house party against judicial activism
We can’t all afford a five week vacation, but it’s time for us to take a short, well-deserved break nonetheless.
See you next Tuesday.
In the mean time, here’s a great idea for a fun-filled Labor Day Weekend. From The Family Resource Council’s Website

As the summer officially winds up and you are planning what to do for Labor Day weekend, may I make an unusual but important suggestion–a house party against judicial activism. By ordering a free FRC Save the Court Kit, you can gather family, friends and fellow church-goers not only for a taste of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, but to watch the DVD of Justice Sunday II. You’ll also be able to read what you can do to return the courts to their proper role and protect issues important to you, like the Ten Commandments and marriage, from activists in black robes. While it might seem like an odd way to spend part of a relaxing weekend, it is fitting that while you celebrate this extra time with family and friends who share your values, you also take action to protect those principles.

We can hardly wait! Save a Jesus burger for me.

Ultramagnetic MCs featuring Kool Keith
when: 7pm
where: S.O.B.’s (204 Varick St)
price: $20 / $18 advance
We love Kool Keith and the U-MCs. This show promises to rule, despite the fact Ice T is opening. From Flavorpill:

De-funked since ’93, the Ultramagnetic MCs were minor players in Bronx hip-hop’s second wave (i.e., when white folks tuned in), the quirky younger brothers of legends Public Enemy and Run DMC, and creators of Critical Beatdown, one of the greatest hip-hop debuts ever ‚Äî hyperbole this ain’t. Unfortunately, the UMCs currently have more notoriety as the springboard for one Kool Keith (aka Doctor Octagon), an inconsistent but occasionally compelling rapper fetishized for his battles with mental illness (see also: Wesley Willis and, arguably, ODB). This comeback includes support from Ice-T, Keith’s onetime Analog Brother.

“The actress behind horror icon Elvira has revealed she needed stitches after losing her virginity to Welsh crooner Tom Jones – because he was so well-endowed.”

Read the terrifying, yet awe-inspiring story here.

Time has posted their 2005 Best of the Web list. It is highly irrelevent — where’s Technorati? Where’s Gawker? Where’s Bookslut or Huffpost? Where’s the porn? — but we were happy to see that some of our favorites like Flavorpill and Go Fug Yourself made the cut.
Click here for the complete list.

Visit our restaurant section to check it out.

Tonight, FREE at Southstreet Seaport, 7pm:
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists
with Tigers and Monkeys
Click here for directions
And on Saturday at PS1:
Warm Up featuring Doc Martin w/ Monolake, Phil Smart, and Nikola Baytala.

Veteran house hero Doc Martin headlines one of this summer’s top Warm Ups, with Australia’s Phil Smart and SF’s Nikola Baytala dropping 4/4 bombs, and Monolake laptopping austere, minimal techno [from Flavorpill]

Click here for directions and info.
And on Sunday:
Howl! Festival Bluegrass Ball

By John Rickman

Return of the giant Slit!
In the years since the legendary, all-girl U.K. punk band The Slits disbanded in 1981, the band’s lead singer Ari Up has divided her time between Kingston, Jamaica and Brooklyn, New York performing as a singer and dancer under the name Medusa, as well as designing clothes and being a mom to her three sons Pablo, Pedro, and Wilton.
This year Up released her first solo recording “Dread More Dan Dead,” a collection of natty punk dance tracks and empowering pop lyricism reflective of the profound impact Jamaica’s culture has had on her life and identity.
FREEwilliamsburg caught up with Up when she returned to New York recently to prepare for an upcoming gig with her live band the True Warriors.
**************
FREEwilliamsburg: What do you like about living in Brooklyn?
Ari Up: Brooklyn is Brooklyn! I live in the heart of Flatbush, which I like because it’s very urban and hasn’t become overpopulated in the same way Williamsburg has. Williamsburg, before it became overly trendy, used to remind me of the artsy area in West Berlin near the wall when it was still up.
FREEwilliamsburg: How has living in Jamaica influenced the way you express yourself?
Ari Up: Moving to Jamaica was a natural transition for me. It was the next logical step after performing with The Slits and as the main singer in the On-U Sound reggae project New Age Steppers. I got to know local Jamaican girls and people in general and going to all the dances and spots in Kingston, then when I started recording and performing there people already knew who I was.

(more…)

Drudge currently has the headline “ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS TARGET
WOUNDED AT ARMY HOSPITAL” posted on his front page. Catch did a little research and discovered that the protest actually consisted of about five people carrying signs saying “Real Support = Better Benefits” and “Support Our Troops — Jobs, Benefits, Health Care.” See below.

picture via FreeRepublic, click for larger
As Catch reported yesterday, the wingnuts simply want to do away with protests and free speech altogether. A big thanks to Catch for this one. Check out their consistently great coverage, if you don’t already.

Check out “Mr. Ambulance Driver” here on Rupert Murdoch’s MySpace. Or click here to directly load the movie. The band will be performing the song tonight on Conan O’Brien.

WARNER Music Group (WMG) is to begin releasing music by artists in ‚”clusters” of three or four tracks rather than as whole albums, heralding the first big shift away from the record industry’s traditional business model.
Edgar Bronfman Jr, chairman and chief executive, yesterday revealed plans to create an ‚”e-label” that would rely on digital downloads instead of compact discs that, if successful, would fundamentally change the way in which the record industry distributes music. The new business model will involve artists releasing batches of three or more tracks every few months, rather than producing an album every year or two. Initially, it will target artists that are either emerging or those that are past their prime but with a small number of dedicated fans.

read the whole article here.