Beyond Bedford

The Busking Queen

2009-06-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

Yup, I'm so poor, I have turned to street performing. I took my clunky turquoise typewriter out, sat on the street and wrote poems and stories for people for money. It's actually loads of fun.

Read about my busking experience on my XIHA Life blog.

One woman took a photo of me busking and then printed
out the photo for me. She also gave me 10 euros for one poem!

###

Passion Pit – The Reeling

Yello's "Oh Yeah" and Halloween

2009-06-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

My dear friend was telling me about how she needs to be the hot girlfriend from Ferris Bueller's Day Off for Halloween solely because she recently bought some white fringed boots. I agree wholeheartedly. And it reminded me of the song from the movie that just says like "OH YEAH" – similar to the Kool-Aid man. (The lyrics actually go, "Oh Yeah. The moon. Beautiful. Oh yeah. The sun. Even more beautiful." How can you go wrong there?)

I decided to Youtube it to see if I could watch the part of Ferris Bueller that features the song. Even better: I found the music video.

I LIKE THIS SONG SO MUCH MORE AFTER THIS VIDEO:

Two guys making those noises and a little girl who is the sun and the moon? Brilliant. My favourite part comes at the end (2:53) where the men's silhouettes are fighting and point at the moon to distract their opponents.

As a side note, if another friend and I don't go ahead with our top-secret ideas for Halloween, I think I might just have to be Pikku Myy from the Finnish cartoon, Moomin. I look enough like her that it's so simple: I put a bun on top of my head, find a red dress, get a bow tie and, ka-ching, Halloween costume.

It's just a shame that no one will understand it in New York.

###

Matt & Kim – Daylight

Phoenix's "1901"

2009-06-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

An extremely good lights show can go a long way, and for Phoenix, that’s what they are counting on in their video for "1901." White lights illuminate the boys in bars, streaks, plaids and sparkles. The lights electrify the sound! Luckily, a simple concept can lead to great things.

See my blurb on nickydigital.com here.

Chairlift's "Bruises"

2009-06-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

You may have heard this one featured on NPR, or in an Apple commercial for a new iPod Nano. The truth is: Chairlift's "Bruises" has a catchy beat and a quirky chorus no one can deny. And what is going on in this video? Stacks of TV screens, black spray paint, lead singer Caroline Polachek rolling around in a garbage bag dress? It’s a lovely little hideout these kids have, and the best news is that the video devolves into a spin-the-bottle make-out session (sadly excluding the duet singers).

Read my blurb on nickydigital.com here.

Sunday Funday: The Zombies

2009-06-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

Even if you're not familiar with the name, I'm sure you've heard The Zombies, perhaps without realizing it. They're probably most famous for their song "Time of the Season." I have been on a Zombies binge recently, and found this great video that VH1 probably threw together in order to play the song on their Classics. But it has some great footage! How amazing are some of those outfits??? And who can resist some great '60s lady-ass-shakin'?

For extra credit, check out The Zombies performing "She's Not There" live on U.S. television. Gah, nostalgia – and I wasn't even alive then!

Birdy Nam Nam's "The Parachute Ending"

2009-06-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

It’s no surprise that this song is reminiscent of Justice's album Cross, because the French duo produced the song. And just like the famed jams from that album, Birdy Nam Nam's bass-thumping "The Parachute Ending" is sure to move your hips – if you can take your eyes off the video.

Beginning with a hover-craft wielding alien, the video narrates an epic space battle full of neon colors and constant movement.

See my blurb on www.nickydigital.com here.

Settle down now: Helsinki

2009-06-06T04:50:00.000-07:00

I am finally settling down. I have spent the past two nights in my new apartment, which is only a five-minute walk away from the fake apartment I was duped into believing was a good choice. (See my previous blog post if you don’t know what I’m talking about there.)

I am starting to think it was kind of fate that I didn’t get the other apartment, because this one is really ideal. It’s tiny, but lovely. Here is what I love about it:

Read the rest of my blog post on my XIHA Life blog here.

###

Sparklehorse – It's a Wonderful Life

Welcomed to Finland with a scam!

2009-06-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

A Finnish friend of mine moved to New York in January. A few months later, he told me about his old roommate who refused to return the deposit from his previous apartment. I gave him my best advice and told him that this was a huge difference between the U.S. and Finland, in my mind. People in Finland are more honest and wouldn’t try to cheat another person out of a measly $800. “That doesn’t happen in Finland!” I recall saying.

Yap, well it does. And it happened to me, but under other circumstances. I never got to live in my apartment, and I still didn’t get my deposit back. I just moved from New York to Helsinki, arriving in Finland on Sunday, May 31st. I don’t have a job yet, but I had arranged for an apartment in Töölö and it seemed perfect: it was 36 m2 for one person with electricity, water and Internet included in the price.

Read the rest of my blog post on my XIHA Life blog here.

###

Dear Nora – Girl From The North Country

XIHA Life

2009-06-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

Check out XIHA Life! The "About Us" section on the site explains it all:

XIHA Life is the world's first truly multilingual social network.

Targeted at people living outside their home country, as well as multilingual people around the world, XIHA Life makes communication and content sharing easier across cultures and language barriers. Our language recognition and filtering technology enables users to select not only one, but several different languages to communicate with new friends and people they care about.

You can also follow XIHA Life on Twitter! Check it out here.

Why am I forwarding this Web site so much? Why, I write for them, of course! Join and enter this wonderful multicultural community.

###

Cat Stevens – I Wish, I Wish

The Brooklyn Paper

2009-06-06T04:19:00.000-07:00

An evolution-themed artwork that beautified an ugly scaffolding was ripped down by state officials who claimed the artists did their public service without permission.

On May 8, the artist group De-Fence installed wood cutouts of various flora and fauna on the eyesore scaffold that has surrounded the Empire Stores warehouse in DUMBO for two years. The work depicted a storyline of evolution, moving from small water creatures to a throng of birds bursting into flight. Read the rest of "Art attacked! State park cops reuglify DUMBO building."

Photo by Tom Callan / The Brooklyn Paper

Drivers, neighbors and merchants who are forking over handfuls of quarters to pay the newly increased parking meter rates during peak hours on Fifth and Seventh avenues say the city’s so-called “Park Smart” project isn’t living up to its name — because debit cards that render change obsolete aren’t being sold in the neighborhood yet! Read the rest of "Park Smart? More like Park Dumb as high-cost meter cards aren't even for sale!" (I didn't write it, but I did reporting for it.)

A proposal for a federally overseen clean-up of the Gowanus Canal sounds like something that everyone can get behind, but it’s actually pitting neighbor against neighbor over facts and hearsay that are as murky as the waterway itself. Read the rest of "Superfund showdown on the Gowanus."

One police blotter!

Another police blotter! (This one is funny. I called it "Teenage Wasteland" after that song by The Who. Read it to find out why!)

And finally, a tribute video they did for me. Aw, how sweet.

###

Beck – The New Pollution

Let's play catch-up!

2009-06-06T04:15:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA over the past few weeks. Trouble is, I went to Peru for a week (for my birthday!), then when I got back to New York, I had to pack up all of my stuff and move it around the city. Now about seven or eight different people are storing my stuff over the summer while I am gone.

