As self-deprecating as they probably are, this band is not at all boring. Hailing from Japan, the Boredoms latest album, Super Roots, Vol. 9 is another dose of noise rock to relieve us of our boredom with the cookie cutter mainstream music. The entire album is live, so there are occasional cheers but it doesn't interfere at all.
Blending together angelic voices, tribal beats and a mesmerizing, transcendental sound, they sound like an inspired gospel group rocking out. Towards the end of the one, forty-minute track on the album, the beats start to pick up more, but the end is as soothing as sleep.
You’ve seen celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay on TV’s Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares berating bad contestants till they cried. Tonight, he stops by Border’s to sign copies of his new book Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food. 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.
New York's They Might Be Giants are not only one of the quirkiest bands to grace the music scene, they're also one of the most consistent. The Else is the 12th album for the ever-morphing group who have cranked out everything from kiddie pop to alternative hits like "Birdhouse In Your Soul" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." This time around, the duo of John Linnell and John Flansburgh are trying out a harder sound. The guitars have garage rock riffs and the vocals almost snarl at times on songs like "Take Out The Trash." Their silly side comes out on the romp of a song called "The Mesopotamians" but the overall tone is steeped in such a gloomy shade of gray that you can't help but wish that the old merry pranksters would come out to play.
While the Beat Movement has been heavily documented, biographer Deborah Baker wrote about a lesser known period in A Blue Hand: The Beats in India, chronicling Allen Ginsburg and his companions time in India during the 60’s. While Mexican restaurants may be everywhere, one that stands out, in that hood, is Los Pollitos II. 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.
Drink Oolong Tea for Your Health and to Stay Beautiful
On a recent trip to the Pacific Island of Taiwan, I was astounded by the 'ageless beauty' of the local women, who look, on average, 10 years younger than they should.
Determined to find out their 'secret,' I engaged in conversation with a local storeowner in the mountainous region of Alishan. Here, over the daily Taiwanese tea drinking ritual, she unveiled the mystery of their beauty - Oolong Tea!
Produced from the camellia sinensis plant, the tea is hand picked and hand processed. It contains large amounts of polyphenols, which in turn, fight free radicals responsible for age spots and wrinkles. By drinking only two cups a day, the skin will clarify and glow and the signs of aging diminish. Now, you're going to love this - the tea also activates the enzyme responsible for dissolving triglycerides [fat deposits.] In fact, Oolong burns over 157% more fat than green tea!* Drink up girls!
Michelle, a former makeup artist for Christian Dior, writes about luxe resorts, spas and hotels for print and web publications. Check out her website at OhSoBoutique
He created Maude, The Jeffersons, All in the Family, Sanford and Son, and countless other TV shows. Tonight, the godfather of the television sitcom, Norman Lear gives a lecture at the 92nd Street Y on his long and storied career in the television industry. If you love dogs, not hot dogs but real doggies, then you’ll really love the Barking Dog Luncheonette, as the décor features everything with a dog on it. The food, is your regular diner fare with plenty of burger, sandwich, and hot plate options. Grab a drink and feel like you were transported to the late 1800’s at The Auction House. With ornamental red velvet couches, exposed brick walls, and vintage chandeliers, this hidden gem of a bar is cozy. Beautifully designed, Uptown Lounge is a bar and restaurant serving American fare like Apple Peppercorn Pork Chops ($18), while being big enough to stick around afterwards for drinks.
Local frontman/one-man-band and crooner extraordinaire Baby Dayliner comes across like the great frontmen Morrissey and Frank Sinatra while sounding all his own. His live show is always fun. Don’t miss beatmaker Blockhead. You may know some of his work from Aesop Rock and Murs among others. Part diner with a Russian menu, Veselka stays open 24-hours and offers blintzes, pierogi’s, and stuffed cabbage along with standard diner fare. One of the L.E.S.’s favorite rock n’ roll bars, B-Side has a kickass jukebox, and an excellent happy hour from 3-8pm, where you can get a PBR and a shot of Whiskey for $5. If you’re serious about your desserts, then ChiKaLicious will blow you away with a $12 pri-fixe that includes an Amuse, Choice of Dessert, and Petit Fours (with wine pairing, $7 additional).
