact of oil exploitation in Nigeria. RICE not surprisingly offers a pretty intense variety of rice, from brown to Bhutanese red. Most of the rice based dishes come in large and small sizes. Right below RICE is Low Bar, an extremely convenient place to grab a drink and catch some great DJs spin in a lounge environment. Right off the water, with a view of the South Street Seaport and the Brooklyn Bridge so close you can touch it, the only thing that could make this view better is ice cream. You’ll usually find a long line for Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, but the sweet flavors are worth it!

Pepper’s Kaleo Wassman Lays Down Some Love. All Photos by Tim Needles

Pepper
Roseland
August 8, 2008

There was no shortage of energy or enthusiasm when Pepper hit the stage friday night at Roseland as part of the Summer Tailgate Tour along with Sly & Robbie and Slightly Stoopid. The Hawaiian reggae-rock trio has a sound reminiscent of Sublime (both of whom were produced by Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers) and kept the packed young crowd in a near frenzy for their entire performance. Both guitarist Kaleo Wassman and bass player Bret Bollinger rocked serious 80’s metal wigs as they sang and rallied the audience. The band performed without a formal set list asking the audience to shout out songs but they did hit a few songs off their new album Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations such as “Davey Jones Locker” and “Blackout.” After a break from Pepper’s hour long set, Slightly Stoopid took the stage and kept the momentum flowing by performing some of their classics like “Ese Loco” and the very appropriate “Officer” (as loads of kids were being thrown out). Even with all the drama and hysteria, getting through security and the hordes of young kids the show was a classic for any reggae rock fan.

--Tim Needles

bassist Bret Bollinger

Stars Like Fleas Photo Credit: Heart on a Stick

Friday August 22

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Band: Stars Like Fleas
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: The Stone
Food: Clinton Street Baking Company & Restaurant
Drink: Verlaine
Accessory: Gus’s Pickles

You could call Stars Like Fleas avant-indie rock or a chamber group but the band makes ambitious music that sounds somewhat like noise influenced ambient music with a singer who holds their album, The Ken Burns Effect together with a tight grasp. For din-din, check out Clinton Street Baking Company & Restaurant. Serving up sandwiches, omelletes, and baked goods for breakfast and lunch, for dinner expect the likes of Pan Seared Halibut with sweet corn succotash, herb roasted tomatoes, and summer squash ($19). Named after the poet Paul Verlaine, the bar offers an asian food and drink menu. While you can’t order the absinthe that probably helped kill the poet, you can order drinks like the El Chupacabra, which is better tasting with a kick of its own. If you like pickles, Guss’ Pickles has been around since 1910, it’s a landmark spot, and still makes a great pickle.

Friday August 22

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Music: Petty Fest 2008
Show time: 10:45 PM
Venue: Mercury Lounge
Food: San Loco
Drink: Max Fish
Miscellaneous: Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Celebrating the music of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers is genius! Tonight, a ridiculous amount of great musicians pay tribute including members of The Albert Hammond Jr. Band, Hymns, Jody Porter (Fountains Of Wayne), Sammy James Jr. (The Mooney Suzuki), The Pierces, Luke Rathborne, Steve Shiltz (Longwave), Ryan “Wiz Kid” Gentles, and many more. San Loco serves inexpensive Mexican food. You can get a heaping amount of nachos for as little as $3.75, and telling by the heavy traffic, the place is doing just fine. What I like about Max Fish is that it’s a local bar for local artists. It’s walls play host monthly for art exhibitions, there’s a pool table in the back, and drinks aren’t pricey, like many new bars springing up in this neighborhood. For one of the best cupcakes in the city, Sugar Sweet Sunshine has 10 varieties, on top of cakes. Try the Sexy Red Velvet or the Bob, a yellow cupcake with chocolate almond buttercream.

Saturday August 23

Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Band: Jennifer O’Connor
Show time: 3:00 PM FREE
Venue: Permanent Records
Food: Paloma
Drink: Black Rabbit
Miscellaneous: The Pencil Factory

On her new album Here With Me, Jennifer O’Connor has really stepped up as a songwriter, if that’s even possible since her last album was so good. Catch her at Greenpoint’s newest vinyl shop for FREE. As for dinner in Greenpoint, oddly enough, Top Chef Contestant Camille Becerra’s Restaurant Paloma is nearby, serving what she’s dubbed “urban American cuisine,” or seasonal American, which is surprisingly affordable. Probably one of the nicest editions of bars to Greenpoint, Black Rabbit is my fave. Who can resist dark wood interior, cozy booths, and an excellent selection of beers? With a fireplace in the back and a small menu of snack foods, it’s the place to unwind. Another good bar nearby is The Pencil Factory. With an all wood décor, big windows, and an excellent selection of beers on tap, you’ll find neighborhood artists and musicians making conversation here.

