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The Shortlist

The Daily Shortlist

Music Reviews

Music Reviews

Health + Beauty

Health + Beauty

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Theater
Film + DVD

I WAS THERE . . . Lady GaGa @ Highline Ballroom 10.28.08

5:30 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
The Cinderella of the ball, Lady GaGa All photos by Paul Kim













Lady GaGa Presents The Fame Ball
Highline Ballroom
October 28, 2008


I was initially amused by the crowd at the sold out Lady GaGa CD release concert held at Highline Ballroom. Part glam, part hipster, part 80’s, a big part gay, and overall, a sort of underground cool and hip, Lady GaGa has the number one dance song in the U.S. and Europe, and was featured on an episode of “the Hills.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized all of this still isn’t main stream enough for most people (including most of my friends who still have no idea who Lady GaGa is), and maybe this projection of cool and hip was warranted after all. After the show started, none of this mattered as the New York City native put on a high-energy performance that featured impressive video effects as a backdrop, a four member male dance crew, balloons, stage diving, and crowd surfing by Lady GaGa herself. I’ve never been to a Madonna concert, with whom Lady GaGa is already drawing comparisons to, but I would imagine the immaculate one herself would have approved of this show.

Before her brief three or four song set, which of course include her number one hit “Just Dance,” we were also treated to some of New York’s seemingly rising stars in the dance pop world. Joining her were Semi Precious Weapons, Cazwell, Amanda Lepore, The Ones, the Daisy Spurs & DJ Bill Coleman, which I probably wouldn’t recommend seeing individually, but together, they added to the high energy, Village People-like circus that was Lady GaGa’s concert! Pure fun!

Paul Kim

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The Weekend Shortlist October 31 to November 2

5:00 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
Halloween Extravaganza & Procession of the Ghouls at St. John the Divine










Friday October 31

Location: Soho, NYC
Event: The 35th Annual Village Halloween Parade
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: Sixth Avenue
Food: Souen
Drink: Ear Inn
Miscellaneous: Alidoro

Happy Halloween! Now’s the time of year to break out that costume and roam the streets looking for something to do. For the truly ghoulish, there’s the 35th Annual Village Halloween Parade where the theme this year is “ghost.” Expect lot’s of great costumes and plenty of people getting spooky. Whether you live here or are a tourist, this is a must see for all. For fans of macrobiotics, tofu, seitan and even fish, Souen is great for healthy food that won’t have you feeling like you shouldn’t have ordered that. Try the Broiled Tofu Okabe, which sees thick slices of tofu, broiled and topped with a sesame and sake paste ($11). One of the oldest bars in the city, Ear Inn offers cheap pints in a timeless environment. Walk through the doors and it’s like you’re in the early 1900s, though the occasional ringing cell phone will bring you back to reality. Possibly one of the best sandwich shops in the city, Alidoro has 40 kinds of amazing Italian sandwiches, all named.

Friday October 31

Location: Harlem, NYC
Event: Halloween Extravaganza & Procession of the Ghouls at St. John the Divine
Show time: 7 PM & 10 PM
Venue: Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
Food Amy Ruth’s
Drink Harlem Lanes
Miscellaneous Stop 125

Another Halloween event you might want to check out is the Halloween Extravaganza & Procession of the Ghouls. First there will be a silent film screening of "The Phantom of the Opera," with live organ accompaniment followed by the Procession of Ghouls, written and directed by Ralph Lee. While you’re up in Harlem, head over to Amy Ruth’s for some of the best fried chicken around. A MUST TRY is the fried or smothered Chicken & Waffles named The Rev. Al Sharpton ($9.50). It’s out of this world! A complex housing 24 bowling lanes, mini arcade, and a gourmet café, Harlem Lanes also has a sports bar with 24 plasma screen TVs. At Stop 125 you’d think the outdoor Tiki Bar would be the main attraction, but it’s the food that many come for. Offering dinner entree’s as well as small tapas style appetizers like the much-loved Chorizo With Caramelized Figs sautéed in its own juices (sm $6.95, lg $12.95), Stop 125 takes American cuisine and spices it up with the international flair that NYC, and especially Harlem are known for.