At the tail-end of Paul Simon’s month-long residency at BAM celebrating his long and storied musical career, tonight he performs with an eclectic group of modern artists he’s influenced including Olu Dara, Grizzly Bear, Josh Groban, The Roches, and Gillian Welch. 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.
Get ready to geek out as the annual Bent Festival comes to town! Featuring art, music and DIY electronics, hacking, and all kinds of circuitry, prepare to see bands from all over the world playing home-made instruments, artists giving workshops, and witness just what these circuit benders are creating. One of the best affordable Vietnamese restaurants in the city, Nha Trang is right near the downtown courthouse, making it a high volume place. Despite that, the food is great and the Pho (rice noodle soup) dishes are $5 and under. An hip and eclectic place for drinks, the Knitting Factory is also a music venue. The drinks here aren’t expensive and the crowd is fun and artsy. One of the best taqueria’s in the city, the Mexican food here is authentic and to die for. While tacos will set you back $3, plates are in the $6 to $7.25 range.
The genius of The Fiery Furnaces is well documented and tonight they take their recording process to another level as the debut “Democ-Rock,” a series of recordings written with the help of their fans. Taking the pressed sandwich to the gourmet level, Press 195 offers 30 kinds of hot pressed sandwiches that make this place hard to get tired of. One of the more social bars in Park Slope, The Gate is a great bar with a wide selection of local beers on tap and an outdoor patio overlooking the park. A great little dessert and coffee shop, The Chocolate Room has a menu filled with everything made with some form of chocolate. Try the hot chocolate, you won’t regret it.
With Robert Deniro’s Tribeca Film Festival, new films come first though there will be plenty of events, music, art, panel discussions, and special screenings including Tina Fey’s Baby Mama and Speed Racer. One of my favorite places for food, Ear Inn is a 200-year-old bar with a small menu featuring burgers, sandwiches, and a chalkboard with specials including Jerk Chicken that’s under $10. With $3 pints Monday thru Friday 12pm to 7pm along with comedy and music performances, the Village Lantern is a great bar to chill at after work, especially now that it’s finally getting warm outside. Watch some of the best chocolate in the world made right in front of your eyes or browse through the store and sample for yourself the fruits of this master chocolatier’s labor.
Unmaking icons and remaking history are the subjects of the first solo show by Josh Azzarella, currently on display at DCKT Contemporary's new Lower East Side gallery.
Appropriating some of the most famous images in the history of photojournalism and video reportage, Azzarella recontextualizes these images and forces viewers to confront their power by removing their historical significance.
In his re-working of the Jules Naudet video footage from 9/11 of American Airlines Flight 11, tragedy becomes a near-miss as his footage shows the plane flying harmlessly by the still standing towers. Another series of images based on the photographic evidence of torture at Abu Ghraib, shows Lynndie England and her fellow Army Reservists in their grotesque banality, with all traces of their victims erased.
The work, ultimately, is less about the image, than the importance of the historical moment. By removing the icon, Azzarella places the emphasis fully on the reality that the image re-presents.
With Robert Deniro’s Tribeca Film Festival, new films come first though there will be plenty of events, music, art, panel discussions, and special screenings including Tina Fey’s Baby Mama and Speed Racer. One of my favorite places for food, Ear Inn is a 200-year-old bar with a small menu featuring burgers, sandwiches, and a chalkboard with specials including Jerk Chicken that’s under $10. With $3 pints Monday thru Friday 12pm to 7pm along with comedy and music performances, the Village Lantern is a great bar to chill at after work, especially now that it’s finally getting warm outside. Watch some of the best chocolate in the world made right in front of your eyes or browse through the store and sample for yourself the fruits of this master chocolatier’s labor.
sleepy eepee may be short, but is it ever so sweet! Consisting of 5 brief songs, this prequel to Great Northern's highly acclaimed Trading Twilight for Daylight, packs a whole lot of talent into a teeny (eenee) space. For starters, the vocals are pretty great. Great Northern's primary songwriter, Solon Bixler, delivers his disaffected lyrics with a scratchy voice that is perfectly picturesque. However, the songs get boring somewhere in the middle of the album, on tracks like "summertime," in which Bixler's vocals are not heavily featured. But the album's best songs – "loose ends" and "this is a problem" – feature memorable vocal melodies and skillful harmonization over a spare instrumental framework of piano, guitar, and percussion. And as if simple, adept songwriting weren't enough to make an album great, producer Mathias Schneeberger has helped create a highly polished package, with sounds reminiscent of works by New York's The Fireflies.