Where am I? LIVING IN HELSINKI, FINLAND!

The next few posts are going to be me playing catch-up, hence the sudden boost in posts. Enjoy!

Em

Cops nab bikers in red-light sting! (Clinton Hill)

2009-05-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

Police cracked down on rule-breaking bicyclists in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill last Friday, issuing tickets for running red lights and then slapping offenders with additional summonses for minor infractions, including one bicyclist who didn’t have a bell.

The dragnet snared 36 bicyclists on the popular DeKalb Avenue bike lane that links the two neighborhoods with Downtown Brooklyn.

Cops said the crackdown was long overdue.

Read the rest of my story for The Brooklyn Paper here.

###

Jean Jacques Perrey – E.V.R.

Trader Joe's Song

2009-05-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

This guy made a great song about Trader Joe's. Now if he was talking about the New York location, he'd have to put in something about the "line that winds around the store." Enjoy!

Cereal shaped like a man, the guy with 12 items in the 10 item line, the beautiful moms in their yoga clothes, the bunch of bananas you buy one at a time, and more!

"It's Aloe Chunk Juice, whatever that is."

###

The Zombies – She's Not There

Review: Patrick Wolf at (le) poisson rouge

2009-05-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

To get Patrick Wolf alone in a room for a private concert would be not only an awesome feat, but also a delight. His show at (le) poisson rouge last night was intimate and charming—and it’s probably as close as most of us will get to having him serenade us personally.

But it was more than just a concert; it was a conversation. It was a night of storytelling and music, with Patrick Wolf. Wolf shared family stories, inspirations for certain songs, funny anecdotes, and more. The crowd interacted with him enthusiastically, applauding and cheering at every opportunity, and there seemed to be an equal exchange between Patrick and his audience. (He even got two—count ‘em—two standing ovations!)

This was Wolf’s first live acoustic performance in New York in years. He played without a set list, which he said he missed being able to do. He opened his set to requests, which incurred a barrage of Patrick Wolf song titles. He played the ones he could do with his acoustic set (and even pulled out his dulcimer for one song).

Read the rest of my story for the New York Press here.

So fabulous.

###

Lady Sovereign – So Human

Review: Lady Sovereign & Chester French at Highline Ballroom

2009-05-06T11:49:00.001-07:00

Note to the viewers of Lady Sovereign’s show at Highline Ballroom last night: when a musician points her microphone at you, you’re supposed to sing. Yes, that’s right. You sucked as an audience.

You could see it on Lady Sovereign’s face, as she rhymed her Brit-rapper heart out – she was annoyed. She kept trying to pump the crowd up with her hilarious stage antics: flipping the Sovereign-goers off, grabbing and caressing her boobs, and even splashing beer all over the kids right in front, à la Gallagher. She handed beers out, too, and went around the stage pouring Heineken in fans’ mouths. Who cares about swine flu?

Lady Sovereign pours beer into a fan's mouth

In fact, the sharing of the booze sparked a “Swine flu, Fuck you” chant during her hit song “Love Me or Hate Me.” A few enthusiastic admirers reveled in the messy beer fountain, and these people were generally the ones with their arms pumping at all times. There were a handful of people rocking out to her electro-grime music, but the majority of the audience refrained from dancing and cheering. When Lady Sov left the stage the first time, she looked back at the crowd members and indicated that they should go nuts in about two minutes (just in time for her encore).

Read the rest of my review for the New York Press here!

###

Luniz – I Got Five On It

Moby-Dick: Smoke on the Water

2009-05-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of writing a paper about Moby-Dick and I decided to concentrate on smoking in the novel and what role it plays therein. I take it not many people think of that, or at least I hope not.

And, as I am a music person, I generally title my essays with music references. (I have used "This Modern Age" by The Strokes for a paper about Zoroastrianism in modern culture and "Bad News on the Doorstep," a lyric from Don McLean's "American Pie" for a journalism essay.)

This paper is now called "Smoke on the Water," after the song by Deep Purple. In the course of procrastinating and watching various live performances of the song, I found this:

That's amazing, and that's all.

###

Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water

You Can Haz Party too, at Hope Lounge in Williamsburg

2009-05-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

On my nights out, I usually go to the same places and see the same friends. Why? Cheap/free booze, friends!

But this weekend, I found myself at bars and parties that I rarely attend. And what do you know? My friend Nicky Digital, urban culture photographer extraordinaire, was at those places too! It reminded me how fun parties in New York can be.

Last night I moseyed over to Hope Lounge, which was having its grand Can Haz Party party – something Nicky Digital plays a big role in.

The party celebrates summer because of Hope Lounge's open Williamsburg patio – equipped with a grill (hence the name of the party, of I can has cheezburger fame). The bar, located at 10 Hope St. near Roebling, has musical guests like Kids With Snakes and The Bad Decision DJs, while bartenders make the liquor flow.

There's a bar at the patio outside, where you can order up your favourite grill item (whether its a cheeseburger or hotdog or whatever), with a side of chips. A table has all the condiments you need, but beware: the pickles aren't that great.

The event is perfect for a warm summer's night. Yes, you can haz party – and you can have a cheeseburger at the same time.

Keep in touch with this and other great parties by following Nicky Digital on his Web site, Myspace and Facebook. Follow his Twitter to know where to be and when for some of New York's best nightlife.

###

Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position

Sunday Funday: Elegant Extracts (Moby-Dick)

2009-05-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

This week's may not be as fun for some people, but I decided to pull some great quotes from the so-called Great American Novel. (Note: When the title "Great American Novel" was coined, it was NOT in reference to Moby-Dick. In fact, it wasn't in reference to anything, because nothing of the sort existed at the time.)

You might ask why I would do such a thing, and why I am even reading it in the first place. I read it two years ago for a class, and I did a shabby job of it. I now have the same professor and I am required to, once again, read this daunting novel. But I actually love the book. I'm reading it slowly since I want to take it all in.

And listed below are some choice quotes. I selected them for their elegance, their humor, the brilliance of Herman Melville, or for any other of the million reasons this book is so damn good.

_______________________________

Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me. –Chapter 36, "The Quarter-Deck"

"He's killed himself," she cried . . . "it will be the ruin of my house. Has the poor lad a sister? Where's that girl?–there, Betty, go to Snarles the Painter, and tell him to paint me a sign, with–'no suicides permitted here, and no smoking in the parlor;'–might as well kill both birds at once. Kill? –Chapter 17, "The Ramadan"

Illustration by A. Burnham Shute, from the 1892 edition published by Harper

For small erections may be finished by their first architects; grand ones, true ones, ever leave the copestone to posterity. God keep me from ever completing anything. This whole book is but a draught–nay, but the draught of a draught. Oh, Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience! –Chapter 32, "Cetology"

Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian. –Chapter 3, "The Spouter-Inn"

From www.cqaf.com

Finally, I always go to sea as a sailor, because of the wholesome exercise and pure air of the forecastle deck. For as in this world, head winds are far more prevalent than winds from astern (that is, if you never violate the Pythagorean* maxim) . . . –Chapter 1, "Loomings"

*The Greek philosopher Pythagoras (6th century B.C.E.) advised not eating beans because they cause flatulence. Melville jokes about the location of the tiny privies on the sides of whaleships–toward the bow, while the captain's quarters are at the stern.

