Architecture In Helsinki “Like It Or Not EP”

Polyvinly

Architecture In Helsinki have evolved considerably with each release in their relatively short career.  Places Like This embraced their growing presence as a live entity.  Grooves, dancing, rejoicing, and having fun brimmed out of their sonic melting pot. This progression was kind of beautiful in a way as the music now had the sort of Ladysmith Black Mambazo celebration of humanity kind of spirit behind it.  It also brimmed with more confidence.  That feeling is preserved on this EP that features some new remixes of a couple Places Like This tracks.  Like a good live band that truly cares about it’s fans, they included the previously unreleased live-show fan favorites “Beef In A Box” and “One Heavy February 2008.”  Prior to the Places stage, Bird had moved from Melbourne to Brooklyn.  The in-your-face intensity of the city that you can hear come through many New York groups whether it’s The Ramones or Wu-Tang, kicked in for the formerly shy Aussie farm boy. Bird has talked about the influence of the Puerto Rican community around his South-Williamsburg apartment, from late night Reggaeton to street barbecues, on the music he makes.  You can honestly hear this influence on every track.  You can feel the humidity of a New York summer night and the energy of people living it up while the smell of heated trash lingers in the air.  The pulse of the city life and the harmony of a stoop party infect their sound.  It’s the sign of a truly talented and honest artist that their music can be a reflection and extension of their life.  Shortly after the release of Places Like This, a friend of mine forwarded me a video of AIH performing in the streets of Paris.  The line between the street crowd and the band blurred and it really felt like a neighborhood event in the spirit of the early days of hip-hop at street parties in the Bronx.  That video seemed to perfectly capture the essence of what’s important to the band.  Honest music shared with good people with the soul purpose of making your body feel all kinds of positive things.  Their sound may have evolved but the heart hasn’t.  The Like It Or Not EP will remind you to grab your friends, get outside, fire up the grill, bang a beat on whatever’s around, and let your voices soar.

Originally published in Impose Magazine.

Figurines “When The Deer Wore Blue”

Wow.  “Childhood Verse” starts us off with an instrumental intro that surges with Danny Elfman-like haunted symphonic-pop grandure, takes a left turn to a simple Daniel Johnston-esque verse, then transitions back to haunting and dramatic.   Figurines makes these sharp turns feel natural and the effective is compelling.  It does exactly what a first track should do in that you can’t wait to hear what the rest of the album is like.   And When The Deer Wore Blue lives up to its great first impression.   You can hear different influences popping up throughout the record, yet the sound is still fresh, unique, and totally their own.  Figurines lead singer, Christian Hjelm, sings with a yearning and desparation that balances its fundamentally quirky by nature.  Figurines on a whole weave together some of the most refreshing arrangements indie rock has seen in a while.  In pop music, the term “classically trained” has become synonomous with singer-songwriters who can play piano pretty fast. The instincts and creativity employed in giving these songs unique and varied musical colors that swell and dip with varying feeling reflects a deeper and more sophisticated relationship to classical arranging and musicality that is often missing in most bands. Many indie-rock artists stick strictly to using the distortion-guitar color palate,  while Figurines have crackeds a new code that better utilizes the potential range of every rock instrument and how they collectively interact. Despite the myriad talents Figurines has to offer, the songs don’t hover aloofly above the listener but are rather very accessible through the various song genres they visit.

Originally published in Impose Magazine.

Another Arabian Night: Where to Eat Like a North African Local

All five boroughs of New York are densely scattered with a variety of cultural pockets holding strong ties to the old country of its generations of immigrants. Queens leads the pack as the most culturally diverse county in the country. When we think of Astoria, we are quick to think Greek (or of a certain Czech Beer Garden), but the stretch of Steinway Street between 28th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard is rich with North African, and more specifically, Egyptian and Moroccan culture.

East Villagers may be familiar with hookah bars, but it’s a different story on Steinway. Here, the hookah experience is brought to a whole new authentic level. In the North African take on bodegas, every storefront displays a collection of water pipes. Even the butcher has hookahs for sale in the window. Along the street, middle-aged men recline in lounges enjoying their pipes and chatting with friends. It’s not the Euro-dance-club-meets-caravan vibe of the East Village; it’s the food that’ll keep you coming back.

