Art Wok

From PaperMag.com:

Up-and-coming artists and Chinese take-out restaurants: two things Williamsburg isn't lacking for. Seeing a similarity in the arrangement of the neighborhood's many Chinese restaurants to a traditional art district's closely placed art galleries, Yuhi Hasegawa and Gregg Louis organized Art Wok, an all-day art crawl in which artists will display work in five restaurants. Louis told PAPERMAG he hopes the debut project will allow artists to show their work to a "broader audience -- people who would maybe be intimidated or not as interested in making the effort to go to see art in a museum or gallery." This Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., artists, including Louis, Hasegawa, Yen-Ting Chung, Chao-Ying Lin, Akasha Wu, Hai-Hsin Huang, Robbie Huang, Jenny Lee, Habby Osk, Hui-Yu Su, Cheng-Ta Yu, and Shai Zurim will have work on display at Golden Dragon, Garden Kitchen, New Red House, East Meets West, and New Peking Chinese Restaurant. Go, have an egg roll, and see some art in an unexpected place.

Golden Dragon, 394 Metropolitan Ave. (718) 782-8024
Garden Kitchen, 487 Grand St. (718) 486-7121
New Red House, 622 Grand St. (718) 388-8111
East Meets West, 752 Metropolitan Ave., (718) 218-7777
New Peking Chinese Restaurant, 76 Bushwick Ave., (718) 388-8866

Inspiration Procrastination

Taiwanese art student Bang-Yao Liu got a scholarship to take one year at SCAD in Georgia. I only just found his amazing final project on YouTube, which took him two weekends and four days of no sleep this summer to finish:



This is my senior project at Savannah College of Art and Design. Where my idea comes from is that every time when I am busy, I feel that I am not fighting with my works, I am fighting with those post-it notes and deadline. I manipulating the post-it notes to do pixel-like stop motion and there are some interactions between real actor and post-its.

Directed by Bang-yao Liu
Music by Röyksopp (http://royksopp.com)
Sound design by Ian Vargo, Shaun Burdick
Actor: Chun-yao Huang

The Making Of Video:

Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers... Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. Project creators keep 100% ownership.

At reality bites: a mail-order snackfood company, pledge $ to have homemade ice cream, fig bars and other yummies delivered to your doorstep. Reminds me of those Urban Fetch days when we were too *lazy* to walk from our dorm room to the corner store.

RIP Jeanne-Claude

Rest in Power Jeanne-Claude! The world will miss your creative vision, boundless energy and love for life. Like all of their projects, these were intended to be temporary, a quality at the heart of the artistic enterprise. Whether executed in oil drum or brightly colored fabric, the art of her and her husband, Jeanne-Claude said, expressed “ the quality of love and tenderness that we human beings have for what does not last.” -from the NYTimes

Javelin

Dope music from Greenpoint-based producers Javelin and some amazing music video visuals from director Mike Anderson. Just a little hump-day action for you. Thanks Nate!!!

Pacquiao Karaoke on Kimmel

The Pacquiao v. Cotto fight at the MGM Vegas this weekend was phenomenal. Cotto put up a good fight but he couldnt touch Pac-Man in the 12th-round TKO. Its amazing to have such a huge API sports figure in the news. Check out the below clip of his Karaoke debut on Jimmy Kimmel. Filipinos worldwide stand up!

10.Deep Holiday Preview

10.Deep Winter 2009/2010 Photoshoot Preview from 10 Deep on Vimeo.

The gents at 10.Deep know how to have a good time. Check out the preview for their upcoming Holiday collection dropping in stores this week!!!

Blowfly @ Wreck Room

Blowfly, who is as old as my father, is the original dirty rapper. He was rapping before people even knew what rap was.

The elusive talent will be in town next week for a Knitting Factory show with Anal C*nt (see the bigger picture here?), and this is the place to prime your pump.

Wreck Room, Bushwick, 940 Flushing Avenue, btw. Central Ave & Evergreen Ave.
Tonight: Colt 45, no cover / 10pm-11pm

I saw Blowfly perform at Brooklyn's Southpaw a few years ago. He's a true visionary who lives up to his silly reputation, though you can only take so much swearing from an old man in a wrestling suit. Thanks myopenbar.com!

Performa 09

There's never a shortage of performance and art in New York City. Check out the Performa 09 calendar for shows around town. Participating artists include Terrence Koh, William Kentridge and Joan Jonas. Venues include Eyebeam, MoMA, PS 1, The Swiss Institute. This year seems to focus on futurism.

In Cyprien Gaillard’s groundbreaking video “Desniansky Raion,” a view of Belgrade’s futuristic town gate opens a triptych where architecture embodies the failure of the modernist social utopia in a brilliant, fascinating demonstration: an epic fight between hooligans in a Russian suburb; a grandiose lightshow preceding the destruction of a habitation tower near Paris; and a breathtaking flight over a circular ensemble of Ukrainian buildings somewhat remniscient of a concrete, monumental version of Stonehenge.

Acclaimed musician Koudlam, a long-time collaborator of Gaillard, will provide his adrenaline-pumping live music to accompany the screening.

The Kitchen, 512 W. 19th Street on Friday, November 20 8:00pm. $10 at www.thekitchen.org.

