Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Directed by Kevin Smith
(Weinstein Company)





I always said (though nobody but me was listening) that what Kevin Smith needed was good actors to deliver his often chunky, but usually very funny dialogue and he’d have winning films. I’ve championed all the guy’s efforts, (being a Jersey guy just like Smith how could I not?) from Clerks to Mallrats to Chasing Amy (my personal fave Smith flick) and to his last, Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

As the films name implies Z&M isn’t really about much more than Zack, played by Seth Rogen and Miri, played by the bubbly Elizabeth Banks, trying to stave off eviction by making a porno. With great guest turns by old Smith alumnus Jason Mewes, Craig Robinson (of ‘The Office’ fame), new superman Brandon Routh and Justin Long-in one very hilarious scene-and ‘real’ porn stars Traci Lords and Katie Morgan.

There’s a love story at the crux of Z&M but it’s not all that convincing since Smith takes too much time with the porno’s particulars (there’s a really unneeded scene about the storage locker/film set burning down) and not enough with showing the unrequited tension between Zack and Miri.

Still, you’re bound to laugh at Zack and Miri Make a Porno. There’s great Smith one-liners and Rogan, Robinson, and Justin Long are especially funny. This 2 disc DVD also has extras like: “Popcorn Porn: The Making of Zack and Miri” and “Money Shots Webisodes.”

Ralph Greco, Jr.

Wednesday night New York welcomed Tokyo Police Club back to town for a sold out show at Webster Hall along with the Born Ruffians and the Harlem Shakes. The show was only the second night of their tour but the band proved quickly that they were up to the task, rolling through a number of their short upbeat tunes like "Juno" and "Your English Is Good" with enthusiasm.

What’s fun about their live show is the subtle variations in the performance of the songs, which on record are often remixed and reworked a number of times. The band was a bit like a poppy, Canadian version of the Ramones a plethora of great tracks that are nearly all around 2-3 minutes live. The crowd was a mixed bunch between young 16-year-old fans using their iphones to grab photos alongside twenty something kids dancing and thirty-year-old hipsters. The stand-outs were some of the more densely melodic songs off their recent album Elephant Shell like “Graves” and “Tessellate” but the band really did a good job keeping it varied and interesting.

One of the highlights was the score of new tracks like “Breakneck Speed” and “Favorite Color.” The most memorable moment was without a doubt the encore as the band stepped back onstage calling the Born Ruffians back out to play a new song, “Spark” which they recently wrote together. The track is really interesting with the merger of TPC’s Dave Monks unique vocal sound pairing up with Born Ruffians singer Luke LaLonde. They closed it out in style inviting the Harlem Shakes out onto the already crowded stage for a classic rendition of the Clash’s “Train In Vain.”

Tim Needles

Check out singing head David Byrne at Radio City Hall this weekend

Friday February 27

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Bands: David Byrne Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Radio City Music Hall
Food: Koo Sushi
Drink: Blind Tiger Ale House
Miscellaneous: Peanut Butter & Co.

When a music legend like singer David Byrne plays a show, it’s always a big deal, especially with a history like he has. His last album alone, Everything that Happens Will Happen Today, saw him collaborate with another music legend, Brian Eno. With a back catalogue of golden hits, this will be nothing short of amazing. A little known sushi joint, Koo Sushi offers affordable and fantastic fish with an impressive number of specialty rolls. For a bar that looks like any other, Blind Tiger Ale House offers an impressive number of beers including draught, bottled, cask and one called Louise’s Bloody Beer. Try it if you dare! If you’re in the mood for some comfort food, Peanut Butter & Co., offers some PB heavy hitters like the Elvis, a PB, banana, and bacon sandwich that tastes better than it sounds.

Friday February 27

Location: West Village, NYC
Bands: Wordless Music: Juana Molina + Lukas Ligeti
Show time: 7:30 PM
Venue: (le) poisson rouge
Food: Tortilla Flats
Drink: White Horse Tavern
Miscellaneous: Magnolia Bakery

Argentinian singer Juana Molina has a knack for making some beautiful acoustic music all by her lonesome self, but on this tour she’s backed up by a full band, which should breathe new life into her mellow songs. Joining her is Lukas Ligeti, who has been hailed as the future of music, creates music that takes electronica, jazz, African music, synths, improvisation and much more and turns them into some of the most interesting compositions out there today. 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.