Moby-Dick and Ahab, by Claus Hoie (1911, Norwegian/American)

Erskine was on the other side; and he then supported it by saying, that though the gentleman had originally harpooned the lady, and had once had her fast, and only by reason of the great stress of her plunging viciousness, had at last abandoned her; yet abandon her he did, so that she became a loose-fish; and therefore when a subsequent gentleman re-harpooned her, the lady then became that subsequent gentleman's property, along with whatever harpoon might have been found sticking in her. –Chapter 89, "Fast-Fish and Loose-Fish"

It was our business to squeeze these lumps back into fluid. A sweet and unctuous duty! No wonder that in old times this sperm was such a favorite cosmetic. Such a clearer! such a sweetener! such a softener! such a delicious mollifier! After having my hands in it for only a few minutes, my fingers felt like eels, and began, as it were, to serpentine and spiralize. –Chapter 94, "A Squeeze of the Hand"

From www.theglitteringeye.com

And one of my absolute favourites:

We felt very nice and snug, the more so since it was so chilly out of doors; indeed out of bed-clothes too, seeing that there was no fire in the room. The more so, I say, because truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable anymore. But if, like Queequeg and me in the bed, the tip of your nose or the crown of your head be slightly chilled, why then, indeed, in the general consciousness you feel most delightfully and unmistakably warm. For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal. –Chapter 11, "Nightgown"

###

Dirty Projectors – Stillness is the Move

Claire Suddath from TIME Magazine is hilarious

2009-05-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Pardon me if this is something you've already seen, but I LOL'd (and I hate saying that term) while reading three recent articles by Claire Suddath. It's my form of procrastination, and now you can procrastinate too!

How Not to Be Hated on Facebook: 10 More Rules

Facebook: 25 Things I Didn't Want to Know About You

25 More Things I Didn't Want to Know About You

Hahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahha. Ace.

###

El Perro Del Mar – Glory to the World

Awesome Music Videos: Deciding my Top 20 on a whim

2009-04-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

My friend asked me what my favourite music video is, and I was thinking of mentioning the Sigur Ros video I posted previously, but when he said favourite, he meant AWESOME. He wanted to watch AWESOME music videos.

He sent Pearl Jam's "Evolution" to me, which is absolutely brilliant.

That prompted me to look for my personal Top 20, which I created on a whim, sort of. If I went through all of the music videos made to date, I might die. So this Top 20 isn't the be-all and end-all of music videos, but ones that I remember and love, whether they're fresh from the 2000s, or from before I was born. Finally, here is that list:

20) M.I.A.'s "Boyz"

This video is a surefire headache if you watch it too often, but it's so colorful and crazy that I cannot discount it. Not only is the song a great dance hit, but I want every single one of M.I.A.'s outfits in it, especially the weird, pink overall onesie.

19) Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' but a G Thang"

The cars, the women, the guns – I mean, c'mon. Priceless. But this makes my list purely for the scene at 2:39 when the toddler dances perfectly in beat with the "that" and slams his hand down, and with the "this," when he slides it like a true player.

18) Missy Elliott's "Work It"

This video is full of awesome. I love the memorials for Lisa Left Eye and Aaliyah, and the little kids dancing. Some random individual scenes are great. The Prince bit is ace. The four dancers when she sings about her "ka-dunk-a-dunk-dunk" are the reason men like jiggly butts. And my favourite is the slave slapping the white out of his "mas'r." I won't lie, though. Missy's face on that kid with the dunce cap still creeps me out.

17) Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up"

This uncensored version is just fucking crazy – and hey! You weren't expecting that ending, were ya? No one was, and that's what makes it so much better.

16) Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It"

"Take that, Dad!"

15) Lordi's "Hard Rock Hallelujah"

It's the a-rock-alypse! A cute punk chick befriends the monster band and leads her cheerleader-turned-zombie gang to wreak havoc on the school. Um, awesome!

14) 2Pac and Dr. Dre's "California Love"

Big money leads to big productions. This is one of those mini-movie type music videos. How fun would have this been to film? And, I'm actually from LA, and I have to agree with them. California does know how to party.

13) Ungdomskulen's "Modern Drummer"

Just . . . what? Cool.

12) Ratatat's "Mirando"

Good song. The video plays on repetition (Hey! Just like their music!), and it's an interesting abstraction of Ratatat's music. Even better: One of the members of the band (Evan Mast) makes the videos on his own (under his pseudonym/other project, E*VAX).

11) OK Go's "Here It Goes Again"

I know, I know. Everyone has seen this video. But you can't deny that it's amazing! The coordination is flawless. This video makes me want to 1) dance with them, 2) drink with them, and 3) be in their next masterpiece.

10) RJD2's "Work It Out"

"The vid features Bill Shannon who was born with a degenerative hip condition. His legs cannot carry his own weight and so he has lived a life on crutches. He has developed a new way of moving through life on his skateboard and the crutches. Though this may look like a recreational hobby or a debilitation, it is simply how Bill maneuvers throughout the day . . . RJD2 plays several extras which you can try to spot as well." –Beggars Group

Sweet moves.

9) Bat For Lashes' "Daniel"

She is undeniably cute. The video is so enigmatic with the black things in contrast with the little lady.

8) CSS' "Alala"

The entire video is a fight scene in reverse. Check out the sweet wounds throughout. It was directed by the amazing Cat Solen, who does fantastic things with music videos. Check out other videos directed by Cat, like Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson's "Buriedfed" (which has my best friend Ashley in it), Sea Wolf's "Winter Windows," and Bright Eyes' "At the Bottom of Everything." Go Cat!

7) The Teenagers' "Homecoming"

The band that manages to make fun of indie culture while being so remarkably indie themselves. Who doesn't like indie girls in short shorts eating cupcakes and playing with pom-poms? And the fact that the video is so ego-centric (because all the girls are basically in love with the trio – Quentin, Michael and Dorian) goes along perfectly with their image. I have met these guys several times, and I just love every silly little element that pairs this lightly misogynistic video with the lightly misogynistic song. Hooray misogyny!

6) Foals' "Mathletics"

Even though the academic tinge on this video is probably prompted by the title of the song, it's entertaining to know that the lead singer, Yannis Phillipakis, once went to Oxford University in England. He dropped out for the band. They're nice fellas, too.

5) Talking Heads' "And She Was"

Reminds me so much of Monty Python, for one reason or another.

4) Metronomy's "A Thing For Me"

This video is hilarious because the band brings the bouncing ball to life. You'd think that the concept gets boring after a while, but it doesn't! They get innovative with the idea: At one point, one guy pushes the lyric over to another so he doesn't get hit in the head. And they make fun of their own lyrics: "hive goth my mind made up. you goat maya art uno."

3) Lily Allen's "The Fear"

I wish life was actually like this: balloons and cupcakes and giant presents! Lily's fantasy worlds are always amazing, like the one she creates in "LDN."

2) Hot Chip's "Ready For The Floor"

These nerds make some fucking great dance music. And the funny thing is, they suck at dancing themselves. (I know this first hand.) This video plays with colors, like when they splash paint on people you didn't know were there. The band members also play a version of Human Tetris. They're adorable, and this video belongs at the top of this list.

