Free Beer and Factory Records dance party at Passenger Bar tonight

January 30, 2015 By Comments

factory You probably know Ballentine for its bodega 40 ubiquitousness (me, it’s the beer my dad always drinks), but did you know they brew an IPA? I sure didn’t, but apparently it’s one of the first IPAs distributed here in America. It was discontinued for years, but the ol’ Newark brewery is bringin’ it back, and you can try it for the price of “on the house” at the Passenger Bar’s Factory Records dance party tonight.

There’s no cover and the beer is free between 10-10:30pm and 2-2:30am; plenty of time to get wasted enough on high-alcohol content brew to not care about looking like Ian Curtis out on the dance floor. More details below. [Read more...]

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Six week L train shutdown coming soon to a weekend near you

January 30, 2015 By Comments

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Well THIS sucks!

Ah spring, season of rebirth, season of hope and coming soon, season of godawful L train shutdowns that will prevent easy access from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Yes that’s right, after already breaking your spirit in the winter, we got a tip, later confirmed by an MTA spokesman, that L train will put you back on the rack in spring, with nine straight weeks of weeknight track work starting March 24 that will shut it down between 8th Avenue and Bedford Avenue. Plus, you get six straight weekends of no L train between 8th Avenue and Bedford Avenue starting April 11. At least the weekend track work might keep Manhattanites out? [Read more...]

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Top 5 shows of the weekend

January 29, 2015 By Comments

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With almost the entire city having a “snow” day on Tuesday, the feel of the week is skewed. Thursday feels like Tuesday, which will feel pretty good when the realisation hits. Here are some ideas for the impending weekend that don’t involve watching oversized men throwing a ball around for about 3 seconds then taking a break for 2 minutes, and people have the temerity to call it football.

5) Big Muff Radio, Slonk Donkerson, Sofa Club at Baby’s All Right
Big Muff Radio will be celebrating their latest offering, the synth-tinged Life is Easy, which you get on cassette for free with the cost of admission ($8); not a bad deal even if I’m suspicious of anyone who plays cassette tapes. Also be sure not to miss the rather criminally underrated Slonk Donkerson,if you like power trios and don’t know Slonk Donkerson, check them out and thank me later.

Saturday 11:59pm (Sunday then…)

[Read more...]

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Over the Counter: This Week in New and Interesting Music

January 28, 2015 By Comments

sadistlotion“Over the Counter” is a column by our music editor Peter Rittweger which focuses on new and interesting music that isn’t featured prominently on the blog-o-sphere. This edition has Valentine’s Day gift ideas for cyber punks, new music from Yowler and Z’s and a few words on the Horrendous, Artificial Brain, Throaat and Kosmodemonic show at the Acheron this weekend. [Read more...]

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Uphoric: A New Global Festival TV Station Launching This Spring

January 28, 2015 By Comments

Uphoric

Our bodies may be dealing with the snowpocalypse, but our minds are already in sunnier, happier places. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, music headlines constantly remind us that festival season is right around the corner. As lineups continue to drop and festival-goers pick and choose their trajectory for this summer, a new development has entered the mix. For the first time ever, a digital TV station entirely focused on the global festival circuit will be spreading fest news this spring. Uphoric (from UG Strategies) is a place where festheads can tune in for live festival performances, exclusive interviews, behind the scenes content and much, much more. If their trailer doesn’t get you excited for 2015′s festival season, you’re probably not a very fun person.

Which festivals are you going to hit this summer? Stay on top of breaking festival news by subscribing to Uphoric’s newsletter.

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Williamsburg now has the country’s only bar dedicated exclusively to Matcha

January 28, 2015 By Comments
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Credit: Melissa Hom, Grub Street

Whatever the heck that is. Luckily, Matcha Bar explains this mysterious concoction to newbies like us:

1. A Japanese powdered green tea, historically used to enhance one’s focus, energy, and alertness.
2. The stone-ground powder derived from the topmost leaves of the first harvest of a green tea crop. [Read more...]

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This One Goes To Eleven: Weekly metal roundup

January 27, 2015 By Comments

Napalm-Death-Apex-Predator-Easy-MeatFor metal fans, today isn’t just grocery shopping on an empty stomach, it’s Ghandi walking into a goddamn Wegmans. After a couple of lean weeks, hell has officially risen on earth and, with it, a salivary gland-stimulating roster of new releases and wicked shows just begging to be devoured. So grab the cart and get at it, because much like bananas (fucking bananas, man) this stuff won’t last.

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National Weather Service weatherman apologizes for overblown forecast

January 27, 2015 By Comments

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We’d rather hear an apology from Cuomo for closing down the MTA — which made absolutely no sense to anyone. (Especially since the trains were running anyway!) That said, we’re enjoying the snow day so no apologies are needed. [via]

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