Saturday February 28

Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Bands: Final Fantasy + Grizzly Bear
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Gilman Opera House, BAM
Food: Bonita
Drink: The Hideout
Miscellaneous: Tillie’s

Indie experimental band Grizzly Bear teams up with Final Fantasy (AKA Owen Pallett) to not just play BAM, but to perform with the Brooklyn Philharmonic under composer Nico Muhly, who will add some orchestral extras to their songs. The sister restaurant of it’s Williamburg location, Bonita makes really delicious Mexican food like the chicken burrito. The rub they use on the meat makes it taste out of this world. The Hideout, a new bar on Dekalb St., might have a name suggesting it’s desire for secrecy, but most who know about it love its unconventional style. Though tiny, it’s known for its cocktails, falling on the expensive side for Brooklyn ($12-14) but are well worth the price. Tillie’s is a coffee shop where you can sit and relax, get a great cup of joe, eat baked goods with vegan options, and people watch while waiting for the show.

Saturday February 28

Location: Chelsea, NYC
Event: Coney Island Circus Sideshow Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Highline Ballroom
Food: Il Bastardo
Drink: Brite Bar
Miscellaneous: Café Grumpy

Now that most of Coney Island has “For Rent” signs where businesses like the Sideshow used to be and where these performers called home, now you can see them at the Highline Ballroom. Now a traveling sideshow, you can see a ten in one (10 performers for 1 price) including Donny Vomit, Serpentina, Insectivora, Heather Holliday, and more. With an interesting menu of cosmos and cocktails like the Fother Mucker, made with Zygo, a locally distilled energy vodka, Brite Bar is a gorgeously designed bar that looks like a lounge but is way more fun. One of my favorite coffee houses due to the fact that they are doing a great job of reinventing the wheel when it comes to making coffee, is Café Grumpy. Here, every cup is freshly pressed and the latte’s are thick and rich tasting.

Sunday March 1

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: The Serpent Power Festival
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Glasslands Gallery
Food: Relish
Drink: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Miscellaneous: Zebulon

Featuring girl-led groups from NYC, The Serpent Power Festival has a lineup featuring Sharon Van Etten, She Keeps Bee's, Scrambler/Seequill, Sea Sick, The Naked Hearts, and PWRFL Power. Though Relish looks like a 50s diner or an even larger version of an L train car, this restaurant offers up some gourmet treats for dinner. With influences from all over the globe, Relish features diner classics like burgers and onion rings, and step it up with the likes of Blackened Yellow Fin Tuna ($21). Williamsburg’s first beer garden, Radegast, has a beautiful all-wood interior, an enclosed outdoor backyard, and 12 German/Austrian beers on tap and more than 30 bottles. Another great bar in the area, Zebulon offers free live jazz and afrobeat. The drinks here are inexpensive, and I’ve never seen a bad show here before.

You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story
By Richard Schickel & George Perry
(Running Press)





In the case of Richard Schickel and George Perry’s You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story, you can see the book as well as read the movie. What I mean to say is, the book, a written history of the famous movie studio, is the companion to a five-hour documentary, which aired over multiple nights on PBS. The film and this book celebrate the 85th anniversary of Warners and though you don’t need to see or read one to appreciate reading or seeing the other, taken as a whole, you get just about everything you’ll ever need to know about Warner Brothers’ history.

The book though is a big hardcover, a ‘tome’ in the best sense of the word. Meticulously researched as you’d expect Schickel and Perry to have done, You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story begins with an introduction by Clint Eastwood, a man who has made Warners his home for most of his career (he also narrated the film). We then get a chronological history of the studio; from the Warner brothers beginnings and slow rise early in the century with the new medium of film, through their first real star, canine Rin Tin Tin, through the innovative introduction of sound to ‘talkies’ with their 1927 The Jazz Singer (ironically brother Sam Warner, the one who drove the studio into sound, died on the eve of the film’s premier), through the thirties with ultra-realistic gangster films like Little Ceasar and Public Enemy to classics like Casablanca, 42nd Street, To Have and Have Not, Giant, All The Presidents Men, even Harry Potter…really the list goes on and on. Along the way Schickel and Perry impress upon us how socially responsible Warners were through the real war, cold war, and all the other social concerns of the times. With over 300 hundred rare photos of stars, productions, stars in productions, and historical photographs, You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story is a must for any movie fanatic or budding film historian.

Ralph Greco, Jr.

