Results tagged “rb”

Dave Longstreth has been recording music under the name Dirty Projectors since 2003, and currently tours with a band made up of three others. Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian and Brian Mcomber help him put on one of the more amazing live shows this city has to offer -- just check out this Take Away Show (and this one) filmed around New York earlier this year. Their sound is bi-polar...anxious and somber, muddled and crisp, a weathered familiarness mixed with a new sonic punch. Tomorrow night they play at Mercury Lounge before heading out on a tour that will take them on the road through the season.

Despite the fact that the most common response we've been hearing is "What the hell is High School Musical?", it appears that Rolling Stone coverboy Zac Efron and his overly theatrical buddies are the toast of the town. Topping the Billboard chart, breaking cable TV records and zombifying tweens everywhere (you've probably bumped into a few already this week on the sidewalk with their faces buried in the lyric book). Even though the acting is bad, the songs are cheesy and the plot makes Saved by the Bell seem like Shakespeare, there is no denying the impressive success they've been able to pull off in an era where nobody can sell a cd. For a more sophisticated look into the movie and the phenomenon as a whole (compared to the zOMG livejournal reviews scattered about the web), check out Status Ain't Hood.

MOVIE: The 2006 Clark Kent hit the big screen in Superman Returns. Tonight catch the superhero do his thing all over again at the River Flicks outdoor film series. Free popcorn, free film and a nice cold summer breeze. Bring a blanket!

If milk does a body good, mother's milk seems to do worlds of it. Yesterday, the NY Times explored the science of breast-feeding, from its ability to strengthen the mother-baby bond to strengthening the baby's immune system. The benefits of suckling at the teat have been kicked around for years. Other gains to be made include reducing a baby's risk of developing obesity, asthma, diabetes, and even cancers later in life, including leukemia and lymphoma. Kids who are breast fed also tend to score higher on IQ tests, avoid some autoimmune disease and can dodge certain infections thanks to antibodies passed along in the milk that mommy has herself been building up all her life.

Hot 97, the city's biggest hip-hop and R&B radio station, will get the once-over 24-7 by the police as the NYPD is going to install one of their rather conspicuous surveillance cameras outside Hot 97's Hudson Street studios. "We'll keep it in place until Hot 97 is evicted or cleans up its act" is how a police sources explains the decision to the Daily News, as last week the rapper Jamal "Gravy" Woolard was shot in the bum by someone in his entourage who was upset he couldn't sit in on the interview. And the studio has had its share of incidents - a shooting outside Hot 97 while 50 Cent was inside, the whole thing that eventually sent Lil' Kim to jail...and there was that Tsunami song, which isn't really cause for police surveillance, but still, it's not a great moment in Hot 97's history. The owners of Hot 97's building will be meeting this week to discuss whether or not to keep the radio station on as a tenant. At any rate, the police assigned to monitor that camera will have to be well-versed in the rap world figures - we suppose Commissioner Kelly has instituted the "Hip-Hop 101" course for cadets?

A few times a week, Gothamist publishes music reviews by our contributor Jeff Baum. The opinions below belong entirely to the author.

"Last year Elton John declared that Rufus Wainwright was the greatest songwriter on the planet. Quite a profound statement from the king of pop himself. This was presumably based on hearing 2004's Want One, followed earlier this year by the groundbreaking opus, Want Two." Elly Roberts goes on to say that Wainwright's recent show at The Lowry was "An epic night, and a high watermark of a musician on top of his game, who has single headedly changed the possibilities of popular music." Our hometown (via Rhinebeck, New York and Canada) hero headlines the Beacon Theater two nights in row this week. We're especially excited about Wednesday's show. Regina Spektor is opening.

Paul Scheer, Actor/Comedian

The summer concerts are here (and so is the summer). From now until around mid-August, the weeks are full of free outdoor show options. We'll try to keep you informed of what's hot (besides this weather). R&B vocalist Lizz Wright is playing four shows at Joe's Pub this week. You can see her for free on Tuesday at the World Financial Center Plaza. The summer concert series at Prospect Park kicks off Wednesday night with signer/songwriter Rickie Lee Jones. Thursday it's over to Rufus King Park in Queens for an after work party with the "legendary" DJ Mix Master Ice and others. Friday it's back to Prospect Park for the best in jazz with the Bad Plus (also playing Knitting Factory this week). Saturday head to Central Park Summerstage for soon to be R&B legend "neo-soul singer and pianist" John Legend.

Xavier, Rising Star

It was with high hopes for spicy seafood and fun that Gothamist trekked to the waterfront of DUMBO this past Sunday to partake in The First NYC Tiger Beer Singapore Chili Crab Festival. And while Gothamist is most definitely a sucker for a street fair, we were disappointed to find that by 2:30pm (only a third of the way through the 6-hour festival) all the chili crabs had sold out. Still on offer were butter crabs, chicken with peanut sauce, beef with coconut milk sauce, hot dogs, hamburgers, and a soupy red dessert. Unfortunately, the food and beer lines were confusing and tremendously long, making Gothamist newly appreciative of your more run-of-the-mill street fair in which you can grab and go.