Saturday November 1

Location: Chelsea, NYC
Bands: The B-52’s + Hercules & Love Affair + James Murphy & Pat Mahoney Get Tickets Here
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Hammerstein Ballroom
Food: Better Burger
Drink: Passerby
Miscellaneous: ’sNice

The B-52’s “Live it Up on the Day of the Dead.” That’s the theme of the show as this legendary band hit Hammerstein Ballroom. Joining them are the cross gender disco and electronic dance infused group Hercules & Love Affair and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy & Pat Mahoney. Hormone and antibiotic free, Better Burger focuses on serving a fresh and healthier alternative to the grease burger you can get anywhere. With a tiled floor that lights up, other than that, Passerby is a non-descript bar, which is why it’s a place artists flock to for a cocktail without being disturbed. While not the best named coffee shop, ‘sNice is a nice and quiet coffee house offering vegetarian sandwiches and baked goods, while being a large enough space to spread your legs out and not worry about stealing another seat from someone.

Saturday November 1

Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Film: Sexy, Scary, and Often Naked: Asia Argento
Show time: See website for schedule, date, and times; Through November 9
Venue: BAM
Food: Juniors
Drink: Moe’s
Miscellaneous: Tillie’s

Daughter of legendary horror director Dario Argento, Italian actress Asia Argento has made a name for herself on the screen in films across the globe. In this series, some of her scariest and most risk taking roles will be on display starting with todays screening of New Rose Hotel, a sci-fi thriller also starring Willem Dafoe and Christopher Walken. Known for their amazing cheesecakes, Juniors offers a pretty damn good menu too. Though it’s your old school deli style food, personally, my favorite dish is the Bar-B-Q fried chicken and the Mac & Cheese is officially the best traditional version of it I’ve ever had. Probably one of the best bars in the area simply due to its ethno-Brooklyn vibe. Everyone looks cool here and is friendly. Good music and great drinks, its a great place to chill. For dessert, stop by Tillie’s. It’s one of the best places in the area to get coffee, cupcakes, and cookies. The environment here is laid back.

Sunday November 2

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Event: ING New York City Marathon
Show time: 9 AM
Venue: Multiple venues (see website)
Food: Zip Burger
Drink: Subway Inn
Miscellaneous: Kinokuniya Bookstore

If Halloween and costumes aren’t your thing, and say, running is, then you might want to check out or even enter the ING New York City Marathon. It’s 26.2 miles and goes through all five boroughs starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park. But if your like me, you’ll be at home watching it on TV recovering from all the insanity from this Halloween weekend. At Zip Burger they prove their point, offering farm-raised, organic, 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 Ave., 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.


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THE BOOK REPORT: Split: A Memoir of Divorce

5:30 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
Split: A Memoir of Divorce
by Suzanne Finnamore
(Dutton Adult)


Buy it at Amazon!




There is no denying that getting divorced is no fun, and in her recent novel, Split, Suzanne Finnamore reminds us just how not fun it is.

In an entirely candid portrayal of her struggle with divorce, Finnamore reveals a journey wholly undesirable. Relying on the support from relationships with her mother and close friends, Finnamore depicts a journey through the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, grief and acceptance. We follow her path in coping with the various setbacks with her ex, including acknowledging the “other woman,” and those issues that arise when a young child is also in the picture. (The child saves the novel from becoming entirely focused on the downward spiral and, seems to also be dually responsible for saving his mother from complete dismay.)

Split is subtitled, “A Memoir of Divorce,” but as far as “memoirs” go, there is no hint of sentimentality or anything cherishable in this tale of woe. It seems unfair to accuse Finnamore of being overdramatic, and it should not go unsaid that this “memoir” is in some ways redeemed by its humanity. Finnamore does deserve praise for making it through such a difficult journey. However, despite the fact that overnight she became a single mother and victim of adultery, her character is still not entirely sympathetic. The novel ultimately seems self-indulgent, as Finnamore sharply contrasts the woman this reader wanted to see, a woman defined by those efforts of the second wave of the feminist movement, the movement that otherwise affords Finnamore her prestigious position as a journalist who has contributed to several highly trafficked women’s magazines.