And, in this whim, this wonderful wonderful whim, of looking at music videos, my number one for today (because it will probably change by tomorrow) is:

1) Justice's "D.A.N.C.E."

I don't care how played out this song is. The video is glorious. The animation is perfect, and each T-shirt would actually be cool to wear.

Whew. That took a lot longer than I expected. And looking back on it, the best part is that I realized I have met/hung out with/photographed five of the groups that are in my Top 20.

But as for this Top 20, it is likely to change, especially after I attend Northern Transmissions 2 at Scandinavia House tonight. (See below.)

SPECIAL FILM EVENT
Northern Transmissions 2
Thursday, April 30, 7 pm, $9 ($6 ASF members)

Scandinavia rocks in this program of music videos from across the Nordic region. The lineup presents a cross-section of Scandinavia’s geographically, aesthetically, and aurally diverse output. From Sweden’s macabre dark-wave to upbeat Norwegian pop, and on to the pastoral digital bliss of Iceland, Finland and the next wave of indie rock exported from Denmark, these videos will delight the ears and eyes. Featuring videos by Raveonettes, Efterklang, Seabear, Leoncie, Sigur Ros, Lykke Li, El Perro del Mar, Tvarvagen, Bjorn Kleinhenz, Whitest Boy Alive, Ane Brun, Lau Nau, Eleanoora Rosenholm, and others.

Maybe I will find some new favourites!

###

Ol' Dirty Bastard – Got Your Money (Featuring Kelis)

Gowanus Canal: To Superfund or Not To Superfund?

2009-04-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, I spent five sweaty hours by the Gowanus Canal getting feedback from the locals on how they feel about the whole Superfund thing. It was interesting, but feeling the sweat trickle down my calf while interviewing someone in Carroll Gardens isn't my ideal image of journalism. But I did it! And my colleague wrote it up.

Story teaser:

A proposal for a federally overseen clean-up of the Gowanus Canal sounds like something that everyone can get behind, but it’s actually pitting neighbor against neighbor over facts and hearsay that are as murky as the waterway itself.

Posters clamoring for the Environmental Protection Agency to list the infamous canal as a federal Superfund site have materialized on storefront windows in Carroll Gardens and outside nearby brownstone homes almost overnight — even as anonymously written fliers have started showing up in area mailboxes claiming that such a designation would depress home values and not actually speed the clean-up of the fetid corpse of water.

While the activists fight it out, residents are caught wondering who — and what — to believe.

Read the rest of my story for The Brooklyn Paper here . . .

Above: The poster, designed by Anna Martin, that some residents and businesses are hanging in windows.

###

Lou Reed – Perfect Day

Police Blotter

2009-04-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Read the latest (and, recently, most exciting!) Police Blotter that I wrote for The Brooklyn Paper.

One crook takes 238 packs of cigarettes, another takes diamonds, and there are some pretty horrible beatings this week . . . Enjoy?

###

Foals – Hummer

Review: Ratatat at Terminal 5

2009-04-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Talk about moving on up. Ratatat, a band that, three years ago, was pretty fresh on a lot of people’s iPods has basically become a household name in the music world. That could be why, at their Terminal 5 show on Tuesday, April 21, there was a sea of teeny-bopper fans and frat boys. And lots of grinding.

The show itself was a spectacular display because of Ratatat’s always awesome stage production. The two main guys – Evan Mast and Mike Stroud – used to play with a third member, but they seemed to replace him with even more strobe lights, which made the concert quite literally electrifying. This was a good choice, however, because the light show was perfect: the strobe lights burst out, declaring the peaks of each song, while not distracting from the projection of videos behind the duo. (The projection works well with the group because of Stroud’s tendency to walk in front of it, leaning back or headbanging or whatever he decides to do, casting a massive shadow that mimics his movements.)

And seeing Ratatat live is spicy, like the hot sauce on the rim of your Tecate (which they were drinking onstage). Because they dropped the third stage member, Ratatat had to rely on lots of pre-recorded stuff. But the things they do live make up for it, like fast-paced drum solos lit up by a flood of red or blue light. The beats are bass heavy, with glittery synth chimes and spicy guitar riffs. Once the bass kicked in, as with any good dance music, the crowd started grooving. When the synth flickered in, the dancing intensified. But all of that is just set up. The bass and the synth combine in anticipation of something more intense and somehow abstract, and that’s Stroud’s guitar. It cuts the repetitive nature of each song with its irregularity, making it the real hot sauce to the equation. And playing classics (har har) like “Wildcat” and “Seventeen Years” interspersed with newer tracks like “Flynn” and “Shempi” ensured a pleased audience.

All photos by me

See my original article on the Washington Square News blog.

###

Simian Mobile Disco – Love

Event: "Glass on Glass" at St. Ann's Warehouse

2009-04-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

It’s a Glass family smackdown!

In this corner, weighing in at 11 operas, seven string quartets, eight symphonies and one Golden Globe award is Philip Glass, quite possibly the greatest living American composer.

In the far corner, weighing in at one comic book, one radio show and one reputation as the thinking mommy’s George Clooney is Ira Glass, host of Chicago Public Radio’s “This American Life.”

Photo by Pavel Antonov

Let the banter begin!

That’s the premise of “Glass on Glass,” a night of storytelling and music featuring the cousins Glass at St. Ann’s Warehouse on April 28.

Read the rest of my story for The Brooklyn Paper here . . .

###

Micachu – Golden Phone

Event: Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

2009-04-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

This year, the annual cherry blossom festival isn’t just about looking at pretty flowers. And it’s not just about traditional kimonos and samurai that one might imagine, either.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual celebration of all things cherry will also feature performances by Japanese pop stars and DJs, and a panel discussion with the country’s best anime voice actors. It’s a fusion of new and old, with a pretty pink-and-white background!

Read the rest of my story for The Brooklyn Paper here . . .

###

The Jackson 5 – Who's Lovin' You

Pete Hamill V3.0

2009-04-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said I had a photo of me with the legendary Pete Hamill? HERE IT IS HELL YES.

I reviewed his book Downtown: My Manhattan earlier this year, and also chronicled an interview my class had with the dude. He's great, and I wish he was my grandpa. Thanks for everything, Mr. Hamill!

###

Damien Jurado – Desert

Second Stop should be your first stop / Meet Craig Kafton

2009-04-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

When you go to the bathroom at Second Stop café in Williamsburg, the owner is watching you. This may sound creepy, and you may be alarmed when you first notice it, but it’s just a photograph of Owner Craig Kafton, looking particularly enthused, on the door facing the toilet. I laughed.

He is quite a character, too. He’s unmistakable in his Buddy Holly-ish glasses, with a gray ponytail hiding coyly behind his head. He busies himself with making coffee and working the register at the café, located on Lorimer and Ainslie streets, which he opened two years ago.

Kafton working behind the register at Second Stop.

Kafton is from Howard Beach in Queens, but he hasn’t always lived in New York. He lived in Holland, Berlin before the Wall came down, and he still has a house in France. But he settled down in Williamsburg, and he lives directly above the café. When he and his partner, who owned the building, finally got a rid of a bad tenant, they decided to open up a café.