Sabry’s Seafood (2425 Steinway St., 718.721.9010) focuses on whole bone-in fish entrées. There’s a station filled with ice and whole fish ready for preparation in a variety of Egyptian methods. The atmosphere is casual, well lit, and clean. The product is fresh and expertly prepared. A few doors down, Little Morocco Restaurant (2439 Steinway St., 718.204.8118) displays a banner boasting “Best Merquez Sandwich” according to The New York Times. I tried the lauded specialty and enjoyed the Lamb Platter even more. A laidback, hidden gem, Little Morocco is a lunch counter with minimal seating but delicious, inexpensive fare.

The one true destination restaurant on the strip is Kabab Café (2512 Steinway St., 718.728.9858). With such an unassuming name, one might only imagine a Halal street stand moved into a diner with fast-food décor. Yet this quaint and personable restaurant has become a foodie target the world over. Kebab Café came to wider attention on an episode of No Reservations. Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain showered Chef Ali El Sayed with more praise than you normally see these food lovers put out. Ali has been serving up Northern Egyptian meals fit for a sheik since 1989 and is willing to lend his skills to whatever you are in the mood for. On a recent visit, I tried a whole fish platter of Corby, a vegetarian platter of baba ghanoush, hummus, fava beans (ful) and adorned with fried Bok Choy, sliced apples, and quite possibly the tastiest falafel I’ve ever had. The difference, Ali said, is that most people are familiar with falafel made from chickpeas, where as these fried delights are made from fava beans. Close the meal with Hibiscus tea or Egyptian coffee and baklava, if you have room.

Just up the street, Ali’s brother, Mustafa mans the ovens at Mombar (2522 Steinway St., 718.726.2356). Slightly more ornate in decoration but equally personal, Mombar specializes in Southern Egyptian Cuisine. During my last dinner there, we tried Braised Lamb Cheeks, Glazed Duck with Egyptian Molasses, and a Lamb Tagine. Each dish was cooked to perfection with thought-provoking spices and a dynamic balance. Save room for a dessert called Om Ali, a combination of puff pastry, milk, and nuts. It’s a sweet and heartwarming Egyptian rendition of bread pudding and is the ultimate comfort food.

There are myriad places in Queens that can add exotic spice to your life. Steinway in Astoria is a good place to start if you’re craving something a little different.

How to get there: Take the N/W trains to Astoria Blvd. and walk east to Steinway St.  Or take the R/G/V/E trains to Steinway Street and walk North to 28th Avenue.

Originally published here.

Discovering Indie Row: Three DIY Music Venues in Brooklyn

The landscape of live music in New York City is continually changing. Performances in peoples’ homes date back as far as music itself. The spirit of that kind of more personal venue is now an integral part of the New York scene. People are taking unexpected spaces in off the beaten path locations and turning them into venues that are as significant to independent music as the bars on the Lower East Side. Over the summer, I fell for this new kind of venue after going to three of these music hideaways.

Monster Island Basement | 112 River St, Brooklyn | toddpnyc.com
I had never heard of this place the night I went to see a band I love called El Jezel. These DIY venues can be hard to recognize, often without any signs or flyers of any kind, keeping you questioning if you’re about to crash some event you’re not supposed to be at. Sometimes you know you’re there when you see people smoking near an open door in a big old factory building like this one.

Heading down to the basement, there’s a makeshift bar near some couches on the right that opens into a small warehouse room, where a band is playing in the far corner. This night’s event was put together with the help of Todd P., who is the Bill Graham to the Brooklyn DIY scene. I got there early to see the bands I knew, but ended up watching them all—and the crowd didn’t dwindle one bit either.

There’s no guidelines for how to enjoy a venue like this. You arrive, you grab a drink, and you wait in an adjoining room while another band finishes. This night, bands who don’t know each other become friends. Audience members take it all in. For a few hours, a musical community converges, cares, and enjoys. And more importantly, all the music is really rockin’.

