(Today is my birthday, and I am going to the demolition derby on Sunday to celebrate.  Ha ha, yes.)

More ethereal realms from the Menahan Street Band. Another awesome Daptone Records Project:  this band is a collaboration of musicians from Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Budos Band, El Michels Affair, and Antibalas.  Producer Thomas Brenneck brought the groups together and they record in his Menahan Street apartment.  Download the track Make the Road by Walking here.

Usurping our western neighbors crown. Hrag Vartanian’s recent piece for the Brooklyn Rail explores Bushwick as “breakaway republic”, “brave new world”, and this moment as “a form of prescience.”

But we were just gettin’ to know ya! After a (very) short-lived stint in Bushwick, for undisclosed reasons the boys from Bushwick Social Club are outta here.  They had a weekly party at the Kingdom for a little while, and a well-designed blog that linked to our culture calendar and other such goodies.  Bye guys, thanks for the memories.

Drawing on the Utopic. Austin Thomas, artist and director of Pocket Utopia, a nice little gallery on Flushing, started a new blog with colorful observations of the utopic world around her.