Copyright Criminals

Last night IFC's Stranger Than Fiction doc series presented Copyright Criminals. It's an informative look at the way copyright issues affected hip-hop's birth into the mainstream. The film airs on PBS's Independent Lens in January 2010.

Maybe Mars: A Showcase of Chinese Underground

Last night, PK14, Carsick Cars and Xiao He doled out a teasing sampler of Chinese indie rock to a packed crowd at the powerHouse arena. Beijing-based music label Maybe Mars has arranged for a month-long East Coast tour. I'm psyched because these bands are energetic, fresh, original, traditional and totally unlike some of the Mainland cover band-types that have come before. Catch their longer sets at a show this weekend at Glasslands tonight or Santos on Saturday!

Glasslands is located at 289 Kent Ave.
Santos Party House is located at 96 Lafayette St.

P.K.14: “How Majestic Is The Night / 多麼美妙的夜晚” from Maybe Mars / 兵马司 on Vimeo.

Dam Funk for Clae

I heart Dam Funk. After last Tuesday's epic 2 hour album release set at Brooklyn Bowl, I needed more from my keytar slaying friend repping the Leimert Park Funkmosphere. Lucky for me, LA-based footwear company Clae has me covered. They teamed up with Dam Funk for a special mixtape commemorating Clae's pop-up-shop at the Stussy LA Chapter. Cop the mixtape here but dont forget to pickup Toeachizown out on Stonesthrow Records now!

DIY Hot Sauce

Thanks to Monihan for the pic!

With the last of my banana peppers sturdily clinging to the vine, I thought what better time to explore the world of hot sauce! I adapted this simple recipe from something I saw on the Bitten blog to start me out on my hot sauce adventure.

Ingredients
- A couple quarts of chile peppers (Can be a mixture of different kinds including but not limited to jalapeno, chipotle or poblano)
- Plastic gloves (make sure theyre safe for food handling!)
- White Vinegar
- Salt to taste

Once your chiles have ripened to your desired color/taste, put on your plastic gloves (The plastic gloves will save your hands from burning from handling chiles) and rinse and trim the stems and any bad spots off the chiles. It's okay if they are in different stages of dryness, you just want to remove any potential rot. Remove seeds if you'd like but I prefer to keep them in.

Place the chiles into a food processor and pour in enough white vinegar to submerge the chiles. Add about a tbsp of salt (or more to taste!) Puree until smooth. 

Transfer to a pot and bring to a boil stirring once or twice. Be careful not to inhale or stand over the boiling pot! While youre waiting for the sauce to boil, wash and rinse a bottle with a reclosable cap. Rinse the inside with the white vinegar to disinfect the bottle.

Funnel the sauce into the clean jar or bottle and cool. Cover with a cloth napkin or dish towel. I use a rubberband to secure the towel and prevent any fruit flys from invading. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for three days, undisturbed. Carefully pour off all but a thin layer of the vinegar (which true enthusiasts save for another use) and refrigerate. 

The sauce keeps for months; you’ll know if it goes off when it starts to ferment and get sort of effervescent.

Happy Birthday Fela!!!

Happy Birthday Fela!!!!!

Don't miss Rich Medina's Jump N Funk party tonite at SOBs! It'll be a special Felabration in conjunction with the Broadway musical FELA opening on October 19th at the Eugene O'Neill theater. This musical is going to be amazing -- choreographed by Bill T Jones with music by Brooklyn's own Antibalas, the NYMag profile of actor Sahr Ngaujah is convincing enough to make you want to check the show if only to see the range and stamina of this phenomenal actor. If you can't celebrate with us in NYC, Jump N Funk's FELABRATION is going on a nationwide tour so check here for the full listing.

Fela Kuti was born October 15, 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, north of Lagos and received his early education in his homeland. In 1958 Fela's parents sent him to London to go to school for medicine, but he opted to register at Trinity College's School of Music where he studied composition and chose the trumpet as his instrument. Fela became influenced by legendary artists such as Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra and formed the Koola Lobitos in 1961. They soon became a fixture in London's club scene. Two years later, he created "Afrobeat", which was inspired by James Brown, the Yoruba culture, high life and jazz. Fela reformed the Koola Lobitos to Nigeria 70 and returned to Lagos. He founded a commune/recording studio called the Kalakuta Republic, complete with his own private nightclub, The Shrine.

Playing constantly and recording at a ferocious pace, Fela and his band now called Africa 70 became huge stars in West Africa and beyond. His music served as a rallying cry for the disenfranchised, critiquing the military government and made Fela not only a pop star but a political figure as well. People took to the streets singing his songs and the military responded by viciously harassing Fela, jailing him and nearly killing him on several occasions. As with any musical icon, his work crossed over musical genres and influenced a multitude of artists. Fela died on August 3, 1997 of complications from AIDS. One million people attended his funeral in Nigeria. His incredible body of work, almost 70 albums, is now available
through public demand all over the world.

FELA! The Musical brings the colorful life of this icon front and center through a provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theatre. FELA! features arrangements by Aaron Johnson and Antibalas with direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones.