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Film: CineKink Film Festival
Show time: See website for schedule; Through March 1
Venue: Anthology Film Archives
Food: Pukk
Drink: The Magician
Miscellaneous: Mason Dixon

Celebrating sexuality, the CineKink Film Festival features films and videos, a short film competition, presentations, and the CineKink Awards among films ranging from documentary to drama to porn. 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!

Here We Go Magic
Here We Go Magic
(Western Vinyl)






With smooth, high-pitched vocals, quirky rhythmic percussion, and gorgeous atmospheric melodies, the new self-titled album by Here We Go Magic (aka Luke Temple) sounds a bit like a modern indie version of Simon and Garfunkel. The Brooklyn based music is reminiscent of classic rock with a raw sound and earthy feel blended with a touch of Motown’s creative production quality along with modern electronic elements.

The album is a bit of a voyage beginning with more traditional rock songs like the poppy crescendoing “Tunnelvision” leading into an ongoing, experimental blend of songs such as “Babyohbabyijustcantstanditanymore” without traditional vocals and closing with a waltz entitled “Everything's Big.” One of the standout tracks is the brilliant and addictive “Fangala” which is upbeat and musically complicated with its echoed clapping sounds giving strength to beautiful vocals, distant chords, and hypnotic keyboards.

The album feels more like a very personal artistic vision as opposed to a traditional popular album, but with its diverse and original sound it should appeal to a fairly varied audience. Here We Go Magic is as interesting as it is at times moving and thoughtful with a duplicitous modern yet classic musical aura.

Tim Needles


Paul van Dyk
Hands On In Between
(Mute)






Hands On In Between is a non-stop electronic go-getter. Feisty synthesizer’s sword fight against rising computerized violins and a whole artillery of beats, keyboard quips and healthy kick drum. The album rarely detracts from this formula and continually stretches across this double disc set. However, different vocalists power most of the remixes. For example, Jessica Sutta pays homage to “White Lies” and a more futuristic burst is “Get Back” featuring Ashley Tomberlin with Paul van Dyk and Alex M.O.R.P.H. collaborating. Paul is definitely one of the most recognized and successful DJ’s in the electronic music arena. Aside from winning many awards for his own style of electronic dance music, he was even selected by composer Hans Zimmer to contribute to the Dark Knight original film score. Even though this album seems to never add much new in or out, there is a persuasive ferocious pace to each track that would light up a club scene where electronic beats are used to obliterate time or thought until morning shows up.

Chanda Jones


Kočani Orkestar
The Ravished Bride
(Crammed Discs)






Steeped in traditions of the old country, this decidedly contemporary act is nothing but worldly in conception. Fronted by a straight up Romani singer (or gypsy for those not into looking it up), the twelve piece Kočani Orkestar blares out a soulful trancedance of brass, snare and clarinet capped with wailing vocals. Many have recently discovered this large group’s sound in reference to the Brooklyn born act Beirut, and while similar, the Orkestar has a whole other angle on what many are coming to call the Balkan Beat genre.

The title says it all, as the album comes at one with infectious tempo, swaying beats, and delightful horned flourishes. With most tracks clocking in over five minutes as well, one can really groove on the individual songs. Well represented on the inside of the CD cover, the band’s dozen members play extremely tight and are well presented. It’s more than apparent that these are veteran performers and musicians who are using truly ancient and stereotypically wild sensibility in their rhythmic aims. Tracks that stood out for me were “Romani Caj,” giving me the feeling that I was in a smoke filled tent after traveling some road where eastern Europe ends and the sub continents begin, catching an impromptu and passionate entertainment, where as “Hajde Te Kelas” comes off as so much more contemporary and metropolitan.

While the album is very full and enjoyable, not becoming tedious after dozens of listens, it is a very specific type of sound. The Kočani Orkestar are masters of their chosen art, though it’s also true that the genre seems to lend itself well to certain situations of a celebratory nature or moment in which what’s being said might be secondary to the emotion it’s being said with. The tempo remains constant, there aren’t any slower songs as it seems the album is a great live act, recording the best of their set list, no doubt expanded and remixed to perfection. All and all, an enjoyable album for those who are interested in fast paced world music.

Kenneth Joachim


La Strada
EP
(Ernest Jenning Record Co.)








