The Weekend Shortlist April 25 to 27

The Fiery Furnaces Courtesy of HRT

Friday April 25

Location: East Village, NYC
Band: Baby Dayliner + Blockhead
Show time: 4:25 PM
Venue: Rehab
Food: Veselka
Drink: B-Side
Miscellaneous: ChiKaLicious

Local frontman/one-man-band and crooner extraordinaire Baby Dayliner comes across like the great frontmen Morrissey and Frank Sinatra while sounding all his own. His live show is always fun. Don’t miss beatmaker Blockhead. You may know some of his work from Aesop Rock and Murs among others. Part diner with a Russian menu, Veselka stays open 24-hours and offers blintzes, pierogi’s, and stuffed cabbage along with standard diner fare. One of the L.E.S.’s favorite rock n’ roll bars, B-Side has a kickass jukebox, and an excellent happy hour from 3-8pm, where you can get a PBR and a shot of Whiskey for $5. If you’re serious about your desserts, then ChiKaLicious will blow you away with a $12 pri-fixe that includes an Amuse, Choice of Dessert, and Petit Fours (with wine pairing, $7 additional).

Friday April 25

Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Bands: Paul Simon: American Tunes with Olu Dara + Grizzly Bear + Josh Groban + The Roches + Gillian Welch
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Food: Junior’s
Drink: O’Connor’s
Miscellaneous: Thomas Beisl

At the tail-end of Paul Simon’s month-long residency at BAM celebrating his long and storied musical career, tonight he performs with an eclectic group of modern artists he’s influenced including Olu Dara, Grizzly Bear, Josh Groban, The Roches, and Gillian Welch. Known more for its cheesecake than anything else on its menu, Junior’s also offers fantastic diner and deli style eats from steak burgers to deli sandwiches. If you can make it through dinner, the cheesecake will be worth the wait! One of Brooklyn’s most interesting dive bars, O’Connor’s offers cheap drinks in a place where Park Slope hipsters meet old-time drinkers, making for one of the oddest pairings that works. An excellent place to get schnitzel and goulash and other Austrian delights, Thomas Beisl is right across the street from BAM.

Saturday April 26

Location: Soho, NYC
Band: Bent Festival 2008
Show time: 7:00 PM
Venue: DCTV
Food: Nha Trang
Drink: Knitting Factory
Miscellaneous: La Esquina

Get ready to geek out as the annual Bent Festival comes to town! Featuring art, music and DIY electronics, hacking, and all kinds of circuitry, prepare to see bands from all over the world playing home-made instruments, artists giving workshops, and witness just what these circuit benders are creating. One of the best affordable Vietnamese restaurants in the city, Nha Trang is right near the downtown courthouse, making it a high volume place. Despite that, the food is great and the Pho (rice noodle soup) dishes are $5 and under. An hip and eclectic place for drinks, the Knitting Factory is also a music venue. The drinks here aren’t expensive and the crowd is fun and artsy. One of the best taqueria’s in the city, the Mexican food here is authentic and to die for. While tacos will set you back $3, plates are in the $6 to $7.25 range.

Saturday April 26

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Band: The Fiery Furnaces
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Food: Press 195
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room

The genius of The Fiery Furnaces is well documented and tonight they take their recording process to another level as the debut “Democ-Rock,” a series of recordings written with the help of their fans. Taking the pressed sandwich to the gourmet level, Press 195 offers 30 kinds of hot pressed sandwiches that make this place hard to get tired of. One of the more social bars in Park Slope, The Gate is a great bar with a wide selection of local beers on tap and an outdoor patio overlooking the park. A great little dessert and coffee shop, The Chocolate Room has a menu filled with everything made with some form of chocolate. Try the hot chocolate, you won’t regret it.