DJ Rich Medina's renowned Afro-dance party, Jump N Funk, is the world's premier celebration of the life, legacy and music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Armed with an unparalleled love for Fela and an unrivaled collection of Afrobeat records, Rich Medina re-creates the vibe of a Fela Kuti concert. Jump N Funk has been a staple in venues from New York to Berlin for nearly a decade and has established itself as the only DJ-based party dedicated to Fela Kuti and his message of peace and equality through music.

Headbanging x Making Fire

Dude this video is AWESOME. Thanks Ash!!

David Ellis x BLU = COMBO

Check out this amazing looped timelapse video of David Ellis and BLU's collaborative piece for the FAME Festival in Grottaglie, Italy. The concept for the festival is pretty dope -- pairing international artists with local artisans in a small Italian town famous for their ceramics. The final product of this loose residency is a group show that takes place in, "one of the most ancient ceramics workshop of the area." I love the idea of bringing together contemporary artists with traditional craft. BLU, an Italian street artist known for his large scale murals with a political bent featuring bald, wide-eyed, flat characters collaborates with David Ellis, founder of the Barnstormers crew, who in contrast, has a more textured and illustrative style. The stop motion film does a great job telling the overarching story behind the collaboration set in an abandoned building in Grottaglie.

Old Skool Hip Hop Tapes

I remember staying up all night in middle school waiting for my favorite song to air on the radio with both fingers ready to press the play/record button. This dutch hip hop head has put up over 200 of his favorite old school hip hop tapes online for download with a great collection from Mr. Magic (rest in power) and other legendary NYC radio hosts. Totally amazing archive and resource for dedicated music folks. thanks scott!

The Mapping Project : Williamsburg

BODEGA warmly invites you to be a part of our first endeavor, The Mapping Project. The Mapping Project is an exercise in connecting creatives, startups, social entrepreneurs, and small business owners in the borough of Brooklyn in order to help bring their ideas to fruition. By creating an interactive digital map, we consider how geography and the proximity of an area’s clustered residents can stimulate change through collaboration.

This Thursday, October 8, from 7-10pm at 303GRAND - A Revolving Storefront, we’re having a party to gather YOU, Brooklyn’s creative and entrepreneurial force, to introduce you to one another, draw awareness to the project, begin creating a platform for connecting change-makers, and allow you to register for the project. The meet-up will start collecting the data needed to construct the digital interactive map of community members that will not only stand as a symbol of the growing movement taking place, but serve as a resource for the community to continue business development.

Mostly, it’s going to be rad. Please RSVP here:

http://www.themappingproject.eventbrite.com

We also want to give a shout out to our event partners, DJ Jubilee who will be spinning, 303GRAND, IfWeRanIt, cut&paste, and PBR who is generously providing free beer for the event.

Cheers,

BODEGA

HSNY Screening: Know Your Mushrooms

Im a huge fan of The Horticultural Society of New York and tonite they have an awesome program...a special screening of Know Your Mushrooms followed by a Q+A with Gary Lincoff, one of the experts interviewed in the film. Check the info and trailer below!

WEDNESDAY, October 7
Green Screen Film Series:
Know Your Mushrooms
With special guest speaker Gary Lincoff
Written, Produced and Directed by Ron Mann
Original music by the Flaming Lips

Mushrooms – we put them on our pizza and steaks and in our soups and salads, we marvel at their variety and are sometimes repelled by their grotesque beauty when encountering them in the bush. And yeah, some have even sampled their more exotic possibilities and asked the question: "Do mushrooms come from a far away planet?" Still, others have asked: "Can mushrooms save the planet?"

The world of fungi and their integral relationship with the health of the planet have only recently been appreciated. The oldest and largest living organisms recorded on Earth are both fungi. And their use by a new, maverick breed of scientists and thinkers has proven vital in the cleansing of sites despoiled by toxins and as a “clean” pesticide among many other environmentally-friendly applications.

Know Your Mushrooms follows uber myco visionaries Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans (two of the more expert and unforgettably mercurial characters in the community) as they lead us on a hunt for the wild mushroom and the deeper cultural experiences attached to the mysterious fungi.

At The Horticultural Society of New York
Doors open at 6pm; film starts promptly at 6:30pm
HSNY Members $5; non-members $10

T-Pain Obama Autotune

T-Pain x Obama = awesome. Thanks Nate.

Shaniqwa + Friends

My sister Shaniqwa in London curated an amazing show with folks from NYC and beyond! Amazing lineup from dope artists working across mediums. Congrats to the whole crew!!! Go out and support!

Wish You Were Here
Curated by Shaniqwa Jarvis
Saturday, October 3rd
11-6PM

8 Newburgh Street
Lower Level
London WC1

Where the Wild Things Are x OC

The folks at Opening Ceremony have partnered with the upcoming full-length feature film of Where the Wild Things Are for an amazing capsule collection. Choose from an adult-sized Max suit onesie ($610) to furry signature pieces that would fit the fall wardrobes of fashion-forward and wild things alike. Thanks Refinery29!