Glasslands | 289 Kent Ave, Brooklyn | glasslands.com
A friend of a friend was performing with his band, Thee Oh Sees, at Glasslands. A short walk from Monster Island Basement, I had to Sharpie a fake hand stamp to get into the sold out show. The place was packed, reaching temperatures and humidity levels higher than the worst day of summer. But it couldn’t have been more exhilarating. After a decade of attending shows in NYC where the audience is a little too well behaved and unresponsive, the Glasslands’ crowd ate up everything Thee Oh Sees were laying down, bumping around into a near mosh as devotees sang along to every word.

The setup of Glasslands strikes the balance between DIY space and normal bar. The main factor is that they have an actual bar with a variety of drink options as opposed to the more typical DIY setup—a bucket of beers on ice joined by a bottle or two of hard stuff for a shot or a whiskey coke. Places like Glasslands are turning every night of the week into an amazing underground music party in Brooklyn. So much so, that Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore will be bringing one of his projects there in the near future.

Death By Audio | 49 S. 2nd, Brooklyn | myspace.com/deathbyaudioshows

Right around the corner from Glasslands, Death By Audio is known as one of the most important venues in the world of DIY. And it is within these walls where a company produces the aurally extreme guitar effects-pedals used by the likes of Trent Reznor and A Place To Bury Strangers. Another non-descript door leads to a friendly person taking a cover charge. Proceed down an unfinished hallway to an unassuming room that has seen the likes of local breakouts like Vivian Girls, Ninja Sonik, and Marnie Stern.

I headed down to see Two Tears and The Bleeding Bombshells rock the hell out of an amped up room. A doorway at the back of the live area leads to the living room of Death By Audio where you can chat on beat up couches, check out merch tables, or just buy more beer. Death By Audio was an early and integral part of the development of this DIY landscape. Through constant booking of great up and comers, DBA became a clear favorite for experiencing something new.

All this talk of DIY and near speak-easy styled venues may leave some thinking this is an insider, underground, hipsters-only club.  That is undeniably part of the vibe at first glance but couldn’t be more contrary to the spirit of what these places are trying to do. Death By Audio’s booking contact gmail address is “Entertainment4Every1″—and that’s exactly what this is. These places are more concerned with putting on good shows than making a profit. They’re not in it to get rich. They’re in it to stay open. They’re in it for the music. Next up this fall, I’m looking forward to shows at The Market Hotel and Fort Useless in Bushwick.

How to get there: All these venues are a short walk west from the Bedford Avenue stop on the L Train.

Originally published here.

Historic Haunts: Tip Toeing Over Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow

If you want to embrace the most colorful and eerie of all the four seasons, Sleepy Hollow—home to Washington Irving’s horror novel about Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horsemen—is a good place to go. 30 minutes after departing from Grand Central Station, your trip begins at the Tarrytown Station. From Depot Plaza, a six-block meander down Main Street leads to the dividing line between North and South Broadway, one of the main vessels of its charming, historic downtown.

Walking down Broadway, there are as many antique venues as there are Starbucks in Manhattan. The line between junk store and antique shop can often blur, but in Tarrytown, you are granted both quality and quantity in all of the numerous shops. Filled with rare old objects, Pretty Funny Vintage offers a wide selection of furniture, clothing, and trinkets. Further down Broadway is Whimsies Incognito, which is somewhere between a gift shop and a gallery, stocked with everything from The Indie Rock Coloring Book to kitty greeting cards to local artisan crafted house wares.

Along the way, stop into the cozy and quaint Silver Tips Tea Room for a pot of ginger peach tea and a balsamic turkey wrap. Some patrons may be on luncheon dates, while others nestle into a good book, sipping coffee and nibbling on baked goods. Turn the corner down Main Street, popping into Carol Master Galleries, which offers a more retro spin on the antiquing experience. Across the street, the historic Tarrytown Music Hall, built in 1885, is a historic theater that will be hosting the likes of Neko Case, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, and Mavis Staples in the upcoming months. Next door, Flying Fingers Yarn Shop is a destination for knitters and carries a quality inventory of supplies. As an added bonus for the knitting enthusiasts, Flying Fingers has a free Yarn Bus that picks up at multiple locations in Manhattan on Saturdays and Sundays. Just set up a reservation by emailing them. Grab a cone of homemade Bumpy Road ice cream at old-fashioned parlor-like Main Street Sweets.

