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The Black Laser

Allswell, Williamsburg

October 31, 2011 |

Thoughts

Some folks I know are opening a restaurant in Williamsburg the week of November 7th called Allswell. It’s housed in the spot formerly occupied by Raymund’s, a Polish joint that was hardly worth venturing into, so no real loss with its demise.

They’ve been generating a fair amount of press based on the reputation of head chef Nate Smith’s work at The Spotted Pig. Check out some of the links below for a sampling of what people have been saying about the restaurant’s imminent opening.

New York Magazine – What to Eat at Allswell, Opening Next Week in Williamsburg

Brooklyn Exposed – Allswell That Begins Well: Pub Fare on its Way to Williamsburg

Eater – Nate Smith to Open Allswell in Williamsburg This Fall

Zagat – Nate Smith Opening Brooklyn Restaurant This Fall

Nearsay – All’s Well: Nate Smith Opening New Williamsburg Restaurant

Timeout New York – Slide show: What you’ll be eating this fall

That’s a lot of articles for a restaurant that isn’t even open yet, right?

This summer, while getting the restaurant business in order, Nate did a bunch of pop-up dinners around the neighborhood to generate interest. Successfully, too, I think. The food was certainly good, and, after hearing about the restaurant for so many months, I can’t wait for it to open and proceed to kick ass in the North Brooklyn restaurant scene.

Go like them on Facebook: Allswell

EDIT\\ I’ve updated the date of the restaurant opening. Looks like I got a little excited there.

> Continue reading...Allswell, Williamsburg

Modeselektor’s “Shipwreck”

October 30, 2011 |

Music and Music Videos

Can you read the name “Modeselektor” without yelling “SELECTAH!!” in your brain? I really can’t. Maybe I spent too many of my teenage years listening to Meat Beat Manifesto’s Subliminal Sandwich (specifically, the second track from the album “Nuclear Bomb”), but I always yell SELECTAH!!! in my head. Every single time.

So, when I saw this video posted earlier today, I was all ah, modeSELECTAH!!! and Thom Yorke, that’s pretty neat. I like Modeselektor (Modeskeletor???). The track is a nice piece of minor key tech house with Thom Yorke’s unmistakable vocals singing words that could easily be mistaken for other words. Ironic. But it’s nice and the bass is thick and a smidge wobbly, suggesting dubstep without any of the genre’s trappings. I quite like it.

The video, violent and dark yet muted, matches the song perfectly. The story of a little boy collecting batteries in some sort of post-zombie-apocalypse England may not have anything to do with what Thom Yorke is singing about (not that I can decipher what he’s singing about), but the tonality is a perfect fit. It’s interesting to see the classic zombie tropes presented more artfully, more abstractly, against a soundtrack that you would never associate with a horror film. It’s like a short, dreamy, slow-motion, art zombie film. It’s great.

> Continue reading...Modeselektor’s “Shipwreck”

The 2 Bears’ “Bear Hug”

October 26, 2011 |

Music and Music Videos

Do you all remember last summer when Lele’s Flage was on heavy rotation and “Breakfast” was the hottest house jam of the fucking season? Yeah, I do too. That was awesome. Well, The 2 Bears are 2011’s Lele and this track, “Bear Hug,” is the new “Breakfast”. Bitch, get yo Bear Hug on and watch this video. It is awesome.

Bonus points for sockless Birks.

> Continue reading...The 2 Bears’ “Bear Hug”

Duck Sauce’s “Big Bad Wolf”

October 24, 2011 |

Music and Music Videos

You’ll remember Duck Sauce from last year’s ridiculously huge hit “Barbara Streisand”. Well, the American/Canadian DJ duo of Armand Van Helden and A-Trak are back with this absurd NSFW video for their new track “Big Bad Wolf”. Is it as catchy as “Barbara Streisand”? I’m not sure. Do I like it? I do. It’s definitely a less funky track, more house, darker. I will have to listen on good speakers and not the shitty headphones I have on right now.

Jury’s out.

> Continue reading...Duck Sauce’s “Big Bad Wolf”