Saturday August 23

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
Show time: 11:45 PM FREE
Venue: Zebulon
Food: Dumont Burger
Drink: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Miscellaneous: Verb Cafe

Local songsmith Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson has been steadily picking up steam as a musician, having worked with Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio and having released his recent self-titled album, which is an amazing blend of singer/songwriter and band unafraid of experimentation. Best of all, the show is FREE. With one of the best burgers in Williamsburg, Dumont Burger offers theirs with gourmet toppings, sandwiches, salads, and their amazing mac & cheese. So you consider yourself a beer connoisseur and like to party. You can do all that and eat at Radegast. The Austrian/German menu perfectly compliments the 12 beers on tap and more than 30 German and Austrian bottles at this large beer hall. One of the oldest and best hipster hangout coffee shops, The Verb offers up excellent coffee and baked goods, a boho vibe, and big windows to watch the days pass while collecting unemployment!

Sunday August 24

Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Bands: JellyNYC Pool Parties with Yo La Tengo + Titus Andronicus + Ebony Bones
Show time: 2:00 PM FREE
Venue: McCarren Park Pool
Food: Wasabi
Drink: Bar Matchless
Miscellaneous: The original Soupman

Yo La Tengo headline this last FREE show at McCarren Pool and probably ever, as the city has given the OK to turn the pool into an actual pool next summer. So come celebrate the end of an amazing few years of FREE shows in Brooklyn. There’s a lot of restaurants popping up in Greenpoint nowadays. The Japanese restaurant Wasabi has been there before many of them and serves up some of the best sushi in that hood. A good local bar, Bar Matchless is that low-key place where you can chill, get a drink and not have to scream at the top of your lungs to make conversation. He’s been called “The Soup Nazi” on Seinfeld, but Al Yeganeh knows how to make soup. Try the Lobster bisque, it’s the best I’ve ever had, and don’t forget to follow his rules or “No Soup for You!”

I Have Chosen To Stay and Fight
By Margaret Cho
Penguin







Margaret Cho is revered in many circles, especially the queer one, for her outspoken beliefs and quick acerbic wit. In her book, I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight, she takes on many taboo topics of society today including abortion, gay marriage, and racism in America. She shares her very liberal point of view on all the topics and points out the many flaws in the conservative rational.

Among the many entertaining aspects of her book, the letters Cho writes to President Bush and Reverend Al Sharpton are so funny and on the mark it makes Cho seem even more brilliant if that is possible. For a humorous, political book that pokes fun at nearly everything conservative, check this one out.

--Corey Crossfield

20 Designs for Insound's Favorite 20 Bands

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Art: Unveiling the Insound 20 for Viewing withJason Munn
Show time: 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Venue: Fontana's
Food: Pukk
Drink: The Magician
Miscellaneous: Mason Dixon

The leading online indie music store Insound, teams up with designer Jason Munn, whose work has been in many print magazines to create merchandise designs for the “Insound 20,” featuring the music retailers favorite 20 bands. All designs will be on display and DJs will be spinning playlists coming directly from each bands ipods. Pukk serves up some delicious vegetarian Thai food. With a futuristic design, plastic and green tint everywhere, the menu offers everything from Pad Thai to Spicy Watercress Duck, only the duck, like all meat here, is made of vegetarian soy. A chill bar to go for a drink and not be bothered with loud, annoying drunks is The Magician. This place, which has no visible name, is across the street from Welcome to the Johnsons. With a southern theme, the draw at Mason Dixon is being one of only two bars in NYC with a mechanical bull. For $10 you can ride it. Expect to be thrown off in 5 seconds, if you can stay on that long!

One Day as a Lion
One Day as a Lion EP
ANTI Records






One Day as a lion is Jon Theodore and Zach de la Rocha saying we don't need anything but a keyboard, drums and a microphone to kick the shit out of you. They waste no time in doing so from start to finish on their 5-song EP out July 22nd on Anti Records.

One Day as a Lion is an ongoing collaboration between De la Rocha and Theodore in which they create a simplified, harsh sound that simultaneously showcase their voices. Theodore's unabashedly aggressive style meshes perfectly with De la Rocha's attacking vocal approach. Their arrangement sets the stage for a rhythmic and lyrical attack that holds no punches and brings it raw.