You have two options for exploring historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery from the corner of Main Street and North Broadway in Tarrytown. Travel route #1: You could walk or bike north on N. Broadway 1.3 miles. Travel route #2: You could turn back to the Tarrytown station on the Hudson line, and head outbound one stop to Philipse Manor. The time difference according to the Google Maps estimate is negligible, leaving the choice up to what your legs are ready for.

Opting to walk, one can cross over the bridge featured in the fabled chase sequence of The Legend of Sleep Hollow and enter the portal of yesteryear’s haunted masterpiece. Just off the grand gated entrance of the cemetery is The Old Dutch Church, which was constructed in 1685. The surrounding cemetery is more charming than frightening, offering a combination of head stones and mausoleum’s from a variety of time periods. Dating back as one of the oldest cemeteries in the country, it houses the cadavers of such notable characters as Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller, Leona Helmsley, and of course, Washington Irving and many of his extended family members. You could kill an afternoon wandering through this sprawling graveyard, following the points of interest on their complimentary map. If you prefer an in depth tour of the graveyard, historian Jim Logan offers afternoon and evening lantern tours with advance reservation which can be arranged at SleepyHollowCemetery.org.

Both Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow have a rich line-up of fall and Halloween events filling the month of October. Everything from a Jack-o-lantern blaze, Scarecrow Invasion, to hay rides, a Halloween Parade, and a reading of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The full calendar events of all this local can be downloaded at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery’s website above.

How to get there: From Grand Central Station, take the Hudson Line on Metro North to the Tarrytown or Philipse Manor stops. Consult the map below for specific locations.

Originally published here.

Great Songs

Every now and again, you hear something that rejuvenates the ears.  It sends a frequency of positivity through your body.  You play the song over and over again.  It’s uplifting, even if the song is sad.

Last Monday, I downloaded 2 songs for free that did just that.

First off is “You Push, I’ll Go” by Baby Dayliner.

Download it here.

I accidentally saw Baby Dayliner perform 6 years ago at the Mercury Lounge.  I’ve been a fan since.  His album “Critics Pass Away” is a classic.  His music combines strong elements of New Wave and Hip-Hop, but is it’s own thing entirely.

The 2nd song is “These Are My Twisted Words” by Radiohead.

Download it here.

Have you ever heard Radiohead?

They’re good.

You should check them totally out.

Go Crowd Surfing at Brooklyn Yard This Weekend

What: Impose Magazine’s Party With Tables

When: Saturday, Aug 29th, 1p.m.

Where: BKLYN Yard, 388-400 Carroll St.

Why: Impose Magazine is plugged in to the best up and coming music in the world of all things independent and underground. Through their print magazine, website, record label, and events, they are dedicated to the pulse of new music.

On Saturday, Impose Magazine presents Party with Tables, which will showcase some of the best bands between Brooklyn and Baltimore (with New Brunswick in between). The good folks at Impose hand-picked a collection of vendors for you to browse through as you hang out at Brooklyn Yard catching some tunes and some rays (start doing a sun dance). These vendors specialize in records, designer t-shirts, literature, art, and more.

At night, Cinema 16 will feature Julianna Barwick performing to projections of Joel Schlemowitz’ 1734 and Francis Thompson’s NY NY. Highlights include Psychic Ills, Screaming Females, Zs, Silver Summit, Sharon Van Etten, Future Islands, Air Waves, Boogie Boarder, and many more.

Cost: $10 for the bands, $5 for the film screening, $12 for both. A portion of the proceeds will go to the children’s charity, 826NY.

How to get there: F and G Trains to Carroll St. Walk in the direction of traffic down Carroll Street 2.5 blocks between Bond and Nevins streets. For more details on the event, visit imposemagazine.com.