Celebrating the art of Takashi Murakami, this retrospective of the acclaimed Japanese artist shows more than 90 of his works, spanning painting, sculpture, installation, and animation. It’s the place where Susanne Vega wrote “Tom’s Restaurant,”but Tom’s restaurant is just as famous for its food. With a near insane breakfast menu, expect items like pancakes with apples and pecans to be brought to you by the sweetest waitresses in Brooklyn. Soda Bar is a great place for drinks. The alcohol is cheap, there’s surprisingly excellent food, and there’s even another room where DJs spin. If it’s too much, you can hang outside in the backyard patio under the stars. The Old Brooklyn Parlor specializes in old school drinks like the Brooklyn Egg Cream and the Lime Cherry Rickey, making it an excellent anchor to this neighborhood.
Neptune, the second full-length from U.K. band The Duke Spirit, finds the group delivering on the promise of their debut LP Cuts Across the Land. Their first album was a dark bare bones effort but this time out, the group is letting in some light. The result is an album that is more pop-centric but still captivating. Fans of the original album will rally around songs like "Dog Roses" that find the band employing the usual tools of their trade (crunchy guitars and tough-talking songs) but the cheery production behind "My Sunken Treasure" should lure new listeners. If there's one song that perfectly blends the conflicting light/dark sides of The Duke Spirit together, it has to be the mid-tempo rocker "The Step And The Walk." It takes the bands My Bloody Valentine-esque roots, adds in the here and now, and dashes headlong into the future.
Push aside your political leanings for one night and check out the First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna stop by the 92nd Street Y to read from their new children’s book Read All About it, and talk about the importance of literacy and education. Now that it’s getting warmer out, what better way to celebrate than with some BBQ. Jimmy’s Bait Shack is known for their BBQ’d meats, smoked in house. The menu is all Southern favorites like po boys, catfish, fried chicken, along with burgers. Though it’s small, Cavatappo Wine Bar packs a mighty punch, offering an amazing selection of wines from all over the world for under $10 a glass. With more than 40 TVs featuring sports, Ship of Fools also has darts, pool tables, and video games.
Lucio Bubacco, Three Graces, 2000; Flameworked glass. Photo Credit: Ed Watkins
Location: Midtown West, NYC Art: Cheers! A MAD Collection of Goblets Show time: Open Daily 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Thursdays 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Venue: Museum of Arts & Design Food: Swizz Drink: Russian Vodka Room Miscellaneous: Zip Burger
To celebrate the Museum of Arts & Design’s (MAD) upcoming move to its new space at Two Columbus Circle, they are showing a sneak peak of their collection of glass, metal, clay, fiber, wood, and mixed media goblets. For fans of fondue, Swizz is where it’s at. Try the Traditional Cheese Fondue (serves two) with Gruyere and Emmenthal cheeses, served with cubed bread ($40). When it comes to making great vodka, at the Russian Vodka Room, the menu says it all as they offer 53 different vodka’s not including their 10 specially infused flavors like strawberry, ginger, and if you’re feeling bold, garlic, pepper, and dill. If your looking for a burger with lot’s of extra’s, then check out Zip Burger, where farm-raised, organic/grass-fed meat and poultry help them create a better burger. Burgers start at a mere $4.50 but can get dangerously expensive depending on your toppings.
The first time I heard Herbie Hancock’s 70’s jazz/funk project The Headhunters, I realized there was more to jazz than the acoustic upright bass/drums/horn trio. Though the original Headhunters are here for the reunion and Hancock is not, this is sure to be magic live. For a kickass burger or chicken sandwich, Island Burgers and Shakes specializes in making great burgers like the Bourbon Street Burger that’s blackened, with bacon, Jack, bayou mayo, and onion on sourdough. One cheap bar in midtown, Smith’s is a dive bar with cheap booze, friendly locals, and live music daily in the next room. Though the place is way expensive, Colony Music is a fun music store that sells albums and sheet music. You can walk around and check out the entertainment memorabilia. Whether you’re looking for an autographed guitar signed by the Rolling Stones or an autographed 8x10 of Linda Carter, they’ve got it.