However quickly this 253-page “memoir” may read, exposure to every moment of heartbreak proves excessive. She might have drawn more sympathy from this reader had she not compared the tears streaming from her eyes to melting butter or, in a different instance, as “ineffectual bullets,” but perhaps this is what the modern day divorcee seeks for solace and comfort? If so, Split has much to offer. At the very least, it forgives her for indulging in yet another cocktail.

Jessica Stein

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The Daily Shortlist October 30

5:00 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
Still an undecided voter? Maybe Rollins can help

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Talk: Henry Rollins-Recountdown Tour Get Tickets Here
Show time: 7:30 PM
Venue: Town Hall
Food: Zip Burger
Drink: Subway Inn
Miscellaneous: Kinokuniya Bookstore

If ever there were a time for someone to break out the snarky comments and dialogues about who to vote for this election season, it would be now. Henry Rollins does so with his spoken word shows that have plenty of insight, wit, charm, humor, and intensity. Regardless of who you vote for, at least we’re done with Bush! 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.


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MUSIC REVIEWS: TV on the Radio, Deerhunter, and The Republic Tigers

5:30 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
TV on the Radio
Dear Science
(Interscope)


Buy it at Amazon!
Buy it at Insound!



I never understood the hype about TV on the Radio, but when I first heard their new album Dear Science it all started to make sense. Their last album Return To Cookie Mountain showed potential and now it has turned kinetic with a great textural bend of orchestration and improved sense of lyricism. The New York based band has really come into their own and in the process they’ve created one of the most interesting and original albums of the year. One can hear the definitive tone that is struck right from the start with "Halfway Home" in its complex beat and diverse melody while with “Crying” and “Stork & Owl” they prove they’re not a one trick pony. The obvious comparison is to Bowie but with songs like “Golden Age,” “DLZ,” and “Family Tree” they prove themselves worthy of the comparison pushing the sound further with new elements. The album is a complete piece, which in itself should be celebrated due to its rarity these days. It’s a fun album to listen to with its eclectic influences woven into a unique identifiable sound filled with enticing musical hooks and diverse pacing. Dear Science is a welcome surprise and the album reveals its intelligence and complexity more and more with each listen.

Tim Needles


Deerhunter
Microcastle
(Kranky)


Buy it at Amazon!
Buy it at Insound!



If you could listen to heroin, I imagine it might sound a bit like Deerhunter’s new album Microcastle. Unfortunately, the sound often comes off as derivative because of the overwhelming similarity to the original sound of heroin, The Velvet Underground. The Atlanta based quintet has been celebrated for their ambient, art rock sound for a number of years now and have also been well documented due to their issues outside of music and regular blogging. The new album offers a bit of variety with songs like “Agoraphobia” (a stand out track) and “Never Stops,” which both have a more traditional classic rock feel versus “Green Jacket” and “Calvary Scars,” which have an experimental, spacey air. The album has a definite flow beginning with up-tempo beats that lead to more tripped out psychedelica, but the most unique music tends to happen in the middle with the balance of both worlds in songs like “Nothing Ever Happened.” The album is not exactly contemporary indie rock and it’s not quite John Cage either- it’s interesting but not enough to repeat unless you are highly medicated.

Tim Needles


The Republic Tigers
Keep Color
(Chop Shop Records)


Buy it at Amazon!
Buy it at Insound!



Catchy, dreamy, synthetic layered pop rock, Keep Color not only represents the debut release of the Republic Tigers, a Kansas City-based quintet, but also the debut of the band’s label, Chop Shop Records, a collaboration between Indie music icon Alexandra Patsavas and Atlantic Records. While the band has evolved over the past few years under various names and members, frontman Kenn Jankowski has been the constant presence. Here he reunites with guitarist Adam McGill to create a highly produced, intricately crafted, ultimately very pleasing sound that pulsates with catchy harmonies, and conjures images of what might happen if the Benedictine Monks and ‘N Sync made a record. If you haven’t already heard their songs on one of the many TV shows Patsavas musically consults for, (Gossip Girls or the now deceased OC), check out the songs “Buildings & Mountains” and “Fight Song” to both get an indication of the band’s best work and also gauge their somewhat limited range in song writing. The band has drawn comparisons to Death Cab for Cutie and Snow Patrol, but in Keep Color, the Republic Tigers deliver a quality indie pop album that should be instant gratification, but lacking the main stream punch of Snow Patrol or complexity of Death Cab.