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Originally appeared at:

OffManhattan.com

A Night in Newport: Summer’s Got the Jazz (and Folk) Festivals

Newport, Rhode Island has long been a summer destination in the Northeast for all walks of society, from surfers to socialites. The Vanderbilts vacationed at the decadent Breakers mansion on the Cliff Walk in Newport. The Boho Village denizens made the trek up to the Ocean State to see Bob Dylan and his electric guitars at the Newport Folk Festival. Needless to say, the Jazz and Folk Festivals have been highly esteemed on the festival circuit for generations. Duke Ellington’s “Ellington at Newport 1956” album will forever have a place in the canon of jazz.

Jazz Festival
New Yorkers need not lament the annual JVC Jazz Fest in NYC, which was canceled this year due to lack of funding. Four hours north of Manhattan you can experience a powerhouse line-up that incorporates a wide range of artists who show the roots of jazz and the influence this genre has had on more contemporary styles. Legends like Dave Brubeck, Etta James, and Tony Bennett share the bill with the likes of Mos Def, Joshua Redman, Roy Haynes, and so many more on the weekend of August 7-9. The kick-off party is hosted at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and is followed by two full days of music on the waterfront at Fort Adams State Park. Times, locations, and tickets can be found at jazzfestival55.com

Folk Festival
The Newport Folk Festival may be the most esteemed of them all. Even the Pixies cooked up a one-time-only acoustic set for this esteemed event. Like the Jazz Festival, this year’s line-up strays outside the traditional definitions of folk music to include an awesome array of artists like Pete Seeger, Neko Case, Billy Bragg, Gillian Welch, Fleet Foxes, Arlo Guthrie, The Decemberists, Joan Baez, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and many more. Two days chock full of quality and variety also finds its home at the beautiful Fort Adams State Park. Further information can be found at folkfestival50.com.

Other Cultural Attractions
The Newport Waterfront Events make their home in the heart of Fisherman’s Warf on America’s Cup Avenue. The venue, Newport Yachting Center, will host a bevy of big talents, including comedians Louis C.K., Martin Short, Norm MacDonald, musicians Michael McDonald, Chris Isaak, Guster, and Collective Soul. Cultural events like the Irish Festival, art festival, and the International Boat Show are also big draws to the area. Check out specific dates at newportwaterfrontevents.com

Where to Stay
Between the stellar music lineup and lure of a quintessential New England coast town, you’ll want to spend more than just a day in Newport. Whether you’re more inclined to pitch a tent or have morning coffee on your private balcony overlooking the beach, Newport has a variety of accommodations to suit every budget and taste. The Newport International Hostel boasts a prime location just off Thames Street, and is within walking distance of the Yachting Center—and three miles from Fort Adams State Park. A pricier option, the Castle Hill Inn is a Victorian charmer situated on 40 acres of land at the tip of Narragansett Bay, and if you stay three nights, the fourth is free.

How to get there: If you have a boat, sail to Newport. Otherwise, you can take the Bonanza bus to Providence from Port Authority or an Amtrak train from Penn Station. Once in Providence, you can hop bus number 60 run by RIPTA from Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. Get off after about 1h10m ride at the last stop at Newport Gateway Center at 23 America’s Cup Avenue. If the Providence-Newport Water Taxi is running, by sea is a more enjoyable way to go. For more details on Newport, visit gonewport.com.

Newport Jazz Festival Fort Adams Park

Mos Def Newport Jazz Fest produced by Jill Newman Productions

Newport’s Mansion Walk

Newport Harbor

Sailing and Castle Hill Inn

Chaka Khan

Nina Simone 1967, by John Rudoff M.D.

Originally appeared at:

OffManhattan.com

Put Your Record On: The Hunt For Vinyl In The Outer Boroughs

I do own an iPod. But at home, those melodic vibrations eclipsing the horns and rumbles of New York City come from a record player. With a nod to all things vinyl, I ventured across the outer boroughs, scouting for the best record shops, and in the process, found some friendly people, tasty food, and fantastic deals.

The vinyl adventure, one I highly recommend to anyone who likes music, always provides a rush of adrenaline: you never know what you’ll uncover. A real record shop seems moons away from the now defunct Virgin Megastore, where you didn’t need to dig to find a specific CD. At these six places, you’ll sift through The Cars’ first album and the Boss’s “Born To Run,” and you’ll soon realize you’ve been touching a museum’s worth of art on these 12″ and 7″ album covers.  And the truth is, if you’re a city dweller, a vegetarian, or an animal rights activist, this is the closest you’re going to get to hunting in your lifetime. There may not be endless golden fields and gurgling brooks, but it’s exhilarating, liberating, and meditative—and it’s only a subway stop away.