“Boy, this neighborhood needs a café,” Kafton had thought.

Forming the café was the main project. “I think we saw it more as an art project, building it,” Kafton said. This is because the inspiration for the building’s restoration came from the original photos of the building at the turn of the century to the 1940s. The façade of the building, which was a grocery store owned by Kafton’s partner’s grandfather, is rebuilt from a 1929 tax photo.

“There’s a bit of every period represented in there,” Kafton said. They got that old-timey effect because the two owners are collectors of stuff. There’s a wooden carving of Abraham Lincoln (wearing an Obama pin) in the front window, many different dangling lamps, a white rusty chandelier, old wooden box speakers and a ceiling fan.

Then, during the building, Kafton became a sort of coffee aficionado, without any other café experience. Now, Second Stop features Stumptown Coffee and in-house baking. They have assorted muffins, from plain to blueberry glaze to the "donut muffin," all of which are delicious because of their home-baked goodness. The café also serves special bagel sandwiches, in which you can get avocado, turkey, cheese, and other great fillings. These items don't come cheap, as a simple iced coffee can cost you over three bucks, but the quality justifies the prices.

Kafton loves the neighborhood, and in between his busy shifts, he manages to say hello to prominent locals, like the woman who owns Hotel Delmano and Union Pool, two notable Williamsburg establishments and popular bars.

As welcoming as he is, he knows who his good customers are.

“Are you a regular?” he asked me. When I said that I’m not, he replied, “Right, I didn’t think I recognized you.”

Kafton imbues the cafe with a warmth that a lot of cafés lack. And the customers are like a community, leaving bags at tables knowing that others wouldn’t steal, and would watch out for them. And even if the customers don’t watch out, Kafton will. He’s always got his eyes out for his customers – even in the bathroom.

###

Hanne Hukkelberg – Cheater's Armoury

Buy Hipster Grifter Kari Ferrell's matchbook note!

2009-04-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Image from Ebay

Forget Madonna's used napkin or Britney's gum; you can now buy a matchbook note written by Hipster Grifter Kari Ferrell.

Don't know who she is? Oh you should. Below is the Salt Lake City Police Department's Most Wanted Poster for the sweet swindler.
Read the original story in The Observer here.
And here is Gawker's coverage.

###

Band of Skulls – I Know What I Am

Sunday Funday: British celeb news, upcoming concerts and Sigur Ros videos

2009-04-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

Dreading the start of the week? Me too. Here are some things to distract you, at least for a little while.

Many people are now familiar with "singing sensation" Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent, and yeah it's a great story, blah blah blah. It's heartwarming and surprising and funny, just like a reality contest show should be. Whatever. But check out this kid, also performing on Britain's Got Talent. I mean, I have been listening to Michael Jackson all day now and this kid is spot on. He's 12!

After reading articles about those two, I got a little carried away looking at the Daily Mail Web site. I never read trashy celebrity news, but Sunday Fundays (more like Sunday hangover day) are perfect for this.

Look what else I found!
Sir Richard Branson kite surfing with a naked model on his back and Peaches Geldof, who just recently got divorced at the age of 20, plans to record an album. Ha! I feel bad for Max in this divorce – no one is quoting him! I've met him before and he's a really nice person. I have also met Peaches, but I can't say the same for her. At least his band will be opening up for Lady Sovereign soon, which is good news for Chester French.

And now, to get us out of the rut of disgusting celebrity news, here are some videos you should watch if you want to feel happy and sentimental and a little bit artsy. Here is one of Icelandic band Sigur Ros playing a Take Away Show in a cafe in France. A friend of mine who lives in Paris said the guy who makes those videos is a dick, and I believe him, but the video is still pretty good.

Also, even though this is another Sigur Ros song, it may be one of my favourite music videos ever. It always makes me happy:

If that's not your thing, check out Chew Lips, a London-based band. (Think poppy, think indie, think electro.)

To close the post, here are a list of shows in the New York area that you should try to see:
04/21 – Ratatat at Terminal 5 (Check out the photos I took of them at the Guggenheim in 2006 on the Ratatat Web site!)
04/23 – Simian Mobile Disco at Highline Ballroom OR Lou Reed at Gramercy Theatre OR Suckers at Glasslands (who will soon be opening for MGMT)
04/24 – Julie Doiron at Cake Shop OR DJs SNOB and HOMO at Sweet Ups
04/26 – Gang Gang Dance at Barnard College
04/30 – Bat For Lashes at Bowery Ballroom
05/02 – The Kills at Webster Hall OR Bat For Lashes at Music Hall of Williamsburg
05/04 – The Kills at Music Hall of Wiliamsburg
05/05 – Lady Sovereign and Chester French (Peaches Geldof's ex-hubby) at Highline Ballroom
05/06 – Patrick Wolf at le poisson rouge
05/13 – Animal Collective at Terminal 5

###

Chew Lips – Twin Galexies

Bushwick Country Club and Photobooths

2009-04-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you're into old-fashioned black and white photobooth photos, you should check out Bushwick Country Club at 618 Grand Street in Williamsburg. They have one in back that produces gems such as these:

This is me with one of the bartenders, Thomas.

We invited The Teenagers (famous for the song "Homecoming") to the bar. They liked it so much, that they skipped out on a Vampire Weekend party to come back to BCC. This is the resulting photobooth.

P.S. It is commonly referred to as BCC.

P.P.S. Be sure to get your hands on a basket of cheese puffs. They're like the peanuts that an ordinary bar would serve to guests as finger food, but this isn't an ordinary bar. That's part of the reason The Teenagers loved it so. Dorian from the band had never tried cheese puffs, and he became addicted.

But the best photobooths I have ever done (by far) are the ones we got in Japan. Take a look:

###

Vulture Realty – The Joke

Police Blotters

2009-04-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this week's Park Slope Police Blotter. And since I forgot to post last week's, here it is. (Last week's wasn't that great, honestly.)

###

Little Boots – Meddle

A talk with Pete Hamill is serendipitous

2009-04-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone should get the chance to see life through Pete Hamill’s eyes. His books undoubtedly give you a glimpse of it, as I mentioned in my review of his book Downtown: My Manhattan, but reading his words are nothing like listening to them.

Today, Hamill came to talk to my Beat class at NYU and my 10 fellow students and I were engrossed by his 90-minute talk.

In person, he looks just like he does on the cover of the book, but a little bit older and wiser. His eyelids sag a bit, giving him a wispy, sentimental look. We grilled him on his life – from his bouts with alcoholism to his divorce, from realizing he was a writer (and not a painter) to his optimism for the Internet. We each got the chance to ask him questions, but sometimes, I forgot my questions in his captivating narrative.

He told us about the old journalism days and, though he never had a beat, he loved talking to musicians. This is when I stopped thinking and just turned to listen.

“Music, to me, is the highest art,” he said. (Yes! I thought.) “The problem with musicians is that it’s hard for them to explain themselves. They don’t have a language because they don’t need one.” (Yes, yes, yes!)

And the most fascinating person he ever interviewed was not Gloria Cardinale, as he joked (though any man would be happy to interview her, I’m sure – as would I), but Max Roach, a famous African-American drummer who worked with great jazz musicians like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. Hamill himself talks about them as if they were here only yesterday. He manages to combine days of yore with modernity in a wonderful grandpa-esque form of storytelling.

