More safety tips from same here. [via Buzzfeed]

You’ve got one week left to buy tickets to TheRumpus.net‘s launch party at Crash Mansion next week, and oh what a night it shall be! In case you haven’t heard ‚Äì

“TheRumpus.net is a new online magazine, focusing on Books, Music, Movies, Art, Sex, and Politics. TheRumpus.net provides original reviews of books, music, and film, interviews with culture mavens like Malcolm Gladwell, James Frey, Bucky Sinister, Al Franken, T Cooper, and Tristan Taormino, as well as original essays by Steve Almond, Robin Romm, Michelle Tea, and others, and blogs by Rick Moody, Bitchy Jones, and Jerry Stahl.”

The festivities kick off at 7 pm on February 5th, with musical guests Will Sheff from Okkervil River and Timothy Bracy of The Mendoza Line. There will also be comedy acts featuring Kristen Schaal of Flight of the Conchords and Michael Showalter, as well as other readings from authors James Frey, Andrew Sean Greer, and Jonathan Ames. Lastly, This American Life‘s Starlee Kine will be giving Post It Note Reviews.
Why can’t all parties be this glorious? Buy your tickets here.

A free science lesson by your friends at Free Williamsburg.
Class, beware of the Fuck, a fox crossed with a duck that eats meat and lives in New Yourk! I’ve totally seen these things around the dark corners of Kent Ave., so keep your eyes peeled and send any sightings in. Let’s stick together during this terrifying fuck infestation.
Other fun facts:

They are silly animals!
They are omnivores!
They’re bad at jumping, but at the same time are great swimmers.
They make for a great pet because they’re cute. But remember, they do eat meat sooooo…

via BuzzFeed

‘Friends We Love’ profiles local subway artist Poster Boy in action at the Morgan Ave. L station:

For more, check out Poster Boy’s Flickr photostream.
via Wooster.

Why buy drugs, booze and concert tickets when you can buy a clone-do (pun)?!
From Gothamist:

Hipsters, if you’ve been stashing your cash away in your Converse shoebox and are thinking that shoebox needs a new home, then tonight is your night! Home Buying for Hipsters is back, and experts will be on hand to tell you how to buy that Karl Fisher you’ve been eyeing.

Try not to be seen tonight at The Gibson (108 Bedford Ave), at 6p.m.

Yes, we realize this is viral marketing, but yesterday we received an email from “Kanye West” with a new track attached titled “rough.mp3.” We scanned it for viruses, opened it, and sure enough it sounds like Kanye. The artist is labeled Tokin’ Black Guy. (He has a Myspace page and is on Kanye’s record label–suggesting Kanye could have a new alter ego.) You can give it a listen at Allie is Wired who evidently received the same email that we did:

nooooo, only 2 days? make sure to contact me before the session we have to discuss “spaceship” i will upload them when i have time.
On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 1:16 AM, TBG wrote:
I need the ones from the show the night before. Yeah They Did a piece, Relay the message to Warren for the mail. Also the mixed version I need because I am meeting with John tomorrow, he is only in town for 2 days.
On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 1:11 AM, Kanye West wrote:
The rest of the pictures will be in your inbox for tomorrow. Congrats I read Your piece on MTV.COM
–
G.O.O.D MUSIC

http://www.myspace.com/kanyewest

kanyeuniversecity.com

Later in the afternoon, we received another email from “Kanye West:”

Unaware as to how you may have receive one of my emails, thank you for respecting my messages. As for the rough version of the song, it is out there now, so you may use it for personal use or have it as a stream on your website please.
Thank you and wish everyone nothing but the best.
Side Note: People Stop sending me Spam, it is uncalled for.

As we said, this has got to be a publicity stunt which makes the whole exchange even more annoying. We love you Kanye, but do you really need publicity this badly? Turns out, many of us like you already and are listening to your records.
That said, Kanye has claimed in recent weeks that his Gmail, Twitter, and MySpace accounts have been hacked. Some are suggesting that his account is being used to promote another artist, though we don’t buy it for a second. The track we received sounded too much like Kanye, despite the Tokin’ Black Guy moniker.
Waddup Kanye? We’d just begun to forgive your mullet and your excessive use of autotune. Now, you’re sending us spam and telling us to call you “Martin Louis the King Jr.” (See vblog below.)
Kanye, Martin Louis the King Jr, Tokin’ Black Guy, whoever the hell you are… we love you, man. Now, stop fucking with us. And to quote you: “stop sending me Spam, it is uncalled for.”

photo taken by ryan muir
File this one in the super bummer department: The Sound Fix Lounge (in back of the record store) is closing down at the end of February, possibly because y’all were too loud! I just called and they confirmed that they were indeed shutting down, “just the bar,” they said, and I’m assuming it’s because of the numerous noise complaints.
Brownstoner reported back in April that the bar shut down for a bit after receiving numerous citations. So who’s to blame? In the same article, Brownstoner writes, “The record store owner believes the violations are rooted in complaints from a couple of neighbors who live in an adjacent building, one of whom, Teresa Polonski, works for Assemblyman Joseph Lentol.” So you tell me, is it an inside job?
via the comic’s comic, who notes, “There is a sign taped to the door of the Williamsburg Brooklyn venue that asks patrons: ‘Please be quiet…Our neighbors are sleeping.’ Too little, too late.”
Update: Brooklyn Vegan points out some upcoming free shows at the venue, which you should most definitely go support:

This week for free @ Sound Fix
January 28 8:00pm – Comedy Free Williamsburg
January 28 9:30pm – Totally J/K w. Joe and Noah
January 29 8:00pm – Big Terriffic w/ Max, Gabe & Jenny
January 30 8:00pm – Forewords
January 31 4:00pm – Loney Dear

Welcome to a preview of the new Muxtape, a minimalist platform for bands to promote their music and listeners to create mixes. We’ve invited 12 of our favorite artists to help test, and in the coming weeks we’ll begin allowing bands to sign up themselves for free.

Yay. You can currently sample from the likes of bands including Francis and the Lights, of Montreal, Dan Deacon, Girl Talk, Amanda Palmer, Reggie Watts, and more. What’s Muxtape, you ask? Here’s the story.