Eat Records | 124 Meserole Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn | 718.389.8083 | eatrecords.com
Free-wifi, Mud coffee, used records, and LP’s complete Eat Records, a cozy spot that lures both the vinyl junkies and caffeinated literati. The credo is quality over quantity. They have the smallest seven-inch section I’ve ever seen, and yet you will struggle not to buy a postal crate of records. The locally sourced, reliably fresh menu changes daily and consists of artisinal cheeses, organic meats and vegetables, and sweet goodies from Sullivan Street Bakery. Taking a seat and a bite to eat at one of the wooden tables is a great way to break up the record digging. I left with a Pixies live LP for roughly $13, an 80’s psych LP by all-girl band The Pandoras for $10, and an early Wailers album for $15. All records could be labeled as “priced-to-sell.” They have a listening station, which is particularly helpful, as are the staff members who are more than willing to answer your questions. The nice surprise of this place is the outdoor patio, which is where I’ll be this weekend when Spring arrives.

The Thing | 1001 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn | 718.349.8234
Die-hard diggers swear by this place. All records are two bucks and they’ve got more titles than the New York Public Library. There are some crates on the street, a few more scattered throughout the junk shop, a jam-packed back room, and a stairway to a basement that is heaven for vinyl enthusiasts. Simply, there are a ridiculous amount of records. In this economic climate, it’s an affordable shopping spree (though time consuming) and could have you walking out with an armful of gems for 20 bucks. Downstairs you’ll see guys with rubber gloves and masks on. Why? Old records are musty and dusty and they shall leave your hands soiled and your lungs congested. I didn’t see a record player in the store, but a hardcore customer in the basement brought his own portable unit so go for it if you’re similarly equipped. I scored ELO’s Greatest Hits and Madonna’s “True Blue” for a total of four bucks.

Permanent Records | 181 Franklin St, Brooklyn | 718.383.4083 | permanentrecords.info
I finally took a gander at a store I’ve been passing by for months. This meant scouring the uncluttered shelves at Permanent Records, where the quantity is medium, the quality is high, and the atmosphere warms your back as you shop. Their specialty is independent music with a focus on the rock genre, but they stock essentials in all the major categories, including the oft-overlooked Soundtracks, World, and Folk realm. There’s a good balance of new and used and everything is appropriately priced with some desirable bargains in the mix. My two hours went fast: I held a $30 Misfits double seven-inch and wished I were wealthier; I listened on their turntable station while flipping through the dollar bins below; I picked up a sealed re-issue of the first Os Mutantes for $22, a clean used copy of Husker Du’s double-album classic “Warehouse Songs and Stories” for $10, and a new copy of “Black Star” for $17. The walls feature new releases, obscure comps, choice collectibles, and titles that may even stump a Pitchfork staff member. The lighting is pleasant—no blinking overheads—and the store is clean with no hint of used records, so douse your fears that your next classic purchase is oozing asbestos. They also stock CD’s and videos, though vinyl is the clear king. The cashier was exceptionally nice and helpful. No pretension here.

The Vortex | 222 Montrose Ave., Brooklyn | 718.609.6066
Less overwhelming but similar in spirit to The Thing, The Vortex is half organized by genre, half disheveled on shelves and in crates. But the motley collection is key, and don’t be surprised to find vintage nudie playing cards and post cards while you’re shuffling through the $10 and under records. I came across a Ben Vaughn 10-inch from Spain that seemed to be the rare gem of the day. I also took home a Supremes Christmas album to show off next year. I spent $5 total.

Academy Annex | 96 N. 6th St. (Between Berry & Wythe), Williamsburg | 718.218.8200 | academyannex.com
Academy Annex is no secret around town. They’ve got one in the East Village, one near Union Square, and one on North 6th in Williamsburg. Like many used stores, the “New Arrivals” have the highest concentration of quality. The walls are covered with obscure stuff that reflects the staff’s affinity for limited releases and out-of-print underground classics. A recent trip to the Brooklyn location added Wu-Tang’s “Enter The 36 Chamber” in near mint condition to my collection for $10. Hits by The Byrds and Love lulled me into the large store, and I may be back if I’m in the area, but keep in mind that its popularity heightens the picked-through factor.