Zach de la Rocha is a better rapper than singer, but he still brings the rage when he uses his singing voice on tracks like Last Letter and If you fear Dying. By singing instead of rapping, he adds an elongated sustained element that contrasts Theodore's fanatically syncopated drum lines.

--Marc Amigone



Kraak & Smaak
Plastic People
Ultra Records






Ladies and gentlemen! Hold your Heinekens high and toast Holland's hottest vinyl-heads, Kraak & Smaak. In April 2008, K&S's sophomore album, Plastic People, hit the UK's electrofunk scene and set the Leiden-based group on a wave of success as smooth as the interplay of their trance-inducing tracks. Dance floor favorites like "Squeeze Me" deliver the sound we've come to adore while the group's work on "Man of Constant Sorrow," a tour-de-force of K&S-worthy beats, indian influences, and a heaping helping of bluegrass, demonstrates significant growth and sophistication. A tip of the hat also goes to Kraak & Smaak for punny track titles like "Bobby & Whitney."

Now bottoms up and get yourself a round of Kraak & Smaak. The U.S. version drops on September 9th on Ultra Records.

--Nicole Velasco

Bring Your Inner Know-It-All to Tonights Quizz-Off at Pete's Candy Store

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Event: Quizz-Off
Venue: Pete’s Candy Store
Food: Chimu
Drink: Union Pool
Miscellaneous: Eks

Win a $25 bar tab at Quizz-Off . . . if you can answer a night of ridiculously hard questions. Yeah, nothing in life is easy, but thank god for booze and quiz shows in bars. With so much good food in Williamsburg, you should not forget about Chimu. A Peruvian steakhouse right next to Union Pool, the rotisserie chicken and every other dish I’ve had here is amazing, and it won’t break the bank! For drinks, Union Pool is still one of the best bars in town. If you’re single, it’s a goldmine for ass, the drinks aren’t pricey, and the DJs play an eclectic mix of ridiculously good music. Not exactly Pinkberry, yet just as expensive, Eks is Williamsburg’s answer to the yogurt fad currently popping up.

Though the son of Ali, Vieux Farka Touré Stands Tall on his Own








Vieux Farka Touré is one of the world's brightest young stars, picking up where his legendary father Ali left off, playing his native country of Mali's traditional music all over the world. After his show at Central Park Summer Stage last month, I was lucky enough to interview him on music, Africa, climbing out from his father's shadow, and a lot more…

My first question is as an African musician, do you find it difficult to reach a mainstream audience? Do you ever get frustrated by being categorized into an "exotic other" category such as "world music?"

I guess I have been pretty lucky because the kind of music I am doing seems to be reaching a pretty wide audience – at least from what I can see from the stage! Last weekend I played on the rock stage at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark with bands like Battles and CocoRosie …and the audience just seemed to be there to hear and dance to good rock, and didn't stop rocking when I played – they seemed to get even crazier! Then we played a more traditional African festival in Holland. Next weekend we'll be playing a huge festival in Spain where I've invited Idan Raichel (whom I've met in airports around the world but haven't managed to actually play with yet!) to sit in. I did a radio show last summer with country musicians (I really liked Dierks Bentley) and also an Africa Express show in Liverpool, playing with other Africans like Amadou and Miriam, Baaba Maal, Rachid Taha and collaborating with all the new English rock musicians like Damon Albarn and Franz Ferdinand. And I'll be doing a U.S. tour this August in a tribute to James Brown with Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley. So I'd have to say I'm not feeling too boxed in!

Growing up and now, who are some of your greatest musical influences outside of Mali?

My favorite musician growing up was Phil Collins. I also really love Bryan Adams. I listen to anything - I am young (despite my name!) and have everything from reggaeton to hip-hop to blues to traditional Malian music on my iPod.

You've traveled all over the world playing music, how has what you've seen and experienced in your travels shaped and stretched your perspective on your music and life as a whole?

It's totally changed me. You can't travel the world, see other cultures, eat other foods, meet other people all the time, and not have that affect your way of seeing the world, and of course that filters into the music. But of course it also makes me value even more my home, my country. When I get back to Mali, ah…now that feels good. I always want to live there. But I'd maybe like to bring some of the good things I have seen on my travels back to Mali. I am always so impressed by the huge windmills across Europe and I keep thinking we could use one of those in Niafunke where there is always wind.