Mmmmm...Deep-fried Butter

My childhood BFF Wendy went to the State Fair of Texas near her current home in Dallas this past weekend and enjoyed the bounty of the State Fair -- corndogs, funnelcake, turkey wings, Texas tater tornado, and deep fried butter. Yes, that's right, DEEP FRIED BUTTER! The evil mastermind behind this artery-clogging creation, Abel Gonzales Jr., is the current State Fair Fry King and has come up with a slew of deep fried goodies over the past year including Fried Coke, Texas Fried Cookie Dough and Fried Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwiches. For this year's fair he came up with an idea of scooping a golf-ball sized ball of butter (your choice of garlic, cherry or grape flavored), freezing, battering and dropping the little bundles of butter into the deep fryer. Check the full Dallas News story here. "It tastes like a doughnut hole or butter stuffed in a roll."

DEEZ NUTS @ Hip Hop Theater Festival

Founded in 2000 to celebrate work with a hip-hop aesthetic, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival is a 3-week celebration of art, dance and theater in the heart of downtown NYC. This year's program kicks off on October 1st with DEEZ NUTS, a workshop production in honor of the highly acclaimed underground rap duo The Beatnuts, written by long time music writer and egotrip member Sacha Jenkins, and produced with noted promoter and homie Peter Oasis. Deez Nuts explores the rich musical legacy of the Beatnuts through the performance of their tunes by the maestros themselves; Deez Nuts also canvases the sights, smells and characters of their native Corona, Queens. A fellow Queens-ite turned journalist, on a fact-finding mission, returns to the old neighborhood in order to meet group members Psycho Les and JuJu. This journey not only nets cultural nuggets about the Latino duo and their surroundings, but crucial observations about self and the state that created hip hop. Check the Beatnuts video below and support the family!!

Deez Nuts
A play by Sacha Jenkins. Produced by Peter Oasis.
October 1-3
The Ohio Theater
66 Wooster Street, NUEVA YORK

Movie Night: The Hunger (1983)

It's starting to feel like fall and i'm putting together my fall movie night list. To kick it off, I want to check Tony Scott's feature film debut; the 1983 vampire lesbian goth rock classic, The Hunger. Starring Susan Sarandon, Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie and set in New York, the film tells the story, "of a bizarre love triangle between a doctor (Susan Sarandon) who specializes in sleep and aging research, and a stylish vampire couple (Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie)." Check the trailer below. Thanks Jenn!

Friday Fun: DC Tea Party

Living in New York, Brooklyn in particular, I realize that we live in a kind of bubble. With over 138 languages spoken between the 8 million folks who populate our strange little community, our city is a pretty amazing cultural experiment in at least tolerance, and at best a celebration of diversity. In light of President Obama's recent push for a public solution to the health insurance quandry and some of the reactions coming out of the townhall meetings, it shouldnt have surprised me to see and hear some of the comments from the folks who participated in a recent anti-big governmentTea Party. But its a different reality to actually see the faces and hear the misinformation coming from protesters. On 9.12.2009, reporters from New Left Media went to Washington DC to document the Tea Party protests against, well, a lot of things, including health insurance reform, the IRS, abortion, global warming, and our "socialist/communist/fascist/Nazi/Muslim " president, Barack Obama. Some of them called for a return to McCarthyism, while others called for Glenn Beck to run for office--indeed, it seemed the only thing that everyone agreed on was Fox News. Thanks Dame!

Artist: Devin Troy Strother

Just popped by one of my regular blog destinations and was totally geeked to see the work of Los Angeles-based artist Devin Troy Strother. His multi-media works on paper address tell a story about contemporary issues of identity with sci-fi/comic book and pop cultural references. The multi-layered pieces marry elements of collage, colored paper cutouts, silk screen, cell vinyl, acrylic and more and remind me of the works of Romare Bearden. Thanks mylove!

RECESS: Bocce Ball Finale!

Please join RECESS: BOCCE with TRETORN this SATURDAY SEPT 26TH from 12PM-5PM as we turn COLONELS ROW into a sea of bocce courts to welcome the start of the Fall season. 32 diverse teams from the likes of MTV, ART DIRECTORS CLUB, THOMPSON HOTELS, SAATCHI & SAATCHI, COOL HUNTING and many more face off for the chance to be crowned RECESS bocce champion 2009 season. There will be additional courts for the public to test their skills at the game, as well as an opportunity to learn about the game if you're a beginner. We'll also be giving away TRETORN frisbees during the day. LEGAMIN food truck will be onsite offering European delicacies, and look out for the ladies on the bike serving cakeballs! FUNCTION DRINKS are providing sport beverages while KRONAN BICYCLES are offering free test rides around the island. So come out and play, and join us for the last RECESS soiree!

OneWebDay in NYC

OneWebDay Celebration in Washington Square Park at Holley Plaza (just west of the fountain) from noon - 2 PM

Speakers:
Medhi Saharkhiz, a member of Where is My Vote, will speak on the situation in Iran and the role the internet has played in allowing voices to be heard.

Hon Gale A. Brewer, New York City Council member, and Chair of the Technology in Government Committee, will speak on her views regarding the role the web will play in New York's future.

Phil Ashlock, of The Open Planning Project will speak on the open government effort in NYC: people working with technology and civic institutions to help make the functions of the city more transparent and participatory.

Also:
NYPIRG will be releasing their report, A Public Interest Internet Agenda.