Breakdown Records | 48-09 Bell Blvd, Bayside, Queens | 718.279.0040 | breakdownrecords.com
Breakdown Records is worth making the trek to Bayside, where the setting is reminiscent of the end of Goodfellas. While $2 records abound at both this store and The Thing, here the merchandise is ordered alphabetically and by genre. Low prices may suggest fewer gems, but every record store owner lets some choice picks slip through the cracks. On a recent trip, I found Nilsson Schmilson, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, a promotional copy of XTC’s English Settlement, and a small stack of others. There are plenty of Classic Rock essentials, which is nice for cheaply stocking your now even groovier collection.

Photos: Courtesy of wolvesatthedoor and sweetchuck.

Originally appeared at:

OffManhattan.com

The Bowery Presents: New Jersey’s Theatre Revival

Bowery Presents has taken its first step outside the city limits in their quest for World domination.  Will they become a hated behemoth like Live Nation?  For now, they’ve joined up with promoter Andy Feltz to create Montclair Entertainment, and that’s just what they’ll do; bring music to the historic Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey in November.

Originally opened in 1922, converted to a movie house in 1929, and triplexed in the 1970’s, Wellmont Theatre closed its doors in 2006.  It has now been renovated with all the state-of-the-art music venue accoutrement.  Steely Dan will no doubt be happy about this when they play there on November 17th and 18th.  Astoria’s favorite son, Tony Bennett, will be tickled by the historical touch of class this theatre will bring his already swank crooning on November 19th.  I know what you’re thinking, “Bowery Presents? Where’s the indie-rock?”  Well, Wolf Parade and The Decemberists (lead singer, Colin Meloy, pictured above) will also pass through, in addition to other hipster favorites like Al Green and Brian Wilson.

One change to the 2,000-seat Wellmont Theatre that’ll please concert-goers is the removal of floor seating to offer both the rockin’ standing room only and the balcony seating.  It worked for the serfs and the upper crust at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, so why not try it in Jersey?  It’s always a little more special seeing anything in an old theatre, surrounded by Corinthian columns, waiting for the grand stage and its performers to be revealed by the heavy velvet curtain—and The Bowery folks do have a great reputation for preserving the charm of the venues (Beacon Theatre, United Palace Theatre) their concerts inhabit. Doors open the first of November with the ever-dreamy Hanson.

Calendar of Events

Hanson with Dave Barnes     11/01/08 Saturday
Matisyahu with Flobots, Mishka     11/02/08 Sunday
The Decemberists with Loch LoMond 11/11/08 Tuesday
Wolf Parade with Listening Party     11/14/08 Friday
Martin Sexton with Ryan Montbleau Band 11/15/08 Saturday
Steely Dan     11/17/08 Monday
Steely Dan     11/18/08 Tuesday
Tony Bennett     11/19/08 Wed
Al Green     11/22/08 Saturday
Brian Wilson     11/23/08 Sunday
B.B. King     12/04/08 Thursday
John Prine     12/05/08 Friday
Get The Led Out     12/06/08 Saturday
Rufus Wainwright     02/13/09 Friday

How to get there:  On weekdays, take the New Jersey Transit Montclair-Boonton line from Penn Station to Walnut St. Station. Walk south on Greenwood Ave., right on Glenridge Ave., left on N Willow St., and right on Bloomfield Ave. Unfortunately, the line does not currently run on weekends (but should start sometime in 2009). So on Saturdays and Sundays take the Main Line to Delawanna or Lyndhurst Station and take 15 minute cab ride from there to the theater. Call Montclair Taxi: 973.744.6778 or other local services. Check the train schedules on the New Jersey Transit website. (Wellmont Theatre, 5 Seymour St., Montclair, NJ, 973.783.9500 or 877.935.5668 for tickets, wellmonttheatre.com)
This post originally appeared at:

OffManhattan.com