Since your father was such a legendarily famous Malian musician, do you ever feel burdened by having to always be compared to him? Do you ever feel like people don't give you enough respect on your own merits as a musician because of your name?

It's a good thing and a hard thing to have a father like Ali. He's a legend worldwide and I can't compete with that…all I can do is my best and hope that people will someday recognize my talent as something else, something different. But I also know that a lot of people listened to my first album, paid attention to it because I am Ali's son and that's a good thing. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of talented artists out there, maybe who have more talent than me. But I have been lucky enough to have a famous father and so my first record was of interest to people. Now I have the challenge of making the second one even better!

You've released two albums with Modiba Productions so far, do you have plans to go back into the studio anytime in the near future to record a third?

Yes, I have been recording for the past couple of months in Bamako, whenever I can (and am not touring!) and have about 13 tracks ready for some postproduction now. I am hoping we can get something out for early 2009.

Your second album was a collaboration with various DJ's that fused your traditional African sound with a more modern electric sound, who are some musicians you're interested in collaborating with on future projects both from West Africa and the rest of the world?

Oh wow, that's a hard question. We've been talking with Dirty Projectors about doing some shows together. I just discovered Wilco on our last road trip - they are incredible. Of course, I'd love someday to work with Bryan Adams. And on reggae, well, the Skatalites and Alpha Blondy are my heroes. I just spent the last weekend at festivals with Mamar Kassey from Niger, I listen to him all the time at home and his guitarist is one of the all-time greats. I'd love to do something with him, maybe travel to Niger and do something there.

My last question, your record label, Modiba Productions, has repeatedly in the past, donated parts of its sales profits to different charitable causes in Africa such as the ASAP album and buying malaria nets. Do you feel that enough African musicians use their financial success to instigate positive change in their home countries?

I think there are lots of good things being done by many African musicians but I also believe we can - and should - always do more. We are lucky - we often have influence, and we can help directly. I am sending mosquito nets directly to my village. As my father used to say, when the wind blows, everyone grabs his own hat. So whatever I can do to help my own village, I must do.

Marc Amigone

Yunohama, C-Print 2004 by Asako Narahashi

Location: Chelsea, NYC
Art: Asako Narahashi: half awake and half asleep in the water
Show time: Mon thru Fri 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM; through August 22
Venue: Yossi Milo Gallery
Food: Better Burger
Drink: Turks & Frogs
Miscellaneous: City Bakery

In her first solo exhibition in the U.S., photographer Asako Narahashi presents half awake and half asleep in the water, a collection of C-Prints of various coastal sites in Japan that she took while floating chest deep in the ocean with her camera half submerged. The name says it all in it’s mission to serve a burger as Better Burger uses organic, antibiotic, hormone & nitrate free meat and poultry in its quest to offer up a healthier alternative to the classic patty. A great little wine bar in Chelsea, Turks & Frogs has a menu of wine and beer from all over the world, including Turkey, while having the ambiance of being in someone’s home. A must if you’re in Chelsea, City Bakery offers one of the best chocolate chip cookies and thickest and richest hot chocolates in the city. The food is a gourmand’s delight.

Make a Statement by Adding Weight to Your Eyelashes



Who doesn't like to flirt? It's a woman's specialty. A power that we all posses.
And the most wonderful way to flirt is with our eyes. A certain look, a certain twinkle, and most certainly a bat of those lashes!

What can we do to make them work their magic? Find a great mascara.

We want our lashes to look full and long without looking thick and clumpy. So to start, we have to find a great mascara. I’ve found a fabulous product from Maybelline called The Colossal Volume Express. Why you'll love it? It creates 9X the volume instantly. It has a Patented MegaBrush plus Collagen Formula that plumps the lashes one by one to make them look dramatic. Dramatic volume with no clumps. There is no flaking and no smudging.

It lasts all day and comes off very easy with regular soap and water.

I've tried them all and I have to say that even on the hottest days, It stays perfect. From morning to night, blink after blink, wink after wink it keeps me feeling feminine and flirty!