NYCwireless will be hosting a BREAKOUT session BREAKOUT is a month long festival (Sep 17 - Oct 16) that aims to return creative work back to the streets of New York. BREAKOUT will provide tools and processes for working together - free wireless access, portable furniture, collaboration software, and more!

Music:
Aeroplane Pageant - up and coming New York indie rock

Hypernova refugee alt-rock from Iran (unconfirmed)

* This event will be webcast. * Free OneWebDay T-shirt for first 20 volunteers

Finally, for those who cannot make it to an event or watch online, on Sep 22 at 3.30pm, on Manhattan Neighborhood Network Ch.67 can be seen a film of last year's OneWebDay NYC Celebration including Internet luminaries like Jonathan Zittrain, Larry Lessig, Craig Newmark.

Shifting Vocabulary

Sept. 9: Governor David A. Paterson today signed legislation that will eliminate the use of the term “oriental” in reference to persons of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage in forms or preprinted documents used by State government, public authorities or municipalities. The law directs that existing forms be amended no later than January 1, 2010.

The term “oriental” is widely considered a disparaging term, but has been used in some forms and preprinted documents issued by State government, public authorities and municipalities.

Read the full press release here and the Village Voice's blog entry.

Little Dragon "Machine Dreams"

I first learned about Yukimi Nagano through a profile of the "nujazz" singer in Theme Magazine through her collaborations with Koop and appearances on Giles Peterson. Since 2005, Nagano has been hard at work as the vocalist for Gothenburg-based electronic quartet Little Dragon. The Swedish group gained some traction Stateside in 2008 with the sleeper single Twice off their self-titled debut. The naked piano chords on this stripped down and somber track highlights Nagano's arresting lyrics and ethereal vocals.

Machine Dreams is the highly anticipated sophomore effort from Little Dragon. With pumped up electro pop jams, lighthearted keys, and layered 80s-era synth effects, this album is unabashedly fun and danceable. Nagano's voice is perfect for this project, balancing out the group's production range with smart lyricism and baiting the audience with her breathy dreamy vocals. My favorite track, Blinking Pigs, has me shoulder shaking in the living room and reminds me of the best of late-80s dance-y girl pop. Check the video below made by Nagano's father and support this amazing group by picking up their album. Thanks Derrick for putting me on!!

Date an Asian

Calling all my Asian brothers!!! Brooklyn-based comedian Jen Kwok has your back. Check her pitch for dating Asian men in this hilarious video.

Hey there, my name is Jen Kwok
And I'm here to tell you that dating Asians rocks
They have smooth skin and silky hair
So damn exotic, got that ethnic flair
So sweet and gentle, smell so good
So freaky, nasty, do what you always wanted to
So obedient, they'll please you like no one can
That's right, I'm talkin bout an Asian man

thanks kat!!!

The Kitchen Tuesdays: LAST CALL with Amir, Ge-Ology, Waajeed + the BLK JKS

LAST CALL!!! We're wrapping up our garden event series with a banger. Amir/Ge-Ology/Waajeed on the wheels and South Africa's BLK JKS (www.blkjks.com) host our closeout jam!!! We go till 2AM to say goodbye to summer.

**************
THE KITCHEN TUESDAY @ Jungle Garden
in association with PUMA and The Horticultural Society of New York

OUR LAST TUESDAY OF THE SEASON!!!!
8PM - 2AM
61 Kent Avenue and N10 Street
Williamsburg Waterfront, Brooklyn

TUESDAY 09.15.2009
DJ AMIR (Kon and Amir/OnTrack/BBE)
GE-OLOGY (Female Fun/Rotation)
WAAJEED (Bling47/PPP)

Hosted by the BLK JKS

Cakeballs by Sweet Jewels
Spacecakes by Let Them Eat Cake
Cheap Drink Specials!

$3 Suggested Donation at the Door
RSVP thekitchentuesdays@gmail.com

21+ ONLY!
Cash only, the nearest ATM is 5 blocks away.

From the Bedord Avenue L Train:
Walk west on North 7th towards the waterfront (Berry Street). Take a right on Kent Avenue. The venue is on the corner of N10th and Kent Avenue.

Rainy Fridays

I woke up this morning feeling a little blue and thought about one of my favorite books growing up, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Poor Alexander, "went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." Written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz this classic makes waking up on the wrong side of the bed a little easier for everyone. happy friday!!

The Holy Mountain @ IFC

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky lit a fire under the film industry when he released The Holy Mountain at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. The followup to his debut film El Topo, The Holy Mountain is based on the French surrealist Rene Daumal's classic Mount Analogue and explores the psychedelic crevices of the Jadorowsky's mind. Also of note, The Holy Mountain was produced by Beatles manager Allen Klein (thanks wikipedia!). Once again, Jodorowsky plays the allegorically named lead, “The Alchemist,” who assembles a group of people from all walks of life and renames them for the planets in the solar system. Putting his recruits through strange mystical rites and divesting them of their worldly baggage, he leads them on a trip to Lotus Island to ascend the Holy Mountain and displace the immortal gods who secretly rule the universe. Check the original trailer below and buy tickets to see the film on the big screen!!