La Strada’s sound is cinematic and old world yet charmingly vibrant. The jubilation of accordions and swirling violins melt over a backbeat funneling of Balkan musical echoes and chiming. This Brooklyn based seven-piece band features a very impressive three-piece string section of cello, viola, and violin. Each song is very loose, almost breezy. “Loved You All Along,” begins with a whistle solo over a mostly folk acoustic guitar escapade. The six tracks on this EP effortlessly weave intricate patterns of instrumentation into a seductively romantic movement. The overall tonal quality of each horn or string or vocal softly boasts a unique superiority of musicianship and beauty. “Starling” begins as a somber guitar solo held up by a wispy single horn riff and quickly dances a dainty but broken down attitudinal swing. Lead singer, James Craft lifts the whole song up into a delightful flight pattern. The timing shifts along with the dramatic violins and horns, which move complimentary against drums that crash like tidal waves. La Strada wonderfully crafts its own niche using the strengths of international folk and indie rock.

Chanda Jones

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Thievery Corporation Get Tickets Here
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Terminal 5
Food: Empanada Mama
Drink: Circus
Miscellaneous: Vintage

Made up of DJ duo Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, these two have been seducing listeners with heavy hitter collaborators, worldbeat influence and a loungy vibe for over a decade now. Their latest album Radio Retailation sees collaborations with Anoushka Shankar, Femi Kuti, and Seu George. 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.

film by Michael Vincent


Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Film New Filmmakers
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Anthology Film Archives
Food: Chickie Pig’s
Drink: Mason Dixon
Miscellaneous: 151

Join several new filmmakers as they explore NYC and present their films on the subject. With short films by Michael Vincent, Justin Dillard, Daniel Muller, and Frank Mosca, and a feature presentation by Conrad Stojak. What sounds like a vegetarian’s nightmare is actually a gourmet pizza restaurant. Chickie Pig’s offers some interesting brick oven thin-crust pies like The Pig’s Fig Pie with fig jam reduction, Gorgonzola, proscuitto, and chives ($15). If you have the desire to ride a bull when you order a pint, then you’re in luck! Mason Dixon offers both. Seriously, you can drink and ride a friggin’ mechanical bull here! For a good time or if your goal is to get trashed, hit up 151. There’s no sign outside, but inside, happy hour is 2 for 1 everyday from 6-10pm.

Consistent with the brand’s innovative approach to cosmetic formulation, DuWop’s Eyecatchers are designed to intensify eye color via metallic “flecks” that illuminate highlights in the iris. In addition, eyecatchers are smudge-proof and easily coupled with any eye shadow, even though shadow may not be necessary.

I am not normally inclined to use eyeliner in my usual eye-makeup regimen, and thus may not be the most experienced with similar products, but still I found this pencil to be rather difficult to apply. Furthermore, I saw no “flecks” and found no noticeable difference between this and any other eye-liner. Thus, while I can appreciate the unique intent in the creation of this tool, this $18.50 might be better spent on 18 eyeliners from the dollar rack of your local Duane Reade.

Jessica Stein

Get Down Latin Psychedelic Style with Chicha Libre at Barbes.

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Band: Chicha Libre
Venue: Barbes
Food: El Viejo Yayo
Drink: Buttermilk Bar
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room

For fans of psychedelia and South American sounds, Chicha Libre, the band named after a music craze from the Peruvian Amazon and Incan corn liquor, are sure to make you dance with the sexy sounds of surf guitar, moog, and farfisa organ. Keeping the night going with Latin flavor, try El Viejo Yayo for dinner. This gorgeous and warm restaurant has an elegant dining room and an affordable menu offering Dominican/Latin cuisine. The outside of Buttermilk Bar may look non-descript, but looks are deceiving . . . just not in this case, as this low-key watering hole is where you can grab a cheap drink in a friendly atmosphere, while playing a board game or two. With a near insane menu of chocolates from coffee and tea to delectable dessert, and even beer, The Chocolate Room is a great way to end the night on a high note.

Vicky Christina Barcelona
(The Weinstein Company)





Sensual, candid, and intuitive, Vicky Christina Barcelona is one of the best Woody Allen films in years with a tremendous cast and an insightful focus on human behavior, passion, and love. Woody has an excellent understanding of the nature of relationships, or at the very least their failures, after dedicating his movie career to the topic (in addition to his own) and Vicky Christina Barcelona is a film that benefits from his comprehension. The neurosis that is trademark to Allen’s films feels more natural and honest this time around resulting in a direct confrontation with the audience’s fears and sense of security and dis-passion.