--Meryl Hartstein

Not just a beauty writer, Meryl Hartstein also runs Re-Vamp Cosmetic and Image Counseling. For more info see her website Re-Vamp Counseling

See Central Park from 30 Stories above Central Park While You Still Can

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Event: Central Park Aeroballoon
Show time: 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM through August 22
Venue: Central Park Bethesda Terrace
Food: Island Burgers and Shakes
Drink: Smith’s Bar
Miscellaneous: Colony Music

Get a look at Central Park from another angle; 30 stories above it as helium balloon rides will be available at Central Park Conservatory thorugh August 22 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Olmsted and Vaux's design of Central Park. For a kickass burger or chicken sandwich, Island Burgers and Shakes specializes in making great burgers like the Bourbon Street Burger that’s blackened, with bacon, Jack, bayou mayo, and onion on sourdough. One cheap bar in midtown, Smith’s is a dive bar with cheap booze, friendly locals, and live music daily in the next room. Though the place is way expensive, Colony Music is a fun music store that sells albums and sheet music. You can walk around and check out the entertainment memorabilia. Whether you’re looking for an autographed guitar signed by the Rolling Stones or an autographed 8x10 of Linda Carter, they’ve got it.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Friday August 15

Location: Financial District, NYC
Band: Dirty Projectors + White Williams
Show time: 7:00 PM FREE
Venue: South Street Seaport
Food: Burritoville
Drink: Jeremy’s Ale House
Miscellaneous: Century 21

The Dirty Projectors not only take three-part harmonies to another level, but the whole song form as well, sometimes sounding like they’ve shredded up a song and pieced it back together with care. Check out Rise Above, their re-imagining of Black Flag’s album Damaged. Don’t miss White Williams open with some great electronic pop. While most people buy hot dogs and grab a beer at expensive restaurants in the Seaport mall, you’ll be smart and head over to Burritoville for inexpensive and delicious California inspired burritos, all under $10. For drinks, Jeremy’s Ale House has a lively crowd and a beer list that will get you a pint for $5 and under. If you get down to the financial district early, check out Century 21. They won’t try to sell you some property, but they have some great designer clothing on the cheap, plus the place is huge to roam.

Friday August 15

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Nailbiters
Show time: 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM FREE
Venue: American Folk Art Museum
Food: Zip Burger
Drink: Subway Inn
Miscellaneous: Kinokuniya Bookstore

Indie-band the Nailbiters play melodic songs that are keyboard driven on record. Here, head biter, David Tucker is joined by Shilpa Ray and the Happy Hookers drummer Josh Fleischmann to make some sweet music together. At Zip Burger they offer farm-raised, organic, and grass-fed meat and poultry, letting you build your own burger with plenty of gourmet toppings. The first time I went to Subway Inn I thought it was completely strange that there was a dive bar off Lexington Avenue, especially in this neck of the woods, but somehow it works. Born in the 30s, this bar has somehow remained, and thank god, as it’s easily the cheapest place in the area for a drink. For fans of Japanese pop-culture, Kinokuniya Bookstore has a large selection of Japanese themed books, videos, CDs, magazines, comics, and stationary.

Saturday August 16

Location: Upper East Side, NYC
Band: Battles + Black Dice +Gang Gang Dance
Show time: 3:00 PM FREE
Venue: Central Park SummerStage
Food: Brother Jimmy’s Bait Shack
Drink: Cavatappo Wine Bar
Miscellaneous: Ship of Fools

Music geeks take notice, math-rock band Battles will be playing Central Park SummerStage along with Black Dice and Gang Gang Dance who both experiment with sounds combining plenty of electronics. Since it’s warm out, what better way to celebrate than with some BBQ. Jimmy’s Bait Shack is known for their BBQ’d meats, smoked in house. The menu is all Southern favorites like po boys, catfish, fried chicken, along with burgers. Though it’s small, Cavatappo Wine Bar packs a mighty punch, offering an amazing selection of wines from all over the world for under $10 a glass. With more than 40 TVs featuring sports, Ship of Fools also has darts, pool tables, and video games.

Saturday August 16

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Band: Burn It Down with Melle Mel and the Planet Rock Crew
Show time: 9:00 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Food: Press 195
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room

This show, which is a benefit, will see all proceeds go to the House of Yes, a community art space that burned down. The show will feature Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash and members of the Furious Five, Os Crunc Tesla (members of Dragons Of Zynth), Che Grand, The Project, Nuclear Family, The Dugout, and Sankofa. Taking the pressed sandwich to the gourmet level, Press 195 offers 30 kinds of hot pressed sandwiches that make this place hard to get tired of. One of the more social bars in Park Slope, The Gate is a great bar with a wide selection of local beers on tap and an outdoor patio overlooking the park. A great little dessert and coffee shop, The Chocolate Room has a menu filled with everything made with some form of chocolate. Try the hot chocolate, you won’t regret it.