Paul Kim

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The Daily Shortlist October 29

5:00 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses



Location: Chelsea, NYC
Birthday: Holly Woodlawn
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Cutting Room
Food: Cookshop
Drink: The Half King
Miscellaneous: Pinkberry

You may not know the name Holly Woodlawn, but among the Warhol crowd back in the 60s she was a star. Born Haroldo Santiago Franceschi Rodriguez Danhakl, he became the famous she that Lou Reed sang about in “Walk on the Wild Side.” Celebrate Holly’s birthday with an audience Q&A and surprise appearances by her musician friends. Helping take new American cuisine to the next level, Cookshop’s chef Marc Meyers offers your palette seasonal and local flavors like Vermont Suckling Pig in porcetta, with polenta, swiss chard, and cider sauce ($28). A great bar in this neighborhood, The Half King provides an excellent selection of beers and one of the better burgers in Chelsea. As addictive as crack but way better tasting, Pinkberry has been taking NYC by storm with their non-fat yogurt and healthy toppings.


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THE INTERVIEW: Uh Huh Her

5:30 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
Their music is raucously filled with slick synth, poppy guitar chords, and intrinsic lyrics. Uh Huh Her, comprised of Camila Grey, a former session musician and member of Mellowdrone, and Leisha Hailey, former half of nineties alt-rock duo, The Murmurs, and the rock band, Gush, makes their fun electro-infused debut on their new album, Common Reaction, released by their label Nettwerk Music. Fortunately, I got to interview Camila Grey, half of Uh Huh Her, and ask her questions about their new album, who she would choose to tour with, and how she would describe their ever evolving sound.

Before I ask any questions I would just like to say the new album is amazing.

Oh thanks.

I guess I will just get started then. How do you think the band has evolved from your debut EP, I See Red, to your new album, Common Reaction?

Well, when we recorded the EP we were a baby band. I mean we recorded the vocals in a bathroom and produced the record ourselves. We were just swimming without a lifeboat playing shows with an iPod. All the things that you should be in a band went backwards for us. On the album, we had someone else produce it.

What was the transition from working as a session musician to co-fronting your own band like for you?

Definitely a huge change, I had to show up in ways I never had to before. There is a lot of multitasking, which is challenging and difficult.

Your songs seem to have many different interpretations. When you write them do you draw inspiration from a lot of places?

We write from a lot of different places. There are a lot of metaphors and undertones in the album because it was really not organic, it was more of a fragmented process…I can’t think of another adjective…A lot of the time I would fly up there or Leisha would come down to LA, there was a lot of back and forth because she was in Vancouver. It took us four weeks to make the record and it normally takes a lot longer. I think it was good for us as a band because it got me out of my head because I tend to over think things. Normally it takes three to four months to make an album and we did it in a short amount of time.

Uh Huh Her’s music has been compared to a wide variety of bands ranging from The Coucteau Twins to The Cure. How would you describe your own sound?

I don’t like labels…I would call it an indie-electro pop haze. With the new album, I never thought we would produce a pop album. We went in a different direction altogether. On the next record it will be a different sound.

What’s your favorite aspect of making an album?

I’m a big geek and love the whole production process. Mixing is where you can be really creative.

As a musician, do you think it is important to listen to a wide variety of music in order to better understand your own sound?

Oh absolutely. Coming from a place of knowledge is always good. I went to music school at Berklee, so I think it is important. Like anything you work at, you want to know as much as you can about it.

If you could pick anyone to go on tour with you for your upcoming tour who would it be?

Well, I think we are supposed to tour with this band from the UK but oh forget it… who would I want to tour with? I just went to a concert for the band The Liars, and they were really incredible live, so I would say them.

Is there any venue or festival you want to play at that you haven’t been able to yet?

I went to Coachella this year. Have you been?

Yeah, I went for the first time this year.

It was really chaotic and nice there so I would want to play there. Also to play at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan. It seems like fun.

Well those were all the questions I had. Thanks for taking the time to answer them.

Word.

Check out Uh Huh Her tomorrow when they play the Fillmore at Irving Plaza.

