MUSIC

Galactic @ Brooklyn Bowl - 5/30/12

Opener: The New Orleans Suspects (Corey Glover and Corey Henry w/ John Medeski

Well, another awesome funk band. Unfortunately I missed them when they came through Terminal 5 this winter so when I saw they were playing in my 'hood and for cheap I decided I had to go.

Show was typically groovy goodness. Nothing that really blew me away but a very fun time indeed.

The opening act was good, got the croud going (although not many people were there at that point). Galactic came on a little after 10pm and with guns blazing. A lot of energy right out of the gate as they laid down hot grooves and danced on 'em with the saxophone and some funky vocals as well.

I forgot to bring my camera and my phone died to no pics.

But check out this tune from a show a couple years ago at BBowl - CrazyHorse Mongoose

MUSIC

Artist Appreciation: Kings of Leon

While they haven't put out anything I've liked since 2007 their first three albums are some of the best in modern music.

A great combination of rockin and astro-space-whatever really puts it on.

Their third album, Because of the Times, is the apex of their popularity and, in my opinion, talent. It has it all, a giant sonic sound show.

A personal fave:

Ragoo

and one of their more uptempo jams:

Taper Jean Girl



Enjoy!

FOOD

NYC's Tastiest Sandwiches

Re-Posted from NYGo.com

Must Try Sandwiches

Everything on this list will be tried at some point in the ensuing months. Mark my words! Looks tasty as a mofo!

FOOD

Restaurant Review

Max
Alphabet City

Avenue B is slowly becoming my home away from home. I keep finding more and more to do and eat in this area.

As a general rule I try to go out for Italian food as little as possible. I am from an Italian family and thus know a.) the best Italian food and b.) how easy it is to make, thus I make it for myself when not going out.

Max, however, was not only good food, it is something that I would come back to.

The feel is not upscale, like so many other italian places try to be, but rather quaint, cute and cool. It isn't pretentious or trendy, it just is. We started with the mozzarella di buffalo and then each got the blackened spaghetti with shrimp while splitting a bottle of red wine.

The mozz was fresh and creamy and the spaghetti dish was hearty and flavorful. I usually don't get pasta dishes but this one was able to win me over.

I'll have to come back for seconds and stuff myself with delicious homemade pasta again.

MUSIC

For some reason I have some friends who don't enjoy listening to music. Why I am friends with those people still I do not know but I am. I also happen to have friends who really enjoy music but have never really delved into the realm of hip hop. They always ask me to recommend an album or a song but these days it has become increasingly hard as there is tons of good stuff.
I always seem to overwhelm them with suggestions.

To attempt to conquer that I created the following:


Hip Hop Bare Essentials

Intro:

Most people will argue for hours on end about when and where hip hop originated. Some people will point to the Bronx, some people will point to Harlem or Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn. Some even consider Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ the first rap song. Either way the general consensus is that it started in the Sugar Hill section of the Bronx with the Sugar Hill Gang. They released a song called ‘Rapper’s Delight’ which you may have heard of, setting the ground work for future tracks.

Anyways, from there the genre blew up, finally entering the mainstream consciousness sometime in the 1990’s with guys like Boogie Down Productions, Rakim, Q-Tip, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, etc. By the time 2000 rolled around it was no longer considered a passing fad and has now earned a solid place in American culture. From 1991-2001 New York City, and by extension, America was experiencing the greatest economic growth in its history. For this reason much of the music during this time has a very unique flavor, particular the urban and hip hop scene. In the late 1990’s crime had decreased significantly however the cost of living had not risen yet. There were still tons of ethnic enclaves in Manhattan and gentrification hadn’t made the city essentially an outdoor mall. Some people were getting wealthy while also being able to pay lower rents.

I have included 10 certified classic (and ridiculously essential to any music collection) hip hop albums. At first I was just going to make a mix but after a while of trying I decided that wouldn’t do any good and came up with this.