Sunday April 27

Location: Tribeca, NYC
Film: Tribeca Film Festival
Venue: See here for times and locations
Food: Ear Inn
Drink: Village Lantern
Miscellaneous: Jacques Torres

With Robert Deniro’s Tribeca Film Festival, new films come first though there will be plenty of events, music, art, panel discussions, and special screenings including Tina Fey’s Baby Mama and Speed Racer. One of my favorite places for food, Ear Inn is a 200-year-old bar with a small menu featuring burgers, sandwiches, and a chalkboard with specials including Jerk Chicken that’s under $10. With $3 pints Monday thru Friday 12pm to 7pm along with comedy and music performances, the Village Lantern is a great bar to chill at after work, especially now that it’s finally getting warm outside. Watch some of the best chocolate in the world made right in front of your eyes or browse through the store and sample for yourself the fruits of this master chocolatier’s labor.

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MUSIC REVIEW: The Duke Spirit

The Duke Spirit
Neptune
Shangri-La Music

Neptune, the second full-length from U.K. band The Duke Spirit, finds the group delivering on the promise of their debut LP Cuts Across the Land. Their first album was a dark bare bones effort but this time out, the group is letting in some light. The result is an album that is more pop-centric but still captivating. Fans of the original album will rally around songs like “Dog Roses” that find the band employing the usual tools of their trade (crunchy guitars and tough-talking songs) but the cheery production behind “My Sunken Treasure” should lure new listeners. If there’s one song that perfectly blends the conflicting light/dark sides of The Duke Spirit together, it has to be the mid-tempo rocker “The Step And The Walk.” It takes the bands My Bloody Valentine-esque roots, adds in the here and now, and dashes headlong into the future.

–Amy Wagner

The Daily Shortlist April 22

Jenna and Laura Bush Discuss Literature at the 92nd Street Y. Photo Credit: Seth Wenig

Location: Upper East Side, NYC
Event: Laura and Jenna Bush
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: 92nd Street Y
Food: Brother Jimmy’s Bait Shack
Drink: Cavatappo Wine Bar
Miscellaneous: Ship of Fools

Push aside your political leanings for one night and check out the First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna stop by the 92nd Street Y to read from their new children’s book Read All About it, and talk about the importance of literacy and education. Now that it’s getting warmer out, what better way to celebrate than with some BBQ. Jimmy’s Bait Shack is known for their BBQ’d meats, smoked in house. The menu is all Southern favorites like po boys, catfish, fried chicken, along with burgers. Though it’s small, Cavatappo Wine Bar packs a mighty punch, offering an amazing selection of wines from all over the world for under $10 a glass. With more than 40 TVs featuring sports, Ship of Fools also has darts, pool tables, and video games.

The Daily Shortlist April 21

Lucio Bubacco, Three Graces, 2000; Flameworked glass. Photo Credit: Ed Watkins

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Art: Cheers! A MAD Collection of Goblets
Show time: Open Daily 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursdays 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Venue: Museum of Arts & Design
Food: Swizz
Drink: Russian Vodka Room
Miscellaneous: Zip Burger

To celebrate the Museum of Arts & Design’s (MAD) upcoming move to its new space at Two Columbus Circle, they are showing a sneak peak of their collection of glass, metal, clay, fiber, wood, and mixed media goblets. For fans of fondue, Swizz is where it’s at. Try the Traditional Cheese Fondue (serves two) with Gruyere and Emmenthal cheeses, served with cubed bread ($40). When it comes to making great vodka, at the Russian Vodka Room, the menu says it all as they offer 53 different vodka’s not including their 10 specially infused flavors like strawberry, ginger, and if you’re feeling bold, garlic, pepper, and dill. If your looking for a burger with lot’s of extra’s, then check out Zip Burger, where farm-raised, organic/grass-fed meat and poultry help them create a better burger. Burgers start at a mere $4.50 but can get dangerously expensive depending on your toppings.

The Weekend Shortlist April 18 to 20

On Their New Album Walk it Off, Tapes n’ Tapes Sound Better Than Ever

Friday April 18

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: The Headhunters
Show time: 8:30 & 10:30 PM
Venue: Iridium
Food: Island Burgers and Shakes
Drink: Smith’s Bar
Miscellaneous: Colony Music

The first time I heard Herbie Hancock’s 70’s jazz/funk project The Headhunters, I realized there was more to jazz than the acoustic upright bass/drums/horn trio. Though the original Headhunters are here for the reunion and Hancock is not, this is sure to be magic live. For a kickass burger or chicken sandwich, Island Burgers and Shakes specializes in making great burgers like the Bourbon Street Burger that’s blackened, with bacon, Jack, bayou mayo, and onion on sourdough. One cheap bar in midtown, Smith’s is a dive bar with cheap booze, friendly locals, and live music daily in the next room. Though the place is way expensive, Colony Music is a fun music store that sells albums and sheet music. You can walk around and check out the entertainment memorabilia. Whether you’re looking for an autographed guitar signed by the Rolling Stones or an autographed 8×10 of Linda Carter, they’ve got it.