Tonite: Benefit Event for Kon

Tonite, the weekly Giant Step/Spinna party, Journey, will host a special benefit for Kon of Kon & Amir fame with DJ's Spinna, Rich Medina, Eli Escobar, Cosmo, Scratch and Amir. 100% of the $10 donation goes towards Kon's medical bills and expenses! Let's support our community. This is an especially important moment of reflection as Congress gears up for session and President Obama starts to push through his plans for public option for health care.

DJ, producer, record fiend and 1/2 of the widely acclaimed duo Kon & Amir, Kon has recently fallen ill. While his condition is dire, we're hopeful that in time he'll make a full recovery.

Kon and Amir are two of the most extraordinary but underrated beat diggers in the game. --Lord Finesse

Kon and Amir are legends in the beat digging game. Their compilations and mixtapes are classics and represent a style of Djing that's true to the essence of Hip-Hop. --A-Trak

SANTOS
100 Lafayette Street (btwn Walker & White Streets) DOWNSTAIRS - NYC 10013

DOORS 10PM-4AM / Admission $10 / 21 & Over- ID Required

Directions To Santos
A, C, E, J, M, Z, or # 6 Trains To Canal Street)
Or mapquest.com for Driving Directions

BLK JKS "After Robots"

Today is the day! After years of hard work, world touring and heart breaking, the BLK JKS debut album, After Robots, is out today! Come celebrate tonite with their album release/US Tour Kick-off at SOBs in NYC. You can stream the full album over at Jambase. Hear what the Johannesburg Mail & Guardian pegs as, "probably the most important South African album to have appeared in the past 20 years." For serious.

Summer Harvest

It's a beautiful fall Friday in NYC and here's a peek at my Brooklyn summer harvest. The big tomatoes are courtesy of my neighbor -- fried green tomatoes for brunch tomorrow? Here's the recipe:

3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

2 Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

We Can Make Sandwiches...

Happy Hump Day! This is one of my all-time favorite jams. The Detroit Grand Pubahs burst onto the national scene with this dancefloor anthem back in 2000. You can be the bun/And I can be the burger, girl/I know you wanna do it/We can make sandwiches. Thanks Sasha for dropping the video on me!

The Kitchen Tuesdays : No Ordinary Monkey

The weekly event series has been a huge hit with an amazing lineup of DJs and great music. Thanks to everyone who has made this late-summer jump-off a huge success. We have two more to go before we wrap up the summer so don't miss tonite's jam with the gentlemen of No Ordinary Monkey, our favorite disco party. They've been throwing underground dance parties since 2004 with some of NYC's finest guest DJs in secret loft locations and afterhours chinese restaurants! Come through on Tuesday and enjoy the musical stylings of one of New York's best kept secrets and dance the night away under the moon!! As always we'll have snacks, spacecakes, and drink specials! RSVP at thekitchentuesdays@gmail.com

p.s. this will be our second to last event! We'll be taking a break on labor day (09.08) and finishing off the series on September 15th with Amir, Ge-Ology and Waajeed!

*********
THE KITCHEN TUESDAY @ Jungle Garden

in association with PUMA
and The Horticultural Society of New York

Every Tuesday
8PM - Midnight
61 Kent Avenue and N10 Street
Williamsburg Waterfront, Brooklyn

TUESDAY 09.01.2009

NO ORDINARY MONKEY

Cakeballs by Sweet Jewels
Spacecakes by Let Them Eat Cake

Cheap Drink Specials!

$3 Suggested Donation at the Door
RSVP thekitchentuesdays@gmail.com

21+ ONLY!
Cash only, the nearest ATM is 5 blocks away.

From the Bedord Avenue L Train:
Walk west on North 7th towards the waterfront (Berry Street). Take a right on Kent Avenue. The venue is on the corner of N10th and Kent Avenue.

Vertical Farming

NOTE: This is one of the most important Op-Ed pieces I've read in awhile! Let's bring agriculture to the heart of our cities!!! Happy Monday reading.

By DICKSON D. DESPOMMIER

If climate change and population growth progress at their current pace, in roughly 50 years farming as we know it will no longer exist. This means that the majority of people could soon be without enough food or water. But there is a solution that is surprisingly within reach: Move most farming into cities, and grow crops in tall, specially constructed buildings. It’s called vertical farming.

"Imagine a farm right in the middle of a major city. Food production would take advantage of hydroponic and aeroponic technologies. Both methods are soil-free. Hydroponics allows us to grow plants in a water-and-nutrient solution, while aeroponics grows them in a nutrient-laden mist. These methods use far less water than conventional cultivation techniques, in some cases as much as 90 percent less.

Now apply the vertical farm concept to countries that are water-challenged — the Middle East readily comes to mind — and suddenly things look less hopeless. For this reason the world’s very first vertical farm may be established there, although the idea has garnered considerable interest from architects and governments all over the world.

Vertical farms are now feasible, in large part because of a robust global greenhouse initiative that has enjoyed considerable commercial success over the last 10 years. (Disclosure: I’ve started a business to build vertical farms.) There is a rising consumer demand for locally grown vegetables and fruits, as well as intense urban-farming activity in cities throughout the United States. Vertical farms would not only revolutionize and improve urban life but also revitalize land that was damaged by traditional farming. For every indoor acre farmed, some 10 to 20 outdoor acres of farmland could be allowed to return to their original ecological state (mostly hardwood forest). Abandoned farms do this free of charge, with no human help required.