Cock Lorge is like that really dirty joke you heard, spread out over an album. This sex talking folk singer may come across as creepy at first thought, but after hearing him harmonize with a lady singing backup, you’ll blush but you’ll also laugh. Part lounge and all restaurant, The Stanton Social offers a very chic décor and a menu of small and affordable items meant for sharing. Try the Wasabi Pea Crusted Salmon with Asian pesto and soba noodle Beet salad ($15). If you like your bars loud, Detroit Rock City loud, then Motor City Bar is for you. With inexpensive drinks and an automobile motif, this is the place to party hard late into the night. Whether you’re in a band, looking for gadgets, or just want to strum on a $2,000 guitar, Ludlow Guitar is your wet dream.
So apparently Saturday is Record Store Day. Not sure if that’s an actual holiday, but in celebration of it, Regina Spektor will play a free show here. So get there early as the performance space is small and a free show by Spektor doesn’t come along often. 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.
Touring in support of their new album Walk it Off, Tapes n’ Tapes have put out an even better album than their last one, The Loon. Openers White Denim are punk, funk and spazz rock worth checking out. Though it looks like a fancy club belonging in the Meat Packing District, SEA is one of the best Thai restaurants in Williamsburg. Huge in size, the menu serves up your typical Thai cuisine, but it’s the space, where a giant Buddha sits over an indoor pond that’s one of its draws. More than just a bar, Galapagos is also an art space with front and back rooms filled with art, music, burlesque, and most importantly, inexpensive drinks. Whether you’re a music geek, an audiophile, or someone who appreciates the warm crackle of a record player, Academy Records is a huge warehouse sized space filled with vinyl and CDs at relatively cheap prices.
An excellent lineup of bands here as Brooklyn’s Bad Wizard heads up this awesome lineup. With Dark Meat, a psych-rock band, Monotonix a heavy rock outfit known for their live performances, and rockers Heavy Hands. One of the best Pan-Latin restaurants in the city, Paladar, helmed by Chef Aarón Sanchez, creates eclectic dishes that tickle your palate like the Salmon con Parcha, a seared salmon with black squid rice and spicy passion fruit glaze ($17). Very swanky for Ludlow Street, Libation is a three-floor bar and nightclub beautifully designed with mostly warm brown and gold colors. Though the drinks are pricey, it’s worth trying this place, at least once. One of my favorite late night places for eats, Bereket has some of the best falafels on the L.E.S. and is one of the funniest places to eat after 2 a.m., because everyone there is just as drunk as you are.
Explosions in Farmingdale, NY. Photo Credit: Valerie Fremin
Explosions in the Sky Crazy Donkey Bar and Grill Farmingdale, NY 4/6/08
I'm so glad I didn't listen to those kids outside. They told me not to bother going in. I stood there listening to guitars explode behind closed doors, which told me I had to plead to be let in. What ensued was the kind of luck some single people have: "All right, just you can come in." Beyond those doors of the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, I joined the standing meditation.
Up close to the stage I joined a quiet crowd, all of us watching carefully as the musicians all swayed in synchronicity with the slow, building songs, before they crashed down around us. The absence of lyrics allowed them to easily melt one song into another. I heard a quiet whisper, "These guys soothe souls," and I felt an air of peace around me that I hadn't experienced for a long time.
The 60s were a crazy time, and the art was no different. In New York it was the Fluxus movement that was experimenting and making big waves. From Fluxus to Media Art focuses on the history of media art during that period, featuring works by Jonas Mekas, Andy Warhol, and Nam June Paik among others. Cookshop offers American fare blending fresh and healthy ingredients. Try the Five Grain Risotto with Oregon black trumpet mushrooms, crème fraiche, and fried sage ($20). All wood and brick, The Half King is a great bar in Chelsea, minus the attitude its neighboring bars have. Grab a draft beer for $7 or a burger among other great menu items. If you’re fanatical about your coffee, Café Grumpy is your place to get some of the city’s best. The coffee’s are brewed to order and the espresso drinks are out of this world. I highly recommend this place.
The Eels latest album Useless Trinketts, is the 8th compilation from the band, and the 19th record put out by frontman (and the Eels only consistent member) Mark Everett. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that this was a sort of survey of various Eels musical styles. What is a disappointment is that it doesn’t hang together as any sort of coherent album. Disk 1 is not a pleasant listen unless you’re a huge fan of extended wanderings in the Eels’ particular kind of weirdness.