In no particular order:

Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Blackstar (1998)

Probably the most accessible and versatile rap album of all time. The amount of word play and the flow that this album oozes without being trying to be ‘gangster’ makes it just that. The amount of talent on this thing makes it more badass than anything you hear these days. While most MC’s talk about their skills and their cars these two are so good that they just rap about things that effect their daily life and it puts everyone else to shame. The album isn’t about being a thug, there aren’t any pretenses and no one is trying to be ‘hard’ or a ‘baller’; it’s just really fucking good and is a breath of fresh air whenever it is played. Neither of these guys have been able to match their awesomeness again since.

Tracks:

1.       Intro

2.       Astronomy (8^th Light)

3.       Definition

4.       RE: Definition

5.       Children’s Story

6.       Brown Skin Lady

7.       B Boys Will B Boys

8.       K.O.S. (Determination)

9.       Hater Players

10.   Yo Yeah

11.   Respiration

12.   Thieves in the Night

13.   Twice Inna Lifetime

Further Listening: Mos Def – Black on Both Sides; Talib  Kweli – Reflection Eternal

Nas – Illmatic (1994)

The quintessential New York hip hop album. There are only ten tracks on this thing and every one is a classic. Nas’ verses are complex and stylish, the beats are sparse but badass as all hell. There’s really nothing like this.

Tracks:

1.       The Genesis

2.       N.Y. State of Mind

3.       Life’s a B*tch

4.       The World Is Yours

5.       Halftime

6.       Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park)

7.       One Love

8.       One Time 4 Your Mind

9.       Represent

10.   It Ain’t Hard to Tell

Further Listening: Nas – Stillmatic

Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Jay’s first and arguably best album. After you listen to this you may realize that there is a reason for Jay-Z being amazingly successful. He grew up in Brooklyn at the Marcy Housing projects about 2 miles south from my place. He sold drugs until he realized he could make a lot more money in the music industry. From his hustling he founded his own record label, thus cutting out the middle man and the rest is history. Track 9 features a 16(!) year old Foxy Brown. There’s generally a debate as to which is better, Illmatic or Reasonable Doubt, the only thing that makes this album a little worse than Illmatic is the fact that it’s too long. Cut a couple of tracks off and it’s the greatest hip hop album of all time.

Tracks:

1.       Can’t Knock the Hustle

2.       Politics as Usual

3.       Brooklyn’s Finest (feat. Biggie)

4.       Dead Presidents II

5.       Feelin’ It

6.       D’Evils

7.       22 Two’s

8.       Can I Live

9.       Ain’t No N*gga (feat. Foxy Brown)

10.   Friend or Foe

11.   Coming of Age

12.   Cashmere Thoughts

13.   Bring It On

14.   Regrets

15.   Can I Live II

Further Listening: The Black Album; Blueprint III; Hard Knock Life; pretty much anything Jay touches.

Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)

Considering how awesome Jay-Z is I couldn’t just have one album of his on this list. The Blueprint came out on 9/11/2001 so it took a while to become popular. This album is literally a blueprint for most hip hop albums to come. The mixture of mainstream staples and lyrical stylings for the hardcore j fans is unmatched. This album turned Jay-Z into the number one MC of all time. If he had just made these two albums he would still be considered one of the best ever.

Tracks:

1.       The Ruler’s Back

2.       Takeover

3.       Izzo (H.O.V.A.)

4.       Girls, Girls, Girls

5.       Jigga That N*gga

6.       U Don’t Know

7.       Hola Hovito

8.       Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)

9.       Never Change

10.   Song Cry

11.   All I need

12.   Renegade

13.   Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)

Further Listening: See previous.

Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (1994)

This may be a little too hard and blunt for a hip hop novice but still an essential nonetheless. Biggie (just like everyone else on this list) had arguably the best wordplay on the planet. His rhymes get stuck in your head. Fantastic rhyming skills aside, the content of his tracks are more violent, misogynistic and crime oriented than the others previously on this list. This was the only album released while he was alive. He was shot in Los Angeles at the age of 24 after completing the recording of his second album ‘Life After Death’. You probably won’t like it on the first listen but it’s one for the ages.