The film follows two young American women with opposite ideals in the arena of love and romance Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson), on a summer trip to Barcelona to stay with relatives Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and Mark (Kevin Dunn). The two women are opposite extremes in terms of their expectations in a relationship and during their stay, they are confronted with a sexual proposition from a local artist, Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). The women are split in their reactions but they travel with the artist spontaneously for the weekend.

This is the point at which the film takes off and focuses on the nature of relationships and their success from an almost mathematical or chemical viewpoint. To make matters more interesting, Juan Antonio’s ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), who is the embodiment of passion, steps into the picture and tips the scales. One of the core themes of the film is in looking at the basic nature of people and their expectations about their relationships and their ability to work when paired with romantic partners. The film focuses on the ever-fleeting dream of total abandon of the heart, which is all the more romantic when dealing with artists from Barcelona.

The characters are well constructed and varied enough that nearly anyone can relate to one of them. The performances are also momentous with very natural and believable portrayals from Bardem, Cruz, and Scarlett Johansson. Patricia Clarkson was a bit distracting even while doing a wonderful job because she appeared so close to Mia Farrow.

In all, the film is perfect in detailing our imperfections and the reality of relationships. The city itself is an unbelievably gorgeous backdrop playing well into the film and the interactions between the characters will stay with you for years. This is a film that will make you re-evaluate yourself on some level, which can be a dangerous, but valuable proposition, and any film that has such a result is important. Without a doubt it is one of 2008’s best and is absolutely worth checking out.

Tim Needles

Long Way Down: Complete TV Series
By David Alexanian & Russ Malkin
(EMI America Records)






The sequel to their successfully popular 2004 due East voyage from London to New York City, The Long Way Round, sees Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boorman, along with a half dozen producers and cameramen, traveling from the Northern most point of the United Kingdom to the Southern most tip of Africa on motorbikes. Spanning three months, the impressive journey takes the group through 18 countries, all manner of climates and ten 45-minute episodes; the majority spent traversing the sometimes-wild roads of the African continent.

A documentary of the simple life of traveling, experiencing new lands and people, the journey is beautifully captured as the group tackles the trials and joys of the road. The landscape, animal life, and representations of African’s every day life from Ethiopia to Kenya or Botswana are striking and delightful. Its apparent Charlie and Ewan are good friends who relish the out of doors, camping in odd spots along the way, and following adventurous paths that are opened up to them.

The series does not disappoint in terms of content, to say nothing of all the extras that come along with the 3 DVDs of the actual episodes. Though it takes the story a bit to actually get to Africa (not until the 3rd episode), the sheer variety of counties and people represented is the show’s greatest strength; taking important time out to visit UNICEF run orphanages, schools, and historical locations. Still, the pair is always rushing off to the next destination, the time constraints of the project calling for successive days of 250 mile or more travel schedules. The end of the series is somewhat anticlimactic; the actual arrival in Cape Town almost nonexistent in the narrative. Even so, the series is not about arriving, but the wonderful time they had getting there and the beauty of Africa that’s translated.

Kenneth Joachim

For those that aren’t hip to this funk and soul’s classically retro but never outmoded styling, the Dap-Kings are about eight Brooklyn based musicians; some of whom have a part in Daptone Records, the group’s label. Since adding the heart aching depth of Sharon Jones’ howling voice, the band and their front woman have only continued to gain notoriety and momentum.

The first of a two-night engagement at the fully subterranean Nokia theatre, the band’s leader took time to pay tribute to the long years of effort this New York based band had put in to achieve the land mark performance. The joy and enthusiasm of the event and the act itself seemed to suffice the crowd as the Lady of the hour made her way on stage to howls of adoration. Enamored with the pint sized powerhouse singer, the crowd moved hard to the sprawling band’s up-tempo rhythms, their transitions perfectly seamless.

Playing for well over an hour, it seemed every other song was announced as a ‘new one’ and I realized that this act was sitting on dozens if not scores of unrecorded material and that more to the point, the live experience was sure to be totally enjoyable in a completely different manner than normal. That is, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are composed to be a live band; their musicians are involved in other projects and deeply within the community of musicians located in their local scene.

Even the opener, Menahan Street Band has members of the Dap-Kings (along with Antibalas and Budos Band, check em out!), reinforcing the sense of community the band really shared with the crowd. Jones even was hollering about the sheer volume of her people in the house; tugging her niece up on stage along with three other random gals to engage in some impromptu boogaloo.