Friday April 18

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Cock Lorge
Show time: 7:30 PM
Venue: Pianos
Food: The Stanton Social
Drink: Motor City Bar
Miscellaneous: Ludlow Guitars

Cock Lorge is like that really dirty joke you heard, spread out over an album. This sex talking folk singer may come across as creepy at first thought, but after hearing him harmonize with a lady singing backup, you’ll blush but you’ll also laugh. Part lounge and all restaurant, The Stanton Social offers a very chic décor and a menu of small and affordable items meant for sharing. Try the Wasabi Pea Crusted Salmon with Asian pesto and soba noodle Beet salad ($15). If you like your bars loud, Detroit Rock City loud, then Motor City Bar is for you. With inexpensive drinks and an automobile motif, this is the place to party hard late into the night. Whether you’re in a band, looking for gadgets, or just want to strum on a $2,000 guitar, Ludlow Guitar is your wet dream.

Saturday April 19

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: Regina Spektor
Show time: 1:00 PM
Venue: Sound Fix
Food: Bliss
Drink: Spike Hill
Miscellaneous: Ella Cafe

So apparently Saturday is Record Store Day. Not sure if that’s an actual holiday, but in celebration of it, Regina Spektor will play a free show here. So get there early as the performance space is small and a free show by Spektor doesn’t come along often. For veggie lover’s, Bliss Café is an excellent place for tempeh, tofu, and vegetables, with all menu items $10 and under. Right off the L train at Bedford, Spike Hill is a really nice Irish pub with a great selection of draft beers on tap and booths in the back to sit, drink, and even order off an Irish menu of food. While several new coffee shops have popped up in Williamsburg recently, Ella Café is not just the best designed, with it’s blond wood interior but the coffee is pretty good too.

Saturday April 19

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: Tapes n’ Tapes + White Denim
Show time: 10:00 PM
Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
Food: SEA
Drink: Galapagos
Miscellaneous: Academy Records

Touring in support of their new album Walk it Off, Tapes n’ Tapes have put out an even better album than their last one, The Loon. Openers White Denim are punk, funk and spazz rock worth checking out. Though it looks like a fancy club belonging in the Meat Packing District, SEA is one of the best Thai restaurants in Williamsburg. Huge in size, the menu serves up your typical Thai cuisine, but it’s the space, where a giant Buddha sits over an indoor pond that’s one of its draws. More than just a bar, Galapagos is also an art space with front and back rooms filled with art, music, burlesque, and most importantly, inexpensive drinks. Whether you’re a music geek, an audiophile, or someone who appreciates the warm crackle of a record player, Academy Records is a huge warehouse sized space filled with vinyl and CDs at relatively cheap prices.

Sunday April 20

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Bands: Bad Wizard + Monotonix + Dark Meat + Heavy Hands
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Cake Shop
Food: Paladar
Drink: Libation
Miscellaneous: Bereket

An excellent lineup of bands here as Brooklyn’s Bad Wizard heads up this awesome lineup. With Dark Meat, a psych-rock band, Monotonix a heavy rock outfit known for their live performances, and rockers Heavy Hands. One of the best Pan-Latin restaurants in the city, Paladar, helmed by Chef Aarón Sanchez, creates eclectic dishes that tickle your palate like the Salmon con Parcha, a seared salmon with black squid rice and spicy passion fruit glaze ($17). Very swanky for Ludlow Street, Libation is a three-floor bar and nightclub beautifully designed with mostly warm brown and gold colors. Though the drinks are pricey, it’s worth trying this place, at least once. One of my favorite late night places for eats, Bereket has some of the best falafels on the L.E.S. and is one of the funniest places to eat after 2 a.m., because everyone there is just as drunk as you are.