Now, Hamill enjoys a life split between New York and Cuernavaca, Mexico. He’s married to a Japanese writer (this being his second marriage), and he has two daughters. But he is still wed to New York. In our interview, Hamill described New York as “existential,” “a marvel,” and a city that’s about possibility, and “the remaking of self.”

His book doesn’t cover it, so we had to ask: is there anything Pete Hamill, New York’s wonder boy, hates about the city? Definitely. Some things annoy him, from the Starbucks on every corner to women who cart around nine-year-olds in strollers (and how the strollers can be like Hummers, he said.) He hates not seeing children wandering around the streets of Brooklyn, getting themselves in trouble and falling in love with the wrong people. (“I just worry that they’re having virtual childhoods,” he said.)

Another one of his hates, which I felt at heart because I hate it too, is the disappearance of great bookstores and record shops. He described how marvelous it is to walk into a store for one thing (a certain book or record) and walking out with something else. You can’t do that with iTunes or Amazon.com.

“You lose a sense of serendipity,” Hamill said.

Man, how can he do that! He just made me fall into a whim of sentimentality – one of the things I wasn’t fond of in his book – and love it! I lost my usual cynicism (but kept my light misogyny) in the midst of his tales. He signed a postcard that I got in Japan for me. He also was more than happy for a photo op. (Photo to come soon!)

All I can say now is: Thank you, Mr. Hamill.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a reality

2009-04-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Remember the premise of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?

Check this out. Sciiiiience.

Photo from www.eternalsunshine.com

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd . . . "
–Alexander Pope, "Eloisa to Abelard"

###

Cut Copy – Unforgettable Season

Review: Asobi Seksu at Bowery Ballroom

2009-04-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went to see Asobi Seksu play at Bowery Ballroom. It was a fantastic show!

You can read my review on the New York Press blog here. Be sure to browse my other photos below the story!

I went to the show alone, since I was covering it, so the beginning was kind of boring. Me and a beer and my cell phone, at least in between bands. Then the show came on, and I was blown away. My favorite part was when the band was about to leave stage for the first time. Yuki, the lead singer, took off her necklace, placed it on the mic stand, and went to tackle the drums. She took control of them and banged out the same heavy indie-rock beats that had been playing only moments before. To put it concisely, it rocked.

And of all people for me to casually start talking to, I pick the NYU grad student who used to be in the band. After the venue cleared out, he introduced me to the current lineup, who are all so nice and humble. Yuki's boisterous laugh is completely antithetical to her small figure. Billy was really polite and interesting. James was hilarious, and I hardly spoke with him because I couldn't think of any witty retorts. I, unfortunately, did not meet the drummer.

Several of the band members' families were at the show, so people lingered around for a while. Quite a few ex-members were there as well, so it was like one big happy reunion – and me. No one opposed to my presence, though. In fact, everyone was quite welcoming. A few hours and a beer later, it was time to go home.

All in all, good night.

###

Chew Lips – Solo

My latest Police Blotter for The Brooklyn Paper + Japan photo

2009-04-01T20:05:00.001-07:00

You can read the latest from the Park Slope crime logs right here.

Tomorrow night, I will be seeing Asobi Seksu play at Bowery Ballroom! Keep an eye out for my review on the New York Press blog! (I'll most likely link to it from here . . . )

And to close this post, here is a random photo from my trip to Japan. This is an action shot of me eating takoyaki (octopus balls) for the first time ever. Thrilled Japanese schoolgirls offered it to us!

###

Fleet Foxes – In The Hot, Hot Rays

Bloomberg's automated water meters and The Brooklyn Brewery's new plans

2009-03-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Mayor Bloomberg made an announcement last Tuesday about his plans to launch a program aimed at installing automated water meters on all city properties, and Williamsburg’s own Brooklyn Brewery was one of the guinea pigs. The main purpose: more accurate water billing.

The mayor claims that the initiative will save city dwellers and businesses money because the new machines will more precisely measure water use and provide faster news about leaks or problems. The meters will contain transmitters that, every six hours, will identify water usage.

The Brooklyn Brewery, which already pays about $12,000 a year for its water usage, does not expect its water costs to go down, however. Founder Steve Hindy says that he is looking to expand the business by moving to a larger facility (while also escaping the rising costs of its current location on North 11th Street, near McCarren Park). Another possibility for The Brooklyn Brewery: a possible beer garden.

If Hindy puts forth the water dough, I’ll pitch in by visiting his beer garden.

###

Wavves – Wavves

DJ Hardcore Makeout and DJ Skinny Naked Baby: Every Other Friday at Sweet Ups

2009-03-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

“Spinning” tracks as a DJ has taken on a new meaning – as long as you can handle spinning the wheel on your iPod. For two New York University students, that’s just the way to do it. Williamsburg bar Sweet Ups allows these two fledgling DJs to showcase their music collections without making them dust off the old vinyl in the attic.

DJ Hardcore Makeout, otherwise known as Kristen Mukai, performs with her partner, DJ Skinny Naked Baby, every other Friday night at the Williamsburg staple. Sweet Ups, located at 277 Graham Ave., is well known throughout the ‘Burg of the borough. The two DJs have made it a home for their bi-monthly gigs.

“My friend and I made up our names one night as a joke, but then we actually became DJs,” DJ Hardcore Makeout said. “And we have shorter versions too. I’m DJ Homo and she’s DJ Snob.”

The two girls play everything and almost anything. You might hear some Joy Division, maybe a Beyonce song, some old punk or blues, indie-rock, classic rock, a French chanteuse, some random Italian pop song, or whatever they happen to be into that night. One thing is for sure: they always play Mariah Carey.

“Oh, we love Mariah,” DJ Hardcore Makeout said. “We generally play her ‘Fantasy’ remix with [Ol' Dirty Bastard] because that’s a crowd pleaser. There are some artists we play every time, like Metronomy or Late of the Pier. And Snob loves Aaliyah.”

Is there anything they won’t play?

“MGMT,” DJ Hardcore Makeout said. “We will never play MGMT.”

Why not? DJ gig regular Anita Stahl clarifies: “You can hear MGMT at any club in Manhattan. People love it, but everyone plays it. DJs Snob and Homo like to play stuff that you haven't heard, or something you may have forgotten about. But they always play music that is sure to get the crowd moving.”

According to DJ Hardcore Makeout, the two girls got the gig one night when the bar was empty. DJ Skinny Naked Baby took out her iPod and requested that the bartender play it for them and their friends – the sole customers. Turns out the bartender was really into their music and offered them a trial performance. Since then, they have established their every-other-Friday set and have become part of the Sweet Ups family.

“It really is a family here,” Stahl said. “People come from Manhattan to Sweet Ups, just to revel in the culture that this tiny place has established. DJs Snob and Homo pull a lot of normal Manhattanites out here. It’s a great place to be.”

And on those Friday night gigs, DJs Skinny Naked Baby and Hardcore Makeout sit at the end of the bar with their mixer and their iPods, bobbing their heads and shouting when a personal favorite comes on next.

“We know what people like here, but we don’t cater to anybody in particular,” DJ Hardcore Makeout said. “We just play what will sound good next, or what will keep the bar pumping. It just so happens that people love what we do.”