With unrivaled stage presence, an act that stands almost alone in the genre of contemporary funk and soul, and the fact that this woman sheds her shoes to dance her ass off in sheer groovy joy…well, I’d advise anyone to catch this hot act sooner rather than later.

Kenneth Joachim

The thing with diners is...there are a lot of them. In the wild badlands of the suburbs-‘specially in NJ where I live-there’s a diner almost every 50 feet! In Manhattan, they might be a little harder to find. Thankfully, Big Daddy’s is the real deal.

This warm and friendly brightly lit leather-booth place caters to calorie junkies as well as health food foodies. For breakfast there’s Chocolate Chip Oreo Pancakes, egg-filled Breakfast Sammiches and equally just as many fruit smoothies under the “I Love Juicy” section of the huge menu. Hot drinks include coffee (what real diner doesn’t serve a good ‘Cup o’ Joe?’), but there’s a bunch of Numi organic teas on the menu too (you can even get hot chocolate with Peppermint Schapps). “Starters, Snack N’ Side Kicks” feature Roadside Veggie Chili, Tempura Fried Zucchini and something Big Daddy’s prides themselves on, Tater Tots. Meals include a Bad-Boy Burger (with bacon and cheese) various salads like the Holy Moses with its grilled veggies, hummus, pita (and more), a Reuben and famous diner “Blue Plate” specials, like Big Momma’s Chicken Pot Pie, Fill-er Up Beef Stroganoff and the meal I had, Big Daddy’s famous Fried Chicken in a Basket.

Don’t forget deserts, though the meal portions are so big you might not have room. Again, the healthy is side-by-side with the naughty: Barbie Blast Fruit shakes sit on the menu right next to the Cookie Monster Shake. And don’t forget the homemade pies and cakes and the “Everyday is Sundae” section.

With its two locations, 1596 2nd Ave (corner of 86th-212-717-2020) or the one I ate in at Gramercy Park at 239 Park Ave S. (between 19th and 20th-212-477-1500) you can get a hearty, decently priced big meal ‘til 12 every night. For more info, go to their website.

Ralph Greco, Jr.

For a good time check out Tim Fite

Friday February 20

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Band: Tim Fite Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: The Bell House
Food: Los Pollitos II
Drink: Pacific Standard
Miscellaneous: Gorilla Coffee

Tim Fite easily switches between folk, country, and nonsensical hip-hop with ease, which makes his music so interesting to listen to. But you may not be prepared to see him perform live as he’s all over the stage and in the audience like a wild man. Joining him is Benjy Ferree and Deleon. While Mexican restaurants may be everywhere, not all are created equal. One that stands out, in that hood, is Los Pollitos II. Having gone several times, what makes me come back for more are the Chilaquiles for brunch and the gorditas for dinner. The guacamole is damn good too. Did you say you like beer? I like beer! Hooray for puppies! At Pacific Standard, the front bar has 16 beers on tap and the back room looks like a high school library. I think this is my new favorite bar. Don’t forget to ask about the frequent drinker card program! I’m totally serious. If you like your coffee black, Gorilla Coffee specializes in deep roasted flavors and provides it through fair-trade.

Friday February 20

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Fashion: Williamsburg Fashion Weekend
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Glasslands
Food: Bliss
Drink: Spike Hill
Miscellaneous: Ella Cafe

Join some great Williamsburg designers as they show off what’s hot in the burg during this two-day fashion show. Tonight features designers Trisha Mcbride, Nettie Tiso/Racecar! Apparel, Mandate of Heaven, and Papusza Couture. With music by Begushkin, Services, That Handsome Devil, and DJ's The Trilateral Commission. For veggie lover’s, Bliss Café is an excellent place for tempeh, tofu, and vegetables, with all menu items $10 and under. Right off the L train at Bedford, Spike Hill is a really nice Irish pub with a great selection of draft beers on tap and booths in the back to sit, drink, and even order off an Irish menu of food. While several new coffee shops have popped up in Williamsburg recently, Ella Café is not just the best designed, with it’s blond wood interior but the coffee is pretty good too.