Corey Crossfield

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The Daily Shortlist October 28

5:00 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
Get a closer look at TV’s most powerful twins at Barnes and Noble

Location: Gramercy, NYC
Book: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Show time: 12:30 PM
Venue: Barnes & Noble (East 17th Street)
Food: Kelley & Ping Gramercy
Drink: Rodeo Bar
Accessory: City Bakery

Two of the most powerful twins on TV and entrepreneurs in their own right, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen stop by Barnes and Noble to discuss their new book Influence, which takes readers into their lives as actresses, designers, and business women. For dinner, Kelley & Ping’s Gramercy location 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, stop at City Bakery and indulge in delectable morsels. Expect to pay for every delicious cent of em’ cause they ain’t cheap, but they’re worth it!


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Kiehl’s Introduces The Forrest Rain Collection

5:30 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
Become Enchanted with Forest Rain Eau de Toilette Spray



Kiehl’s scientists traveled to the Black Forrest and collected dewdrops from the lashes of sleeping fairy’s to make their new Forest Rain collection of eau de toilette, lotion and cleanser. It’s a blend of spicy and woodsy notes, fit for boy, girl or talking doe. It will conjure up images of grey haired wizards and velvety forest beds where the soil tastes like cinnamon and wet leaves taste peppery sweet. This scent is not for the uninspired, although it might work like pixie dust on an oblivious office crush while you’re hanging out by water cooler. When they ask what exactly you are wearing, you can offer the nape of your neck and say, “Why, it’s Forrest Rain, the top notes are Wet Grass and Muguet Petals, but you’re probably smelling the Damp Moss and Soft Musk.” After they get a good whiff of this stuff, you may have to slip your invisible cloak over their shoulders and find the nearest empty cubicle or available utility closet...it’s magic. Invisible cloak not free with purchase.

Sheehan McGuirk

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The Daily Shortlist October 27

5:00 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses

VALIE EXPORT
Body Sign Action, 1970
Color photograph
Courtesy: Kontakt. The Art Collection of Erste Bank Group


Location: Midtown East, NYC
Art: Cutting Realities: Gender Strategies in Art
Show time: Mon – Sat: 10 AM - 6 PM; Through November 29
Venue: Austrian Cultural Forum
Food: Peking Duck House
Drink: Blackstones Pub & Restaurant
Miscellaneous: New York Milkshake Company

Focusing on mixed media art from Central and Eastern Europe, Cutting Realities: Gender Strategies in Art takes a look at the boundaries and restrictions of sexual identity, standardizations, and transgressions of physical appearance and mentally pre-configured constructions of social behavior. In other words, this exhibit explores the gender roles we perceive and all the different ones that are out there. At one of my favorite places to get duck, The Peking Duck House, the meat is succulent and the skin crunches like a potato chip. Sometimes you just want to grab a pint without paying a cover charge or playing host to a group of people after work, which is why I like Blackstones Pub & Restaurant. It looks like an old-time saloon and has two pool tables in the back and plenty of other games, while also being big enough to grab traditional American food from the menu. If you’re still hungry, check out the New York Milkshake Company for one of the best $6 shakes of your life.


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CMJ Music Marathon’s Insiders Showcase 10.24.08

4:25 PM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
Late of the Pier could be the next great band! All photos by Tim Needles

Deep electronic bass and synth sounds reverberated throughout walls of the newly renovated Fillmore at Irving Plaza Friday night as part of CMJ Music Marathon’s Insiders Showcase. The late night show was hosted by BBC Radio 1 DJ Peter Tong and the lineup was loaded with Europe’s hottest electronic bands and djs such as: The Whip, Luciano, Late of the Pier, Rob da Bank, and Soulwax. Early on in the evening Manchester newcomers The Whip made a huge impression uniting the crowd with a rousing set featuring great renditions of "Sister Siam" and "Blackout." They electrified the room with their adrenaline loaded performance and closed their set with a superb track "Trash" which I found myself downloading shortly afterwards. Another highpoint of the night was the set from Late of the Pier who wove together an electronic 80’s synth sound with a classic rock feel that almost bordered on hardcore at times. Their intense set featured some really cool moves such as the intro to the song “The Bears Are Coming” that had the lead singer drumming on 2x4 wooden slats. The growing crowd came alive with their performance of “Focker” and the Gary Numanesque “Space and the Woods.” The show ran deep into the early morning with Belgium favorites Soulwax (also known as 2 many dj's) who hit the stage around 2am. The young CMJ crowd stumbled out the doors early in the morning awed and hung-over from an amazing night of cutting-edge European music.