The bar itself is a gem, too.

The wallpaper is dimly lit, and a red-wine colored pattern that looks half-Victorian and half-grandpa’s den brings out a deep maroon glow to the entire scene. Employees scatter candles across the bar to extend the glowy effect. Maybe it’s the lighting, or the liquor serving as a social lubricant, but everyone seems to get along here.

“It’s our music,” DJ Hardcore Makeout said, half-joking. “Our music puts everyone in a good mood. I hope! I mean, beats. We got ‘em. You want ‘em!”

The wallpaper under dim lighting at Sweet Ups
Photo from www.jaunted.com

###

Solid Gold – Who You Gonna Run To?

Brooklyn in Tokyo

2009-03-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

I left my mark on Tokyo! BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

I just came back from a nine-day trip to Japan, including Kyoto and Tokyo. Independence Bar in Asakusa (an area in the north-east side of the capital) is something to see. It was a gem among dive bars, like something you might find in Williamsburg around the Lorimer or Graham L train stops.

Independence has cheap beers – at least in comparison to the other parts of the city. Happy hour runs from 10-12 and the two lovely little Japanese girls who own/run the place will churn out both good and bad hip hop until dawn. Hell, they'll even let you DJ off of youtube if you want. They asked us to tag their billboard and the huge barrels they had. So, I did. Several times.

If you ever go there, tell them I say hi.

###

Bat For Lashes – Prescilla

A Personal Narrative of Drugs and Youth and 9/11

2009-03-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

I guess the events of 9/11 will always be fuzzy in my mind. Not fuzzy because of confusion or disillusionment, but fuzzy because I have never had a clear idea of what happened there. I visited the site a week ago and took a walking audio tour of the surrounding areas, a program run by the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, to get a better idea of the tragedy.

On September 11, 2001, two hijacked planes hurtled into the two World Trade Center towers in downtown Manhattan. It was an apparently coordinated suicide attack by al-Qaeda. An estimated 2,749 people were murdered that day.

All that is clear to me. They are the basic facts. But, when this happened, I was all the way in Los Angeles, just waking up to a normal school day. I was in the eighth grade.

Anything that happens when you’re 13 is less important than you are. And years later, even the most vivid memories always seem to glaze over with uncertain details and missing bits. The only memories I have from that day are as follows:

My parents called to wake me up for school. Our family had just added a second phone line to our house, one for the kids, one for the adults. A ringing phone was my alarm clock.

One parent (I can’t even remember which) said: “Good morning, it’s time to get up for school. Oh, and a plane just hit the World Trade Center.”

Fuzzy from sleep, that meant nothing to me. Even passing by the television to the kitchen for breakfast didn’t thrill me; I was 13. And I had never even known what those two towers were. I had only seen them in pictures.

After that, things blur again. I remember that our teachers weren’t allowed to show the news to us during school hours, and I remember the image of the smoking towers and the scrolling news lines. But that’s about it. The rest is lost in my 13-year-old mind.

Last week, when I went to the WTC site, I was drugged up, and not on purpose. I had been really sick during the previous days and was trying to clear my lungs by using Mucinex. But, of course, I’m one of those rare cases that experiences stronger-than-normal side effects with this particular drug and I was actually high. Lightheaded. Confused. Blurry eyed. And fuzzy.

So, even though I had an emotive voice narrating the whole event from start to finish, I could hardly concentrate. The $10 tour seems obscure and distant to me now. My notes from the day are scribbles of quotes and random details. I was tipsy! I could hardly walk straight! How was I supposed to take in the enormity of the tales and tragedies displayed before me?

All I know for sure is what anyone can see there right now: that the remains of 9/11 are a sad and unfortunate shadow of what used to tower triumphantly into the sky.

But I look at it another way. The remains are beautiful. And on a sunny day, you can see the beautiful reflection of the sun bouncing off the glass buildings surrounding the site, while cranes and rusty metal arch in front of them, indicating the rebuilding of a new monument, a new downtown, a new America and (we hope) a new world.

###

Julie Doiron – Will You Still Love Me In . . .

Book Review: Pete Hamill's "Downtown: My Manhattan"

2009-03-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

Pete Hamill knows New York. There’s no arguing that. His book Downtown: My Manhattan, first published in 2004, is a crash-course in New York history and culture, both for natives and outsiders. He skillfully blends nostalgia with New York now, giving readers history while making his present-day activities somehow relevant.

The son of Irish immigrants, Hamill incorporates his own Brooklyn-born past with the immigrant tale. He takes readers on a walking tour of his downtown, pulling us from Battery Park to Times Square (and beyond!). He weaves through history, narrating the Knickerbocker tale, revealing Herman Melville’s Pearl Street birthplace, reporting the mysterious appearance of the angry bull in front of the Stock Exchange and telling about the founding of the Village Voice. There’s just so much to take in!

Nostalgia is key, mostly because of the constant loss – and acceptance of loss – that New Yorkers face every day. Hell, I become nostalgic for New York’s past, and I have only lived here a few years.

His style is conversational, but still eloquent. His stories are informed and sentimental, and they add context to a city that over eight million people call home – eight million people who probably know little about its amazing story.

The only drawback of the book is that the reading can sometimes become tiresome or heavy. This is not because of Hamill himself, mind you, but because of constant facts and historical details that weigh down the narrative at times. Well, sometimes it's Hamill's fault. He gets a bit too sentimental every once in a while, which might distract readers (like me). But it isn’t long before he makes his next reference to the film Black Orpheus or to playwright Harold Pinter or some other fascinating detail, pulling readers back into the glorious past of New York.

It’s a good read, definitely. Still, not as good as Miroslav Sasek’s children’s book, This Is New York.

###

Telepathe – So Fine

"Orpheus and Eurydice" by the Brooklyn Repertory Opera + special depression ticket prices!

2009-03-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

You may have just lost your job — but the last thing you want to sacrifice is your opera tickets.

But next week, thanks to the Brooklyn Repertory Opera, you won’t have to, as the mostly volunteer-run company offers the unemployed a $5 ticket to “Orpheus and Eurydice.”

Read the rest of my story at The Brooklyn Paper site here.

(Yeah, it's not in Williamsburg, but hey – that's pretty cool. I am definitely going to try to check it out, if only because the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of my favourites!)

And, speaking of Orpheus and Eurydice, here's a clip from one of my favourite films, based off that tale. It's a Brazilian film: Black Orpheus.

###

Asobi Seksu – Nefi and Girly

Self-Guided Graffiti Tour in the Burg

2009-03-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love vandalism? Last month, I took a self-guided tour of graffiti in the Burg.

The great thing about graffiti in Williamsburg is that it adds so much to the environment. Banksy-esque stencils of giraffes and old radio sets, little and big, can be found emerging in between cafés and vintage stores. Bedford's bricks are decoratively painted, but the most interesting pieces are beyond that main street.

Far from Bedford, there is a clump of works by a group called Mötug (Monsters of the Undaground). This area is a bit less welcoming, probably because it has less life to its streets and a few huge warehouses. One warehouse, on the corner of Keap and Hope streets, is full to the brim with graffiti. The colors are brilliant and blended so artistically – blue splattered on a red base with a yellow band across the top.