Read the full NYTimes Op-Ed here.

Gold Coast Trading Company

Facebook is a strange and beautiful thing. A couple weeks back i was randomly "friend"-ed by Gold Coast Trading Company. A new line from Emeka Alams (formerly of 21MC), the transatlantic designer splits his time between Seattle and West Africa. Melding an interplanetary design sensibility with his life experience in both Nigeria and the US, Alams has set out to reshape the conversation about what constitutes African. He explains that, "it's not so much of rehashing slavery and rebelling, while slavery shaped our story it's not my history. I was tired of the same ol' hipster afro stuff I was seeing or the "Save Africa" tees. That has nothing to do with Africa or what's actually going on there. With Gold Coast Trading I'm just showing you the actuality of my Africa. Africa is more than just music and colors; it's so complex." Check the video inspiration from Gnarls Barkley for GCT's next season and peep the design jams below!

Gnarls Barkley - Going On

Happy 51st Birthday, MJ!

Happy Birthday, Michael Jackson! Brooklyn knows how to throw a birthday jam!! "Happy Birthday to ya, happy birthday to ya, happy birrrrrth-day!" 08.29.09 - Michael Jackson Birthday Celebration: Spinna x Spike Lee @ Prospect Park

Fat Pat and DJ Screw @ Maysles Institute

The Maysles Institute has only been open a year but they have had a phenomenal run of documentary programming bringing the lifestyles and social issues of regions around the world to their cinema space in Harlem. Besides screening documentaries from local filmmakers and the Maysles Brothers (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter, Christo in Paris) the Institute also has a youth media program and the Kham Film Project that supports Tibetan and American documentary filmmakers working to bring Tibetan issues to the greater public. Check their calendar for what's cookin' at the Cinema!

This week the Institute has programmed an amazing group of documentaries exploring the culture and lifestyle of 3rd coast rappers in Country Rap Tunes: A Dirty South Film Festival (Music Films and Videos From the 3rd Coast). As a Texas transplant, I find theres a lot of hostility in New York regarding southern hip hop and its so important for folks out here to understand the context for which a lot of this music has grown. I am really excited to support the Maysles Institute and go check out some of these films. Reppin' for my hometown, the showcase is debuting Soldiers for Cash, a documentary about the life of DJ Screw shot right before his death. Other documentaries focus on Houston luminaries including Pimp C, Lil Boosie, Fat Pat, ESG, South Park Mexican and H.A.W.K.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
Fat Pat: Ghetto Dreams
Fat Pat is one of the original members of S.U.C. and, alongside DJ Screw and Pat’s brother HAWK formed the Dead End Alliance (DEA). The best part of the film is the music video for Pat’s slab anthem, Tops Drop.

DJ Screw: The Untold Story, 8:00pm
Robert Davis Jr. a.k.a. “DJ Screw” is the master of “Screwed & Chopped” music, a technique of slowing the music to a drag personifying the underground lifestyle of the Houston streets that made him famous. With a small army of MCs known as the Screwed Up Click or S.U.C., Screw began a mix-tape movement that would one day take the music industry by storm. This DVD contains never-before seen footage of the one man who gave Houston its sound identity, at work and at play as well as interviews with the original members of the S.U.C., Davis’ family members and others whose careers are influenced by his music.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
S.U.C.: Soldiers United for Cash
Dir. Rel, 2004, 75 min.
Ariel Santchi’s crucial documentary provides the most in depth interview with DJ Screw. Outstanding performances by HAWK, a youthful Z-Ro and an endless freestyle by Lil Flip in pre-Flipperacci form.

Miss Chin Answers: Can I Freeze Milk?

Every day brings new questions about the world we live in and today's most serious question: Can I Freeze Milk? I typically buy jugs of milk for cooking/baking reasons and then feel the pressure to try to finish it up before it goes bad. I'm happy to report that you CAN freeze milk (skim and lofat work best because they dont separate as much). Just make sure to use some of it first so that the carton doesn't explode from the pressure as it expands. Best used for baking or cooking, freezing milk arguably doesn't change the taste of baked goods. I wouldnt suggest it for drinking tho although freezing milk ice cubes sounds like a good alternative for iced coffee.

UWS hearts MJ too

If you want to get intellectual about it...KEEP MOVING: Michael Jackson’s Video Art

Sunday, August 30, 2009 at 6pm. The Walter Reade Theater is located at 165 W. 65th St. (upper level) on the Upper West Side. Armond White joins us on stage for a one-of-a-kind tribute to the King of Pop.


Michael Jackson’s pioneering work in music video raised the art form from cable television footnote to the highest standards set by the movie musical tradition—and invented a few more along the way. Cultural critic and author Armond White returns to the Walter Reade Theater to reacquaint us with Jackson’s singular music video innovations.

“When Hollywood didn’t come calling, Jackson responded with a series of short musical films that displayed his affection for pop tradition,” says White. “From the popular Thriller to the great Black or White and other landmarks, Jackson—the ultimate performer-as-auteur—changed the way the world responds to cinema.”