Saturday February 21

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Band: Rami Dearest
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Piano’s
Food: Supper
Drink: Barramundi
Miscellaneous: Kudos

Check out talented singer/songwriter Rami Dearest before he releases his first solo album full of soulful singing mixed with indie pop. Plus he’s the former frontman of LA based dance rock act Something For Rockets. A favorite restaurant of mine, Supper has a dimly lit, all-wood interior giving it a rustic vibe. They even have what looks like a bar overlooking the chefs cooking for you to watch. The Italian menu offers some fantastic food too. Though it might sound like it has to do with Buddhism, Barramundi is actually an Australian owned bar that has infused vodkas, sangria, and a laundry list of mixed drinks like the Champagne Cocktail made with sugar and bitters with Courvoisier, topped with bubbly. If coffee and a snack is your thing, Kudos is an inexpensive place to get baked goods, a cup of coffee and chill before the show.

Saturday February 21

Location: West Village, NYC
Bands: Nolafunk’s Third Annual Mardi Gras Ball
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: (le) poisson rouge
Food: Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar
Drink: Village Tavern
Miscellaneous: Bleeker Bob’s

(le) poisson rouge hosts Nolafunk’s Third Annual Mardi Gras Ball. The night will feature performances by Anders Osborne, Eric Lindell, a DJ set by Mocean Worker, as well as a performance by Big Sam’s Funky Nation, who come straight from New Orleans. For an eclectic menu that mixes upscale and down-home food, this Blue Ribbon location, a wine bar and restaurant, offers lighter fare including foie gras, cheese plates, caviar, and steak tartare. The Village Tavern is a really comfortable neighborhood bar that’s great for catching sports games or just chilling for a drink, which is what I prefer to do when I’m in the vicinity. Also in the area is Bleeker Bob’s. It’s one of the oldest independent record stores in NYC and the selection is deep. The place looks a mess, but the staff is surprisingly friendly and extremely knowledgeable about what they have.

Sunday February 22

Location: East Village, NYC
Event: Murry Hill's 8th Annual Oscar Party
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: Joe’s Pub
Food: Oyama
Drink: Grassroots Tavern
Miscellaneous: Mud Cafe

If you haven’t figured out where to watch the Oscars yet, then join comedian Murray Hill as he hosts his 8th Annual Oscar Party at Joe’s Pub. Along with Oscar ballots, trivia, and audience best and worst dressed awards, expect comedy from Neal Medlyn, Diane O’Debra, Kate McKinnon, and Erin Markey, as well as music from the cast of Our Hit Parade. With sushi that’s 50 percent off all the time, you might think, “Something’s wrong with that?” but the fish is good and the rolls are inventive, making this one of the best low-priced sushi joints in the city. Though St. Marks all of a sudden lost its charm, Grassroots Tavern hasn’t. This large dive bar has cheap drinks, darts in the back, and old men behind the bar, things a good dive bar should have. Excellent coffee served in a big mug and a healthy menu of food coupled with a year round enclosed outdoor backyard patio make Mud Cafe a great little coffee shop in the area.

Anyone want to win free tix to see Tim Fite play on Friday? We’re giving away 2 pairs of tickets to see him perform at The Bell House with Benjy Ferree and DeLeon.

Check out this FREE MP3 from Deleon featuring Tim Fite:

DeLeon - Porke Yorach

TO ENTER, E-MAIL US HERE

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Antony & the Johnsons Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Town Hall
Food: Sullivan Street Bakery
Drink: Rudy’s Bar & Grill
Miscellaneous: The Shops at Columbus Circle

With one of the most interesting and delicate voices in music today, Antony Hegarty of Antony & the Johnsons makes some beautiful music with his band on their most recent offering The Crying Light, but seeing them live is another story as the stage is the place to watch and listen to them catch the beauty of their music. Arguably one of the top bread makers on the east coast, and good to get gourmet pizza’s and sandwiches, Sullivan Street Bakery makes exquisite food using ingredients you’d see on the Food Network! More bar than grill, Rudy’s is like going back to college, minus the books. The beer is cheap and by “grill,” they mean free popcorn and hot dogs. If you have trouble finding the bar, just look for the 6 foot tall fiberglass pig standing outside! To get out of the cold and see what an upper-class mall is like, stop by The Shops at Columbus Circle. Expensive restaurants like MASA and shops like Williams Sonoma are fun to browse through to see how the other half lives.

Myka 9
1969
(Fake Four Inc.)