Tracks:

1.       Intro

2.       Things Done Changed

3.       Gimme the Loot

4.       Machine Gun Funk

5.       Warning

6.       Ready to Die

7.       One More Chance

8.       Interlude

9.       The What (feat. Method Man)

10.   Juicy

11.   Everyday Struggle

12.   Me & My B*tch

13.   Big Poppa

14.   Respect

15.   Friend of Mine

16.   Unbelievable

17.   Suicidal Thoughts

Further Listening: Hypnotize; Notorious Thugs

A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993)

A Tribe Called Quest was so fucking good that people used to flock to Santos Party House on Friday nights to hear Q-Tip (lead member of ATCQ) play other peoples music as the DJ for the evening. Every single one of their albums is a classic and an essential. I chose this one to put here because it is my favorite. This album is not crime oriented, nor is it misogynistic or dark. It is a fun, awesome album. It’s music, it’s hip hop. The Tribe’s lyrics dance all over the awesome jazz beats while the rhythm gives you something to dance to. This album will make you smile.

Tracks:

1.       Midnight Marauders Tour Guide

2.       Steve Biko (Stir It Up)

3.       Award Tour

4.       8 Million Stories

5.       Sucka N*gga

6.       Midnight

7.       We Can Get Down

8.       Electric Relaxation

9.       Clap Your Hands

10.   Oh My God

11.   Keep It Rollin

12.   The Chase, Part II

13.   Lyrics to Go

14.   God Lives Through

Further Listening: Can I Kick It?, Scenario

De La Soul – Stakes Is High (1996)

De La Soul is similar to A Tribe Called Quest in that they do not have tracks centered on violence and crime. They generally rap about whatever comes to their mind which tends to be music and girls, but not in a Beastie Boys/immature sort of way or in an R.Kelly/R&B sort of way. Their first two albums are more influential to the whole music and hip hop world but this one is by far the most accessible (and my favorite). Although slightly darker album than its predecessors, Stakes Is High flows so well and has many positive and awesome moments.

Tracks:

1.       Intro

2.       Supa Emcees

3.       The Bizness (feat. Common)

4.       Wonce Again Long Island

5.       Dinninit

6.       Brakes

7.       Dog Eat Dog

8.       Baby Baby Baby Baby Ooh Baby

9.       Long Island Degrees

10.   Betta Listen

11.   Itzsoweezee

12.   4 More

13.   Big Brother Beat

14.   Down Syndrome

15.   Pony Ride

16.   Stakes is High

17.   Sunshine

Further Listening: De La Soul – Is Dead; De La Soul – 3 Ft. High and Rising.

Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers (1993)

This is about the rawest and grittiest hip hop album ever produced. The RZA made all of the beats with some old sampler and sampled obscure Kung Fu flicks for music and dialogue. Furthermore the rhyming of all nine(!) members of the Wu-Tang Clan harp on mostly bleak ghetto realities that they grew up in. That’s not to say that the album is depressing, it’s actually quite the contrary. The way these guys phrase everything and play around with double entendres will make you smirk. These guys are essentially the coolest guys you’ve met. This is another album that you probably won’t like at first. It’s grimy, raw and sometimes off the wall but it’s created a whole different sub-genre of hip hop. If one were to describe Jay-Z as sitting in a penthouse clinking champagne flutes then this album is sitting on your stoop in July drinking a 40oz with your best friends. This album also was the first in the careers of other amazing rappers, most notably: Method Man, Ghostface, Raekwon, GZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

Tracks:

1.       Bring da Ruckus

2.       Shame on a N*gga

3.       Clan in da Front

4.       Wu-Tang: 7^th Chamber

5.       Can It Be All So Simple

6.       Da Mystery of Chessboxin’

7.       Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta Fuck Wit

8.       C.R.E.A.M.

9.       Method Man

10.   Protect Ya Neck

11.   Tearz

12.   Wu-Tang: 7^th Chamber – Part II

Further Listening: Ghostface –Ironman; Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…; Method Man – Tical; GZA – Liquid Swords

Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle (1993)

Oh Snoop Dogg. His laconic drawl and ridiculous lyrics weave around Dr. Dre’s awesome G-Funk beats. This album is both gangster as fuck and hilarious. If he had just made this album he’d probably still be just as famous. This is essentially a sequel to the Dr. Dre album ‘The Chronic’. I was originally going to put up ‘The Chronic’, which is probably a better album overall, but this one is more fun. Snoop is all about guns, drugs, money and women but somehow in the best way possible. His charisma is unbelievable. These tracks are still fresh 19 years later.

