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.

Split: A Memoir of Divorce
by Suzanne Finnamore
(Dutton Adult)






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

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.

TV on the Radio
Dear Science
(Interscope)






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)






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)






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

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.

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

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!