Tim Needles

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The Whip

Luciano

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The Weekend Shortlist October 24 to 26

5:00 AM Reporter: Short and Sweet NYC 0 Responses
Let's get Reatarded! Dead or alive, Jay Reatard plays CMJ

Friday October 24

Location: West Village, NYC
Band: Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens
Show time: 8:30 PM
Venue: Fat Cat
Food: Tortilla Flats
Drink: White Horse Tavern
Accessory: Magnolia Bakery

For $3 you can see one of the greatest gospel bands around today in Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens who have a residency at Fat Cat, playing every Friday night. They’re on the Daptone label that boasts Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, but it’s Naomi’s voice and personality that will make you feel like you’ve gone to church. For dinner, check out Tortilla Flats. The food is Mexican and delicious, but it’s the insanity within (bingo and hula-hoop nights) that is the real calling for this place. For drinks afterwards, hit the White Horse Tavern, a great bar and the old haunting grounds for Dylan Thomas. If you somehow have time before all of this, stop by Magnolia Bakery for some of the best tasting cupcakes in the city.

Friday October 24

Location: DUMBO, Brooklyn
Books: MADONNA CONFESSIONS Photography by Guy Oseary
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: The powerHouse Arena
Food: RICE
Drink: Low Bar
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

Photographer Guy Oseary takes us into the world of Madonna with Madonna Confessions a book of 250 pics of the Material Girl during her 2006 Confessions Tour. Tonight Powerhouse opens its doors where Madonna Classics will be spun by the legendary DJ Disco Wiz. 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!

Saturday October 25

Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Band: Mr. Robinson and DJ Honky present:
Dig Deeper
with Harvey Scales
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Five Spot Soul Food Supper Club
Food: Junior’s
Drink: O’Connor’s
Miscellaneous: Thomas Beisl

Two DJs who can’t seem to get enough of old school soul and funk 45s, Mr. Robinson and DJ Honky also enjoy finding original soul singers from the 50s and 60s and coaxing them out of retirement to perform for appreciative audiences. This is the case here as they’ve found 60s R&B singer Harvey Scales, who hasn’t performed in 20 years. Tonight he will be backed by the Sweet Divines and the Divine Soul Rhythm Band. This should no doubt be a classic. Known more for its cheesecake than anything else on its menu, Junior’s also offers fantastic diner and deli style eats from steak burgers to deli sandwiches. If you can make it through dinner, the cheesecake will be worth the wait! One of Brooklyn’s most interesting dive bars, O’Connor’s offers cheap drinks in a place where Park Slope hipsters meet old-time drinkers, making for one of the oddest pairings that works. An excellent place to get schnitzel and goulash and other Austrian delights, Thomas Beisl is right across the street from BAM.

Saturday October 25

Location: DUMBO, Brooklyn
Band: Rachel's Homemade World
Show time: 3 PM
Venue: Galapagos Art Space
Food: Hecho en Dumbo
Drink: reBar
Miscellaneous: Almondine

Rachel Trachtenberg (drummer of The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players) presents her own show for kids, Rachel’s Homemade World. The flowery set was made by her mom and here she has fun with the audience doing sing along’s, puppet shows, interactive arts and crafts, and cooking segments where you and the kids get to be creative. Taking Mexican food, keeping it authentic and using organic, locally grown produce and free range, antibiotic free proteins, Hecho en Dumbo takes faves like tacos and uses ingredients like Berkshire pork steamed in banana leaf with Yucatan spices and pickled red onion (Tacos de Cochinita Pibil-$7) making traditional Mexican food healthier and taste even better. A giant loft space converted into a bar also serving tapas ($3-$8 range), reBar is a gorgeous addition to Dumbo with 15 beers on tap. If you like bread and desserts, you MUST stop by Almondine, who make the best croissants in the city along with breads and desserts. This place is a little secret that deserves to be told.