Animal Collective @ Celebrate Brooklyn

This past weekend, Brooklyn's own Animal Collective did back-to-back shows at the Prospect Park Bandshell. A fundraiser for Celebrate Brooklyn!, all of my friends who attended couldnt stop gushing about the experience. A true concert experience, people not only loved the music but the creative set design by artist and sister of Animal Collective Dave Portner, Abby Portner, was a real standout feature of the show. Her "handmade" quality set featured multi-layered moving "waves" light-up oversized tiki torches, and a "shark!" For the current issue of Theme, my friend Duane Harriott actually interviewed Abby about her work for Animal Collective and their record label, Paw Tracks! I fell in love with her beautiful illustrations and great sense of humor in the interview. Check the below video from the soundcheck for a daylight glimpse of her set design for the show!!

Hellz Bells

Homegirl Lanie and her husband Bam dropped the fall lookbook for their category-pushing contemporary womens' line, Hellz Bellz, today! Shot by Brooke Nipar and styled by Radio Rose, I'm so glad to see that Lanie keeps it fresh and in the family! Check the full lookbook fall preview here.

Major Lazer's Pon De Floor

Thanks to the Jamaican dance craze, Daggering, hospitals in Jamrock have seen an increase in cases of "broken penis." Diplo and Switch from Major Lazer captured the phenomenon with director Eric Wareheim of Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job in the new video for Pon De Floor. Thanks Ayres!!

Florida foodie finds

This was my best menu find of the week: applewood smoked bacon with chocolate dipping sauce. As a beer snack! You astound me, Datz Deli, in a positive way.

I also wish Crabby Bill's would just go with the subtitle for the Squeeze & Squeal Basket because "Fries topped with crumbled bacon, & melted cheddar, monetary [sic] jack cheeses" sounds much, much better.

James Rosenquist, painter

Painter James Rosenquist lost his beachfront home and studio to a Florida fire in April 2009. Fifteen new canvases were destroyed, leaving an "emotional vacancy." At 75, he reflects upon his life from Aripeka, the coastal town on the Gulf of Mexico where he's just "Jim," the guy in shorts down the bar, and not a world-renowned pop artist. He has been working out of Tampa Bay for over 32 years, having set up shop in Ybor City after the cigar factories had long gone. In 2004, the Guggenheim held a retrospective of his work.

In New York, my first job was painting Hebrew National salami signs on the Flatbush Extension in Brooklyn. I painted signs in Times Square. I had to paint good enough to sell.

My only mistake, if there has been a mistake, is not judging professional people correctly. You think they're good, and they're terrible. That's a mistake.

What you do is at night, you go out drinking at bars with Bob Rauschenberg until late, wake up with a hangover, start working at about 11 o'clock, work until 7 or 8 o'clock at night, rent a tuxedo, go to an art opening at a museum, drink again, wake up with another hangover and keep doing that. I did that one time seven days a week for seven months in a row.

Now, I can see why some fellow artists aren't more well known or not known at all. Seems to me they're not outgoing enough. I don't know how to put it. They're like turtles that stay in their shell and think that something is going to knock on their shell and take them out of there. That doesn't happen.

If a person can see an advantage, do it. Recongnizing opportunity, that's what you have to do. There are opportunities galore, but, whoosh, they'll just go right by.

I'd like all of my paintings back, so I can apply for a grant from the Ford Foundation to study my own life.

Read the entire article here.

Free Music Thursday!!

Damn it feels good to be in Brooklyn during the hot and sticky dog days of summer! Check out this amazing lineup of FREE live music going down in Brooklyn today!!

Zap Mama @ BAM Rhythm & Blues Festival
MetroTech Commons
Noon-2PM
Zap Mama is the Grammy-award winning group founded and fronted by Marie Daulne. Since the early 1990’s, Marie has spent her life crossing continents and winning the hearts of thousands of fans, while introducing her Afropean musical heritage to the world.

Purple Rain Sing-a-Long with Escort @ Celebrate Brooklyn
Prospect Park West
7:30PM
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of history’s greatest pop albums, and the extravagantly, hilariously whacky and over the top film it inspired (the apotheosis of both the purple one’s genius and self caricature), we invite you to don something lacey and ruffled and come get your Prince on. We'll have lyric subtitles, but you know the words already. Joy Dragland of Brooklyn's live disco orchestra Escort certainly does; Purple Rain was the first cassette she ever owned. Dragland and others from Escort will lead the sing-along, after the band puts everyone in the mood with an opening set. (Note: The film is Rated R and admission of anyone under 17 will require an accompanying parent or guardian. The whole evening will feature scenes of extreme sexiness throughout.)

Hall & Oates @ Seaside Summer Concerts
Asser Levy in Coney Island
7:30PM
Daryl Hall and John Oates are the NUMBER-ONE SELLING DUO in music history! Starting out as two devoted disciples of earlier soul greats, Daryl Hall & John Oates are soul survivors in their own right. Daryl Hall & John Oates recently released the DVD/CD Live at the Troubadour. The release marks the 35 year anniversary of their first gig in LA!