Sunday August 17

Location: Upper East Side, NYC
Band: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings + Menahan Street Band +
Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens
Show time: 3:00 PM FREE
Venue: Central Park SummerStage
Food: Jackson Hole
Drink: Metropolitan Museum of Art Balcony Bar and Roof Garden
Miscellaneous: Café Sabarsky

The queen of funk, Sharon Jones is no joke and seeing her with the Dap Kings always guarantees one of the best live shows around. Don’t miss this Daptone records show with label mates Menahan Street Band featuring several Dap members and Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens who both bring the funk and loads of soul. If you like your burgers big, Jackson Hole is where you want to bring your appetite. Home of the 7oz. burger, you can get a beef, turkey, or the veggie kind prepared in a number of ways. Try the Eastside, a bacon cheeseburger topped with ham, mushrooms, tomato and fried onions ($12.50). For drinks on top of the world, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Balcony Bar and Roof Garden has an amazing view of the city and some delicious cocktails. Located in the Museum of German and Austrian Art, Café Sabarsky offers a menu of traditional Austrian delights like strudel and linzertorte while it’s design is straight out of Europe’s 1920’s.

I Have Fun Everywhere I Go
Mike Edison
Faber & Faber




I Have Fun Everywhere I Go is Mike Edison's fast-paced journey along the fringes of journalism and the magazine publishing industry. It's forbidden territory, and so much of his experience deals with: pornography, illegal drug use, professional wrestling, and sleazy rock and roll.

A shameless Ivy League dropout, Edison writes with a sharp and refreshing wit, willing to risk it all by telling it all. He's been a producer for a horrible B movie; a band-aid on tours with the likes of The Ramones and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion; a spy at a religious cult meeting; a smoking buddy of Ozzy's; and, of course, a writer.

This is the perfect book for someone wanting to live on the edge but afraid of doing so. It's a seesaw ride in which one can't decide if she's more jealous of not having lived this life or thankful she hasn't.

--Christine Thelen

Everyone Loves Neil Diamond

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Neil Diamond
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Food: Supermac
Drink: Stout
Miscellaneous: Jack’s 99 Cent Store

Though Neil Diamond’s recently released Rick Rubin produced albums are a lot more serious than you may be used to, his shows are still a blast to watch, mixing Vegas show with Neil Diamond’s energetic performances and of course, all the sing-along hits. Though small, Supermac packs a hearty punch with it’s gourmet mac & cheese’s like the Mac Cheesesteak with shaved steak, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, cremini/shitake, provolone, and white American ($8.25 mini; $10.95 mega). A great place in NYC to get a full-bodied dark beer is at Stout. With a very detailed beer list with descriptions, I’ve never had a bad pint at this bar and restaurant, plus the food menu is American and quite good. Probably the biggest 99-cent store in NYC, Jack’s is three floors of some of the finest values you can find, especially in an overpriced area like Herald Square.

Wolf Parade
At Mount Zoomer
Sub Pop






Wolf Parade’s second effort, At Mount Zoomer, is a good record. This is how I feel about it—at the moment. Their first, Apologies to the Queen Mary, was one of my favorite records of the past few years. I have listened to it literally thousands of times, and usually daydream that it is actually my record, that I made. Sadly, it isn’t. :-(

The new album is growing on me slowly. It lacks the bombast of the previous, but it’s interesting nonetheless. “Soldier’s Grin” and “Language City” are my immediate favorites, and are reminiscent of Apologies, with the more driving melodies and grand schemes, but from there the songs really form a different record. I’m having trouble putting my finger on whom they “sound like”: lots of synthy keyboards and fragmented songs. To no avail, I’ll just say that it’s a good record with ‘80s nostalgia’ that makes for a nice listen. It’s sometimes poppy, other times a little droning. If you enjoyed the first record, you’ll probably like this one—after a bit.

--David Levin





She & Him
Volume 1
Merge Records






If you haven't caught wind of She & Him by now, it's time to move out from that rock you've been living under and look into it ASAP. She & Him is comprised of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, two very recognizable names on their own merits. Their first combined effort entitled Volume One leaves us on the edge of our seats, wanting and hoping for more "Volumes" to follow. The twelve songs on the collection combine a bit of country twang with a reminiscent sprinkling of the oldies your parents grew up on. Add to that Deschanel's effortlessly dashing voice, and you've got an impressive first collaboration.

–-Patricia Scull