Disk 2 is a bit more enjoyable, being more eclectic. The opening track, “Mr. E’s Beautiful Remix,” could have come off a Beck album, and by track 3 the sound shifts to what could be Tom Waits with a bit less grit. Since Tom Waits has been a past Eels contributor, this isn’t surprising.
The concert disk is where this set really shines. Only six songs long, it ends too fast, and the sound quality is a little rough, but it’s just good Rock & Roll, leaving you wanting to play it over and over again. If that’s not enough, there’s also impressive facial hair, ridiculous hats, and body cavity searches.
--Gidalya
Cat Power Jukebox Matador
Cat Power's new release Jukebox is a tribute to many great singers such as Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, and Hank Williams. Marshall carries songs with her familiar smoky, sultry voice, taking one like "New York, New York" to a completely different level, and making it another song in and of itself that doesn't show up Sinatra's performance, but rather, reinvents it. Later on, there are explorations of genres such as gospel, soul, and country. How this all manages to come together without falling apart is all in Marshall's beautiful style, which doesn't seem to bore but rather grows as the album plays on. Marshall isn't afraid to take chances and try new things, and that's a great place to be after a breakdown last year. The mood is relaxed, and I can imagine myself not touching the jukebox for a while.
At this Jeopardy style gameshow, Dick Swizzle is your host and Perry Combover and Koo Koo the Mind Key help co-host. Buzz in your answer to questions off a wide-screen TV, and win free shots and money. Lose, and win Budweiser. Either way, you walk away drunk. The theme at Press 195 is pressed comfort food. A sandwich shop with quite the menu, they offer 30 types of delicious sandwiches like the turkey and fontina cheese sandwich with a cranberry and roasted pear chutney on ciabatta ($7.75). While Union Hall looks like a cabin at a ski resort with a fireplace, stone walls, comfy couches, and inexpensive drinks, you may want to stick around rather than barhop. A low-key bar in this hood, O’Connor’s is a hole in the wall where you can grab a cheap drink and watch the game on their TV, just like your grandpa sitting next to you!
El Perro Del Mar From The Valley To The Stars Control Group/Tcg
Sweden's Sarah Assbring records under the moniker El Perro Del Mar and has gained a reputation for mixing the sweet sounds of 1960s girl group pop with a melancholy twist that's all her own. Her sophomore effort From The Valley To The Stars finds the singer/songwriter expanding on her musical palette. Her song sketches are still drenched in sunny day sweetness but there's even more to love this time around. What was merely lush before is now radiant. Assbring's perfect pop voice glides easily through sugar-laced melodies backed by organs and more contemporary pop arrangements. "Do Not Despair" plays like a gospel piece filtered through The Ronettes while the mid-tempo "Somebody's Baby" coos along like a wall of sound chart topper that would have blared out of a transistor radio.
On their recent album Swimming, the French Kicks blend garage rock, mod music, and pop among others to create beautiful songs. Live is where they shine. Let’s face it, San Loco does not serve the greatest Mexican food ever. But it certainly isn’t bad. The prices are inexpensive, you can get a heaping amount of nachos for as little as $3.75, and telling by the heavy traffic, the place is doing just fine. What I like about Max Fish is that it’s a local bar for local artists. It’s walls play host monthly for art exhibitions, there’s a pool table in the back, and drinks aren’t pricey, like many new bars springing up in this neighborhood. For one of the best cupcakes in the city, Sugar Sweet Sunshine has 10 varieties, on top of cakes. Try the Sexy Red Velvet or the Bob, a yellow cupcake with chocolate almond buttercream.
In Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s exhibition I Want to Believe, he presents four areas of his work including his early paintings, gunpowder drawings, video and photos documenting explosions, and his installation of nine cars hanging from the Guggenheim’s ceiling. If you like your burgers big, Jackson Hole is where you want to bring your appetite. Home of the 7oz. burger, you can get a beef, turkey, or the veggie kind prepared in a number of ways. Try the Eastside, a bacon cheeseburger topped with ham, mushrooms, tomato and fried onions ($12.50). For drinks on top of the world, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Balcony Bar and Roof Garden has an amazing view of the city and some delicious cocktails. Located in the Museum of German and Austrian Art, Café Sabarsky offers a menu of traditional Austrian delights like strudel and linzertorte while it’s design is straight out of Europe’s 1920’s.