Myka 9 is legendarily known as a freestyle rap pioneer. His influence in L.A.’s underground hip hop scene started in the 80’s. Later he became co-founder of Freestyle Fellowship. “1969” hits the ground running; industrious, smoky deep vocals swirl to intoxicating riffs and runs that spread out like fire-inducing guitar solos and classic choral rap arrangements. Myka 9 has a fine grasp of quick lyrical delivery. Sometimes sounding more scat than rap, his vocals drip seemingly just centimeters above the music’s own volume. This album is nicely seasoned with a wicked mix of funk, jazz, soul, rock and psychedelic music. The rap execution is both cleverly tight and heartily soulful. “1969” contains a strong 70’s funk swagger and a powerhouse of fast moving, beat heavy songs, flavored by a lyrical call to live and to life. “Cadillac Nights” is a dizzying disco funk ode to Cadillac cars. It begins with a spoken word homage to the car itself in grand, not materialistic, just pure grand nostalgia. The alternate piano riffs and smooth guitar short solos twirl madly yet are somehow restrained asking one to beg for them. This album showcases Myka 9’s pioneer status and his ability to craft a very unique and forward sounding rap production.

Chanda Jones


DeadMau5
Random Album Title
(Ultra Records)







Some people think that when a mouse crawls into your laptop and dies, it's a horrific example of life colliding with technology. For people like Toronto-based Joel Zimmerman, such a situation is simply inspiration for a stage name. DeadMau5 (pronounced "Dead Mouse") is a one-man mélange of techno and minimal with trimmings of electronica, progressive, and house. With a handful of singles featured on various compilation albums, DeadMau5 finally released his first album called Random Album Title, a vague yet apropos moniker for an album that transcends the aforementioned genres. Notable tracks include "Faxing Berlin" (including the piano acoustic version), "Not Exactly," and "Arguru."

Nicole Velasco


Mi Ami
Watersports
(Quarterstick/Touch and Go Records)






Everything about Mi Ami is madly outrageous, even the way the lyrics are delivered. Each song is seemingly crafted from a bass and drum jam session upward. The percussion is a mix of many different genres that recklessly propel each song beyond the horizon. The bass fumbles and pops around like a spinning top, while the guitar slides around as a sort of sonic chime. At the very top of each track the vocals soar like birds. Or a single bird against the backdrop of what is a really kicking, indie-rock punk kinetic frenzy. Often stuffy, or restrained, the high-pitched sometimes-squeaky fury is a vocal ability that is like nothing else. When the vocals are nowhere to be found, the music plays on into a heavy almost cerebral ambience that is hard to escape or forget. Mi Ami consists of two members of the Black Eyes, Daniel Martin-McCormick whose vocals waver and at times mimic the aggressive sound air makes as it escapes a hole in a balloon and Jacob Long, as well as Damon Palermo. Formed in San Francisco in 2006, Mi Ami takes music to a rare experimentalism that is pompous and freeform so much that it pushes the listener to the edge of how sound can literally come unglued and still be rowdily enjoyable.

Chanda Jones


Marvelann
Bad Advice
(Marvelann)







Vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Simon Honisett leads Marvelann's Bad Advice. Though there are a lot of players here, instruments ranging from bass, pedal steel guitar, viola, and trombone, what could have been a cacophony actually turns out to be a pretty sparse, precise production of songs.

The first track, "15 Below" quickly shows us the great harmony vocals and the first appearance of Paul Brainerd's pedal steel that will dominate the album; there's the moody "Just Like Everybody Else," the sparse-er than sparse "Drove All Night" with just Honisett's lead vocal and acoustic…and the backing vocals of Sarah Clark, Susan Reilly and Jonathan Jubera. Dude, Dave Depper plays a mellotron on "Christmas 1985"! There's some upbeat cowboy-ness on "Here We Go Again" (not the first time Honisett and company get a little twangy here). Jubera plays great vibes in the near instrumental "The Shores," (Marvelann works their powerful vocalists here in a non-lyric almost chant…I'd dare say that while Honisett has an interesting voice, at best, it's really the backing vocalists in the band that have the pipes). The last track, "How Long Can You Stay Angry" is perfect, and all that the band was leading up to, with a poignant lyric and Honisett's best vocal performance of all the nine songs.

The rest of the players, Tom Simonson, Ben Boyce and David Bamberger bass; Amanda Lawrence viola, Peter Broderick violin and accordion, make Bad Advice a CD of sparse arrangements, some solid harmonies, slight country sounds and sometimes very good lyrics.

Nate Campbell