Saturday October 25

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Billy Bragg + The Watson Twins Get Tickets Here
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom
Food: Empanada Mama
Drink: Circus
Miscellaneous: Vintage

Having worked with Wilco on a few albums, folk singer Billy Bragg goes back to being a solo-artist and returns with his 12th album Mr Love & Justice. Joining him are The Watson Twins, who having recently worked with Jenny Lewis have just released a beautiful folky album in Fire Songs, making for a show featuring an excellent pairing of music. 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.

Sunday October 26

Location: Tribeca, NYC
Band: Jay Reatard Get Tickets Here
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: Santos Party House
Food: Pakistan Tea House
Drink: Mocca Lounge
Miscellaneous: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

One of five times playing CMJ, Jay Reatard brings his brand of garage rock-lo-fi-punk music to the stage with openers the Vivian Girls and Cola Freaks. Nearby, Pakistan Tea House is a buffet style Indian restaurant where you can choose between chicken, meat, fish and vegetables. It’s affordable and very good. For drinks, check out Mocca Lounge. With a funky interior and a menu of Italian inspired fare, it’s also a bar with a large list of coffees with or without alcohol, beers, and frozen shots. Smack dab in the heart of Chinatown, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory makes gourmet ice cream flavors like Black Sesame, Ginger, Durian, and more exotic flavors like Taro and Wasabi. Don’t worry, they have the go-to’s like Vanilla, fruits, and chocolate flavors too.


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THE BOOK REPORT: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

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What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
by Haruki Murakami
(Knopf)


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At 33 years old, acclaimed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami started his writing and running careers, both of which because he wanted to. In this memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Murakami puts into words what many runners just leave in their minds.

From the start of the book, Murakami has two goals: to train for the New York City marathon and to finish this marathon with a smile. Murakami takes the reader on runs in blissful Kauai, Hawaii; around the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts; through Jingu Gaien, Tokyo; and along the congested Marathon Avenue in Greece. There are also marathons in New York, Boston, and Narashino (Chiba Prefecture, Japan), as well as triathlons, and finally the 62-mile ultramarathon!

One of my favorite parts is the 1983 Athens solo run he does backwards along the original marathon course. A men's magazine had asked him to write a travelogue as a running novelist. Although the original course of the marathon in Greece has become a major highway full of dead animals and cars whizzing by, and although the magazine encourages him to stop due to the overwhelming heat, Murakami's determination to complete what he's started carries him through to the end.

As a runner, I can relate to the range of emotions a runner experiences. Murakami doesn't glorify running; rather, he seeks to explain what it is he goes through. At the end of some races, it's not reward he feels, but relief. He keeps things interesting by transforming himself. What I learned from him was not what the runner goes through, but how the rhythm of running, like writing, has to carry over to the next day to keep up its momentum.

Having always said that I need to run to be able to express myself, I now understand even more, why Murakami is such a fantastic writer. I never got such a great glance into what he's all about as I did through reading this book. I'll admit, I missed his fiction at times, but reading this was well worth it to see how Murakami can create what he does.

Christine Thelen

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The Daily Shortlist October 23

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George Clinton brings the funk and some friends

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars Get Tickets Here
Show time: 7:30 PM
Venue: B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
Food: Burger Joint
Drink: Bill’s Gay Nineties
Miscellaneous: Tafu

George Clinton has always brought the funk and at this CMJ show he also brings guests including El DeBarge, System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, gospel singer Kim Burrell, and more. Just as shocking (maybe not) is. Located in The Parker Meridian, Burger Joint serves up excellent burgers and milkshakes in its curtained off space inside the hotel. The theme at Bill’s Gay Nineties surprisingly is an ode to the speakeasies of the roaring twenties. With a second floor dedicated to the history of entertainment, it even has an autographed poster of Buffalo Bill. The history’s deep here and the drinks are stiff. If you want to get some sort of sanity back after this night, stop by Tafu for some premium Japanese teas and desserts. No chair throwing allowed!



