Archive | June, 2011

This Weekend: Third Annual Beat*Shot Music Festival

By on June 29, 2011 in Events, Music, Things to do

Tomorrow marks the start of the 3rd Annual Beat*Shot Music Festival. This fest will showcase a diverse range of talent, both musically and visually, and the festival’s bill encompasses three full days of acts at Red Square in Downtown Albany. The three days are each quite different, and awesome. Thursday is a massive dance party with the areas best DJs (ahem, Deep Children and Party With Tina will be representing) along with about 30 other amazing DJs. Friday is for all the out of town acts to show us what the away team has to offer, and the finale, Saturday, is dedicated to showcasing local talent.

Check out the event’s facebook page for the massive list of performers and the schedule!

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Interview: Brenmar

By on June 28, 2011 in Albany, Music, Parties

This past weekend, I hopped a bus down to NYC to reunite with Contakt (who, lest you dare forget, absolutely slayed it in the club during the June edition of OUTPOST1 with Cunei4m) to finally make it to a TURRBOTAX® affair at the Cove in Brooklyn. Between the crowd and the line-up alike, the venue, (aptly dubbed the rave cave), respectfully, was absolutely bursting with copious amounts of good people and pure, incomprehensible talent. While experiencing immaculate sets from UK badman DJs Ben UFO and Oneman, I ran into the good Doctor Jeep (playing next month’s Outpost!), the Orator from Mushpost (look up our new friends in VT!), DJ Far East and some other friends, I also happened to cross paths with Brenmar, who is headlining the next Heady Pro party this Saturday, alongside Brother Suarez, Far East, Just the Sauce, Mr. Kissner, and Deep Children’s Mycon on the rooftop of Pagliacci’s.


photo © Maja Cule via xlr8r

Brenmar is making a stop in our fair city between getting back from a tour in Europe and an upcoming trek to Tokyo, as well as running on boundless momentum from dropping his second EP, “Let Me Know (Tasting)” on the Grizzly imprint, making a music video for “Taking Out Down,” doing a nasty mix of his house, R&B, hip-hop and various club sounds for The FADER, as well as frequenting features on the web such as on xlr8r and FACT.

He’s up to some good things and has serious plans for the present-day and near future. Brenmar is a straight-up hustler in the best sense of the word and there’s no better time than now to catch him live. Until Saturday rolls through, scope the nice ‘n quick Q+A behind the jump!

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Interestingness in the local news vol 26

By on June 28, 2011 in News

profit hungry landlords make parking in the lot near browns in troy $5/car, not doing anyone a favor [TU]

saratoga knows how to party, takes 31 cops to break up fight [TU]

almost kill and pour bleach on my wife then demand 100k ransom from her family guy pleads guilty [TU]

cohoes womans body found in florida, in her car 100ft from a store entrance [tr]

a dude was killed trying to walk across the thruway [cbs6]

still no toxicology report for alexander grant, the guy who was found dead in a creek in march [st]

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Aficionado & End of a Year Self Defense Family Music Video

By on June 27, 2011 in Music

Aficionado and EOAYSDF posted up a sweet video from Brighter Lights Media. Recorded at Valentines, the bands take turns on stage playing a set of new songs. It came out really freaking awesome. Good job you rockstars.

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The Marriage Equality Act

By on June 27, 2011 in News

With the live stream of the New York Senate climbing rapidly up to and well past 20,000, I decided to go the mile away from my apartment into the Capitol and actually be there. This is without question one of the greatest achievements in government in my lifetime and I’m extremely happy to say I was there, in person as this happened.

The following is a few clips that I shot to give you an idea of what was happening inside the Capitol. (Sorry for the lack of continuity.)

Read the bill via Open Legislation: A8354-2011: Enacts the Marriage Equality Act relating to ability of individuals to marry

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Quality events for this weekend vol 9

By on June 24, 2011 in Albany, Art Shows, Things to do

Friday 6/24

Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival, passes avail per weekend or day. [fbook]

Nadia Trinkala Art Show in conjunction with Troy Night Out, 5p, free. [KAB]

TNO Afterparty at Daisy Bakers, 9:30pm, free [fbook]

Breakfast in Fur & Matt Durfee. The Daily Grind in Troy, 8p, free. [fbook]

Some Girl’s TRUE Night Out, DJ Trumastr. Some Girls Boutique, 5p, free. [fbook]

Expire, Minus, Soul Search, Twitching Tongues. Valentines, 8p, $8. [fbook]

Saturday 6/25

Albany All Stars (B) v. North County Lumber Jills. Washington Ave Armory, 6p, $12. [fbook]

Severe Severe CD Release w/ Meadower. HRCH, 9p, suggested donation. [fbook]

Leftover Crack w/ Toxic Holocaust, Israfel, Hijinx, Black Tie Operation. Northern Lights, 6:30p, $15. [fbook]

Beyond Fossil Fuel: NY Against Fracking, 12p rally. [fbook]

Don’t see your event here? Submit it!

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Stop making Iced Coffee the wrong way

By on June 23, 2011 in Food & Beverages

Oh, it’s time for another coffee post. And guess what, it’s summer. Officially. Which means it’s time to perfect your iced coffee game and impress all your friends with your worldly knowledge of such delicacies.

To be honest, this method is about as easy as it gets and it will yield an extremely bright cup of iced coffee. Basically all you do is make coffee the same way as you normally do, with half the normal amount of hot water going through the grinds, and the other half already in the vessel in the form of ice cubes.

do you have a mug that says “handcrafted in albany ny” on it? you probably should.

Since I’m an enormous condescending hipster snob I make all my coffee one cup at a time, via pour over (hario v60) with local coffee which was roasted between a week to two weeks ago. You can go to the Daily Grind and buy the plastic pour overs with the filters for less than $10 and get some coffee on your way out the door and you will have all you need to make coffee that isn’t disgusting garbage.

I used 7 ice cubes, 8oz of boiling water, 1oz of Mocha Joes coffee for mine. Put ice in cup, brew coffee onto ice, drink, repeat. Easy.

Thought this was going to be about cold brew? That’s already not cool anymore.

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