Tracks:

1.       Bathtub Intro

2.       G Funk Intro

3.       Gin and Juice

4.       Tha Shiznit

5.       Lodi Dodi

6.       Murder Was the Case

7.       Serial Kila

8.       Who Am I (What’s My Name)?

9.       For All My N*ggaz & Bitches

10.   Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None)

11.   Doggy Dogg World

12.   Gz and Hustlas

13.   Pump Pump

Further Listening: Dr. Dre – The Chronic; Dr. Dre – The Chronic 2001

Cam’Ron – Come Home With Me (2002)

In my opinion this is Cam’Ron’s best album. Coming straight out of Harlem, USA Cam’ron and his crew, the Diplomats (which includes Juelz Santana) rep NYC hard on this thing. This is a different type of badass then what is present on any other album on this list. Some of the songs are nostalgic, some are raw and some are anthems. From start to finish this album is a classic. The rhyming isn’t nearly as great as the previous albums but the songs as a whole are gems.

Tracks:

1.       Intro

2.       Losing Weight, Pt. 2

3.       Oh Boy

4.       Live My Life (Leave Me Alone)

5.       Daydreaming

6.       Come Home With Me

7.       Welcome to New York City (feat. Jay-Z)

8.       Hey Ma

9.       On Fire Tonight

10.   Stop Calling

11.   I Just Wanna

12.   Dead or Alive

13.   The ROC (Just Fire) (feat. Beanie Sigel)

14.   Boy Boy

15.   Tomorrow

Further Listening: Cam’Ron – Purple Haze; The Diplomats – Diplomatic Immunity Vol. 1

Album’s that didn’t make the list but I’m sure everyone agrees are classic and essential:

2pac – All Eyez on Me

Dr. Dre – The Chronic

NWA – Straight Outta Compton

Eric B. and Rakim – Follow the Leader

Smif-n-Wessun – Dah Shinin’

The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique

A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory

I am sure there are a ton more I am forgetting…

FOOD

Restaurant Review:

Giorgio's of Gramercy
Gramercy

courtesy of the daily krenshaw

This was the location of my mother's birthday soiree. She wanted to do it up right and being that she is of the Italian persuasion this meant lots of food and wine.

Giorgio's enabled us to achieve our goal quite well. The service was attentive, charming and not without good recommendations for the wide range of taste buds represented in our party.

We started off with the bruschetta, seafood ceviche, buffalo mozzarella and the frito misto*.

All were delicious with my favorite being the frito misto.

I had the Herb & Mustard Rack ofLamp. The lamb was tender and cooked medium rare (as I specified). My mom got the duck entree which was great (I snagged a bite).

I appreciated what the bartender did with our drinks. We each consumed various types and amounts of alcohol, having wine and cocktails with dinner. I started off with a spicy margarita which, I am assuming the bartender wanted me to not be able to walk, was incredibly strong and spicy. I loved it. Furthermore, after dinner I ordered a Woodford Reserve on the rocks and they gave me a glass of Woodford and a separate glass of ice to mix in as I please. Good looks Giorgio.

A good time was had by all. I am not sure how often I would return but for an occasion this could come to mind.

That being said I don'tknow if I would come here with more than 4-5 people. It isn't a small place, per say, but the back part of the dining area gets quite crowded.

*calamari, shrimp, zucchini, eggplant, asparagus &  lemon spicy aioli and an aged pecorino & truffle fondue, sriracha drizzle. hell yea

FOOD

Restaurant Review:

Cafe Cortadito
Alphabet City

courtesy of nymag

I really like it here.

How could I not? The food and drink are f*ing delicious, reasonably priced and the portions are generous. The place has a great vibe and there is outdoor seating.

The calamares Ricardo have the ill chipotle adobo and are easy to fill up on pre-meal.

I found the ropa vieja to be phenomenal. THe creole sauce they put on it is very flavorful. While I haven't eaten much ropa vieja in my time, I don't have much to compare it to, I can still conclude it was delicious.

I do not live in the area but if I did Cortadito would be likely to have most of my disposable income.