Location: Midtown West, NYC
Film: Sawfest
Show time: 4 PM
Venue: AMC Empire 25
Food: Gordon Ramsey at the London
Drink: Social
Miscellaneous: Tuck Shop



It’s Halloween time again and what better way to get into the spirit than with some scary movies, and the scariest by far, of those made in the last few years, is the SAW series. If you haven’t seen any of the twisted games Jigsaw plays, then you can catch the SAW marathon- Saw 1, 2, 3, and 4, leading up to the premiere of SAW V tonight at AMC Empire 25 for $15. Everyone’s favorite celebrity chef, who most are likely afraid of, Gordon Ramsey serves a three-course French menu with international flare at Gordon Ramsey at the London. Make reservations early and wear a jacket, as the place only has 45 seats. If you’ve seen his shows, I’m sure you know that you don’t want to piss off this chef! Social, a three floor bar and lounge is big enough to never get bored in and is a great place in that area of town to drink and, well you know the rest! For something different, check out Tuck Shop. This small Australian eatery serves individual sized meat pies wrapped in pastry you have to try if you’re in the hood.


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MUSIC REVIEWS: David Byrne and Brian Eno, Deerhoof, and Jaguar Love

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Deerhoof
Offend Maggie
(Kill Rock Stars)



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Buy it at Insound!


Brewed in the belly of the Bay Area, Deerhoof's fourth album, Offend Maggie, is a catchy coup d'etat of indie rock--if it can be categorized at all. For starters, the double guitar play by Ed Rodriguez and John Dieterich deliver a veritable rock vibration that seems a rough dance partner for Satomi Matsuzaki's dainty vocals. However this album is a successful case of 'opposites attract;' a hearty balance is struck in this cross-genre mix of jazz, rock, classical, J-pop (Japanese pop), and straight cacophony (at times). Even the noise serves as a supportive backdrop for Matsuzaki's striking vocals; most of which are often too indiscriminate for even the most astute Japanophile to decipher. Still, listeners will fare well with the play-yard lyrics of "basket ball get your groove back." Lyrical comprehension or the lack thereof does not obstruct the enjoyment of this musical layer cake.

Nicole Velasco


David Byrne and Brian Eno
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
(Todomundo)


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If you're looking for My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts Part II, you won't find it here. Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is nothing revolutionary; as Byrne and Eno tell us themselves on their website, it is simply what happened when years of material from both artists collided and conversed, which is an event we can celebrate. This record is solid and timeless, and doesn't vaunt its importance or cling to hipster trends. Although the album feels underwhelming at times, the funk rhythms invite us to dance and the lyrics, which teeter in ambiguity between the jaded pessimism of age and the optimism that stems from acceptance, invite us to ponder life's questions...and to ponder where we put that old Remain In Light record.

In opener "Home," Byrne sings "Heaven knows what keeps mankind alive," and the album continues with an ironic torch-song feel, reminiscent of the Talking Heads' "Road To Nowhere." The chord progressions are classic and folk sensibility pervades, which also serves to highlight the two excellent exceptions, "I Feel My Stuff" (sounding like Mister Rogers on X) and "Poor Boy" (possibly an old blues dirge from Mars). "Life Is Long" and "Strange Overtones" will quench your thirst for the old Heads sound, while "Wanted For Life" gives you the curious feeling that Byrne is imitating his imitators. Everything That Happens may not be thumping with choppy samplings of other-worldly chants, but what the record lacks in urgency and innovation, it makes up for in catchy refrains amidst turquoise-cool grooves.

Dorit Finkel


Jaguar Love
Take Me To The Sea
(Matador)


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Portland, Oregon’s Jaguar Love incorporates the talents of three area men formerly of The Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves. Their first full-length outing, Take Me To The Sea, is a decent straight-ahead rocker.

With some punk motifs and rock complexity, the record starts out strong with the poppy “Highways Of Gold” full of drum breaks and power chord progressions behind singer/pianist Johnny Whitney’s blazing falsetto. Next is my favorite song of the album, “Bats Over The Pacific Ocean,” which extols the travails of an eviction and subsequent jaunt to Australia. I really like the acoustic guitar played with domination here, and it’s the driving force behind the song that makes it really strong and catchy. Thirdly, “Georgia” is an organ-laden blues nugget that glides along like a late-summer day.

Overall, it’s a guitar heavy, riff-loaded rocker: think Wolfmother, but more interesting. There are gems in between the static, and on first listen, I really dug it, but I find myself being a little less interested as of late. Still, I’d recommend picking it up if you’re looking for something new and “art rockish” (maybe pop it in at the listening station first).

Dave Levin

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