And imperfections are not bad. With posters, excess glue comes out of the sides. Painted graffiti sometimes has chips in the paint revealing an under layer of slightly faded, older graffiti. Pictures of geishas, subway trains, angels, break-dancers and more cover the walls in an artistic way. It's much different than when a kid with a can of spray paint just scribbles his name.

It's not so much a feeling of vandalism; it's more about art and community. Graffiti in Williamsburg lies interspersed with local gems – restaurants, bars, shops and cafes – and adds flavor rather than "vandalism" to the area.

Posters splattered with paint. (A secondary thought?)

My friend Anita in front of the Keap/Hope warehouse.

###

Appaloosa – The Day (We Fell In Love)

Review: Tapes 'n Tapes at Music Hall of Williamsburg

2009-03-01T19:55:00.001-08:00

Tapes 'n Tapes played to a full and energetic crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Feb. 26. I was lucky enough to be there to photograph the show.

See my review on the Washington Square News blog here. (Right now, there is a grammatical error that wasn't my fault. I emailed my editor, so he should fix it soon.)

###

Love Is All – Last Choice

Event: Handmade Music Night at 3rd Ward

2009-02-26T00:19:00.000-08:00

When things are “handmade,” they tend to be overpriced, underappreciated and largely unknown. The Handmade Music Night, held on the third Thursday of every month at Brooklyn artist facility 3rd Ward, fits two of those designations – and overpriced is certainly not one of them. The event is not only free, but the organizers also hand out free Pabst Blue Ribbon all night!

According to the 3rd Ward Web site and fliers, the event is “part party, part mixer, part Science Fair, and part performance,” and it is “an informal chance for geeksters and the geek-curious to come together, relax, and discover new sounds.”

Eric Beug and Peter Kirn, of handmade product market site Etsy and www.createdigitalmusic.com, respectively, were there to run the show. The event began when the companies combined the idea of handmade items with new musical possibilities, and opened up a forum for others who had done the same to showcase their work.

“Whether it’s flower pots or computer software, it’s important for the musicians to shape what music they’re making,” Kirn said. “This is just kind of a sharing space for anyone interested in making their own music.”

And for this monthly night of handicraft harmonies, Kirn and Beug have seen just about every kind of instrument you can imagine, from a musical ironing board to mannequins, from a giant wall of light switches to a man with musical crutches, which he made the day of the event.

“People just come out of the woodwork with this amazing stuff,” Beug said.

On Feb. 19, a band called Electric Junkyard Gamelan performed its Indonesian-inspired “new Gamelan” music. (Gamelan music is traditionally an ensemble of musicians where the instruments take more focus than the performers.) Terry Dame is one of the leading members (as singer, organizer, and multi-strange-instrument builder and player), and she said playing the show was worth it.

“New York is tough,” she said. “I’ve lived here so long and it’s always hard to draw a crowd. It’s nice to play events with a built-in crowd [such as Handmade Music].”

Though the band doesn’t get paid, Dame said that the group sold some CDs and filled their email list, which is all they could ask for.

And her display of instruments are, indeed, fascinating, from a drum set made of pots, pans and other metal objects to a xylophone-like set-up created entirely from flower pots.

Two musicians from Electric Junkyard Gamelan playing clay pots.

“I find rusty metal things beautiful,” she said. “I just have things lying around that I turn into instruments.”

She even told a story between songs about somebody once emailing her saying that she was “the Pete Townshend of clay pots.”

Dame has gadgets that looked so refined and professional, like her sitello, a string instrument based off of a plank of wood that lies in the musician’s lap. Knobs jut out from on top, balancing delicate strings that play sound at even the slightest touch. And the band members play each tune with delicacy and precision.

Made-up instruments galore for Electric Junkyard Gamelan.

The wondrous appearance and sound of these tools fascinated the audience members, including Simo Vassinen, a native of Finland living in New York for a few months. The handcrafted contraptions were interesting, Vassinen said, but he was really captivated by the band’s talent and knowledge.

“You could tell that they were pro musicians as opposed to random hipsters picking up shit and playing around, making goofy sounds,” he said. “I was surprised by how melodic it was, instead of just being noise.”

And how did Vassinen find out about it? Through a friend.

So let’s get the motors to your mouths running, because this homemade event deserves to be known, shared and appreciated – just like the musicians it exhibits.

Video of Electric Junkyard Gamelan playing:

###

Ninjasonik – Art School Girls

MANHATTAN STORY: Brothers at Bowery

2009-02-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

There are lessons to be learned at The Bowery Mission, a homeless shelter located at 227 Bowery in Manhattan. Whether feigned or factual, the stories I heard when I visited last week were the kind that stick with a person, and they keep ringing in your ears days later.

There was Alexander Romero, a clean looking guy wearing jeans, a jean jacket and a nice blue sweater vest – who used to do crack, weed and cocaine. And then there’s Steve Zakrzewski, a man who looks like anybody’s father in his checkered blue collared shirt (with a tie) and glasses – and he took the long route south with alcoholism. Or even the Bowery’s Director of Outreach, James Macklin, who was once a participant in the Bowery’s program because he lost a business to cocaine and found himself sleeping on the A subway train.

“I was a taker and not a giver,” Macklin said. “Cars, clothes, women and song. Now, I’m a giver instead of a taker.”

The people who come through The Bowery Mission, which was established in 1879, go through a program that involves learning about the Bible and taking classes to better situate themselves for the job market. The Bowery Mission even houses and feeds its members while helping them find jobs when they graduate from the program. The meals are open to the homeless, too, not just those who found their way to the homey institution.

Religion plays a major role in their rehabilitation. Each person there had a story of, not exactly rags to riches, but rags to Jesus. They all shared stories of how they got caught up in bad things – drugs or otherwise – and told us students that we should never let anything control our lives, except for faith in God.

The organ pipes in the chapel at The Bowery Mission.

Zakrzewski said that accepting Jesus Christ as his personal savior was what helped him most.

“I never had that motivation, that comfort, that peace of mind before,” he said. “And there’s a lot of counseling between brothers.”

Those involved with The Bowery Mission really become a family – a pack of brothers, lost and found.

That’s the thing that stuck out to me most: the brothers. In the living quarters, which looked like a mixture between an army bunker and a college dorm with its rows and rows of bunk beds and closets, I found a sign: a sign that reminded the brothers to turn out the lights when not in the room.

It addressed them as “Brothers.” Next to that, it said “& Bro’s,” which was scribbled out, and “Brethern” [sic] was written above that. The misspelling was charming rather than annoying (which is saying a lot for me, a spelling and grammar nut), and its sentiment was as endearing as it was welcoming.

Take notes, Beau!

###

Animal Collective – My Girls

Preview: Tapes 'n Tapes at MHW

2009-02-20T23:19:00.000-08:00

Tapes 'n Tapes will be playing at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Feb. 26. Check out my article in The Brooklyn Paper previewing the concert, and get your hands on some tickets for it. It is sure to be a good time, what with the band playing (as singer Josh Grier told me) an even mix of stuff from "The Loon" and their most recent album, "Walk It Off" (2008).

(Photo credit: Cameron Wittig)

###

Julie London – Warm December