The Daily Shortlist April 17

Location: Chelsea, NYC
Film: From Fluxus to Media Art
Show time: Tues thru Sat 11 to 6:00 PM
Venue: Maya Stendhal Gallery
Food: Cookshop
Drink: The Half King
Miscellaneous: Café Grumpy

The 60s were a crazy time, and the art was no different. In New York it was the Fluxus movement that was experimenting and making big waves. From Fluxus to Media Art focuses on the history of media art during that period, featuring works by Jonas Mekas, Andy Warhol, and Nam June Paik among others. Cookshop offers American fare blending fresh and healthy ingredients. Try the Five Grain Risotto with Oregon black trumpet mushrooms, crème fraiche, and fried sage ($20). All wood and brick, The Half King is a great bar in Chelsea, minus the attitude its neighboring bars have. Grab a draft beer for $7 or a burger among other great menu items. If you’re fanatical about your coffee, Café Grumpy is your place to get some of the city’s best. The coffee’s are brewed to order and the espresso drinks are out of this world. I highly recommend this place.

The Daily Shortlist April 16

Make Your Answers Count at this Game Show

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Event: Dick Swizzle’s Sudden Death Game Show
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Union Hall
Food: Press 195
Drink: Union Hall
Miscellaneous: O’Connor’s

At this Jeopardy style gameshow, Dick Swizzle is your host and Perry Combover and Koo Koo the Mind Key help co-host. Buzz in your answer to questions off a wide-screen TV, and win free shots and money. Lose, and win Budweiser. Either way, you walk away drunk. The theme at Press 195 is pressed comfort food. A sandwich shop with quite the menu, they offer 30 types of delicious sandwiches like the turkey and fontina cheese sandwich with a cranberry and roasted pear chutney on ciabatta ($7.75). While Union Hall looks like a cabin at a ski resort with a fireplace, stone walls, comfy couches, and inexpensive drinks, you may want to stick around rather than barhop. A low-key bar in this hood, O’Connor’s is a hole in the wall where you can grab a cheap drink and watch the game on their TV, just like your grandpa sitting next to you!

MUSIC REVIEW: El Perro Del Mar

El Perro Del Mar
From The Valley To The Stars
Control Group/Tcg

Sweden’s Sarah Assbring records under the moniker El Perro Del Mar and has gained a reputation for mixing the sweet sounds of 1960s girl group pop with a melancholy twist that’s all her own. Her sophomore effort From The Valley To The Stars finds the singer/songwriter expanding on her musical palette. Her song sketches are still drenched in sunny day sweetness but there’s even more to love this time around. What was merely lush before is now radiant. Assbring’s perfect pop voice glides easily through sugar-laced melodies backed by organs and more contemporary pop arrangements. “Do Not Despair” plays like a gospel piece filtered through The Ronettes while the mid-tempo “Somebody’s Baby” coos along like a wall of sound chart topper that would have blared out of a transistor radio.

–Amy Wagner

The Daily Shortlist April 15

Don’t Miss This Live One with the French Kicks
Photo Credit: Matthew Stinchcomb

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Bands: French Kicks + Miguel Mendez
Show time: 9:30 PM
Venue: Mercury Lounge
Food: San Loco
Drink: Max Fish
Miscellaneous: Sugar Sweet Sunshine

On their recent album Swimming, the French Kicks blend garage rock, mod music, and pop among others to create beautiful songs. Live is where they shine. Let’s face it, San Loco does not serve the greatest Mexican food ever. But it certainly isn’t bad. The prices are inexpensive, you can get a heaping amount of nachos for as little as $3.75, and telling by the heavy traffic, the place is doing just fine. What I like about Max Fish is that it’s a local bar for local artists. It’s walls play host monthly for art exhibitions, there’s a pool table in the back, and drinks aren’t pricey, like many new bars springing up in this neighborhood. For one of the best cupcakes in the city, Sugar Sweet Sunshine has 10 varieties, on top of cakes. Try the Sexy Red Velvet or the Bob, a yellow cupcake with chocolate almond buttercream.