Where to Eat

January 17, 2012 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

I’m a sucker for good year end list (aren’t we all?). I’ve thoroughly waded through many of the music lists and now I’ve got my sights set on…FOOD!

My new years resolution is not to lose weight or eat healthier but to visit as many restaurants as I can on Adam Platt’s Top 101 list and Sam Sifton’s Top 10 new joints of 2011 list. Here’s a slideshow.

The Times’ $25 and Under crew also made their own Top 10 list.

Started the year with the Franks’ Prime Meats, which was amazing and heavily meat-focused. Our spread included roasted marrow bones, lamb stew, sauerkraut with pork belly, beef tongue and sausages (!)…gut-busting, cold weather eatin’ at its finest.

NY Mag's Adam Platt listed his top 101 NYC restaurants to visit

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: adam platt, food, foodie, Frank's Prime Meats, new york times, NY restaurants, Sam Sifton, top restaurants

If only this was the real NYC subway map

January 9, 2012 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

WNYC has been airing a special series this week on NYC subway lines that were planned but never came to fruition, along with abandoned stations and tunnels that were never (or have yet to be) completed. Check out the mythical line that would’ve connected Brooklyn to Staten Island. And the line that would’ve gone from Canal Street to Williamsburg. Let’s not even get started on the 2nd Avenue line. If only!

Here’s a link to the interactive map and go here to see a slide show of FDR’s old train and a number of unfinished/abandoned stations.

current maps of NYC subway system with a number of planned lines that were never executed - courtesy WNYC

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 5 buroughs, MTA, NYC subway, planned lines, public transportation, subway system. WNYC

Papas Got a Brand New Bag

December 1, 2011 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

Warren Haynes graces the cover of the December issue of Relix, an in-depth profile on the guitar god who has been performing and touring non-stop since he was 16 with some of the world’s greatest bands. This year he released his lauded, mighty soul record ‘Man In Motion,’ debuted his new band with a 5-month world tour and became a proud papa, welcoming a son to his happy family (congrats, Warren!).

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 2011, relix, warren haynes

Long live CMJ

October 28, 2011 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

Every year there seems to be discussion about whether CMJ still matters, and if it will, and/or should, continue to exist. Well, CMJ is always one of the highlights of my year (last year I saw 35 bands) and I hope it continues for as long as it can!

This time around I got to spend a lot of it with The Barr Brothers from Montreal. They are insanely talented and insanely sweet people and played 4 shows including The Apple Store and the always great M For Montreal showcase and emerged from the hubbub as one of the break out acts of 2011 with over-capacity gigs, landing on Top 5 (NPR) and Top 10 (AM New York) preview lists, in festival recaps and more. I snapped some photos along the way (and got to see some other great bands too).

The Barr Brothers perform in the crowd @ The Apple Store

jetting over the W'Burg bridge for more Barr Bros CMJ action

just about to play their final CMJ show @ Rockwood, check out that harp!

a tiny portion of the band's huge collection of mad-scientist instruments being packed away on Allen Street post-Rockwood show

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Tagged With: Barr Brothers, CMJ, CMJ 2011

Rave On Warby Parker

September 12, 2011 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

I spent part of my summer working on the fantastic Rave On Buddy Holly record – and am also a proud wearer of Warby Parker glasses (as are a couple other Shore Fire staff members), so in a confluence of events went to the Warby Parker/Rave On Buddy Holly Fashion Night Out Party last night at Partners and Spade in NOHO.

Rave On Buddy Holly and Warby Parker, a super cool and affordable NYC-based eyeglasses company, teamed up to celebrate what would have been Buddy’s 75th BDAY with cake, booze, and a performance by Rave On contributor Justin Townes Earle. Rave On producers Randall Poster and Gelya Robb were in attendance and JTE put on a great set. Buddy deserves his own national holiday, but this party was a good NYC way to celebrate.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Buddy Holly, Buddy Holly Birthday, Eyeglasses, Fashion Week, Glasses, Justin Townes Earle, NYC, Rave On Buddy Holly, Warby Parker

Honeyboy Edwards on YouTube

September 8, 2011 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

The world lost a blues icon recently when David Honeyboy Edwards passed away. Many outlets have paid tribute to this national treasure with pieces on his legacy as an original delta blues musician and one of the last surviving members of this esteemed group. I think YouTube’s is best, though: a curated playlist of 42 videos.

Open this video directly on YouTube’s site and all 42 will play in sequence, a great new YouTube Music feature. Check out this eMusic Blue Note Class of ‘64 playlist too!

Smithsonian Folkways also has a number of Honeyboy’s recordings in their catalog.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: blues, Honeyboy Edwards, playlist, Smithsonian Folkways, YouTube

Thank you Boing Boing

July 20, 2011 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

http://www.boingboing.net/2011/07/15/dj-kittens-video.html

Filed Under: Blog

YouTubesday

July 12, 2011 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

A friend turned me onto this soul/funk relic that the Numero Group recently released and had to share. More info here. Got that sticky summer vibe, doesn’t it?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Numero Group, summer song

Niagara Falls

July 11, 2011 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

On my recent expedition to western New York I took a day trip to Niagara Falls. Its a place that I’ve visited many times yet I’m still in disbelief at how amazing it is every time I go back. We walked from the American side to the Canadian side and back, crossing the Rainbow Bridge, and then drove to Goat Island, which sits in between the set of falls, dividing the Niagara river into the “American” falls and the “Canadian” horseshoe falls.

I’ve done Maid Of The Mist and Cave Of The Winds but there’s nothing quite like watching (and listening to) the river cascade 170 feet over the edge of the falls at almost arms length.

Set your DVR to record this PBS doc on the falls, fascinating stuff:

I snapped some photos…

view of the horseshoe falls from the American side

horseshoe falls from the Canadian side

a view of the Niagara River above the falls - its a massive river and looks quite angry in this shot!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Niagara Falls

Big Rock Jammy Mountain

June 7, 2011 By Chris Taillie Leave a Comment

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect on Friday as I headed up to the Catskills and Hunter, NY to take in my 2nd annual Mountain Jam. The weekend fest is curated by Warren Haynes and WDST, and takes place at the foot of Hunter Mountain the first weekend in June, now in its 7th year.

The Warren Haynes Band headlined Friday night with two epic sets…Warren and his new band are in top form and kept thousands of fans grooving to their mighty soul on the mountain side with cuts from the new ‘Man In Motion’ and more. Listen to Warren talk about his Stax LP on NPR’s Weekend Edition here. Next stop for WHB: Bonnaroo on Friday (June 10). Gov’t Mule headlined Saturday and My Morning Jacket closed out the fest on Sunday, with performances from Mavis Staples, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Soulive and many more throughout the weekend. I snapped some photos from Friday’s festivities:

Bela Fleck on the main stage as the sun begins to set

The crowd for Warren Haynes Band

Warren Haynes Band from the stage

Trance-y dance-y rockers Lotus close out Friday night. Took this at 2AM, it was time to call it a day.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Bela Fleck, gov't mule, Lotus, Mountain Jam, warren haynes, WDST
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