October 16, 2009

Today’s Friday Mix Tape represents a special edition of sorts, as we head into another year of New York City’s music industry extravaganza next week, the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival. The CMJ Fest provides industry mavens with a look at what is next on the indie music front and always spawns a good dozen or so big name acts for the years to come.

What I find amusing about the showcase is that in order to weed through the literally thousands of bands vying for slots, the evaluation process essentially becomes an exercise in 15-second music criticism.

In fact, once an acquaintance asked if I wanted to make some extra cash by using his login and get paid fifty cents per album/demo to provide a few words and a thumb up/thumbs down as a first line of defense. It wasn’t actually for CMJ, but rather another one that involves a lot of BBQ. Anyway, this dude told me his friend made over a $1,000 doing it the year before, so you do the math. I never did it, hence I cannot actually say for sure if that actually occurs or not, but given the sheer numbers, it is probably pretty spot on. Really, what other options are there; hire an army? Regardless, these folks do a pretty darn good job at it one way or another.

Anyways, after playing a game of darts with the CMJ Music Festival’s easy-to-read lineup, we’ve sorted through and come up with ten pretty damn good songs from some of the most compelling bands making the rounds. Keep in mind; this is just a tiny sample of the full list, so if you like digging up new music, poke around the lineup and drop by the various MySpace pages. You really can’t go wrong.

READ ON for the playlist and to listen to the mix…

The Phish – Festival 8 website has been updated with a post about all of the cool elements they are building on the site. We’re particularly interested in checking out The Overlook and The Coil which will feature a Bloody Mary Bar, a movie area showing vintage Halloween classics, archival Phish video, World Series and NFL games, a 100 foot Ferris Wheel and an internet cafe.

Here’s all the details…

THE OVERLOOK + THE COIL – Right at the entrance to the concert field is an elevated area partially covered by spectacular Olympic Peak Tents that looks out onto the lush concert field. Here at the Overlook you’ll get the chance to enjoy a particularly bloody mary at the Bloody Mary Bar, a movie area showing vintage Halloween classics, archival Phish video, (not to mention The World Series and NFL games), a massive 100 foot Ferris Wheel and an internet cafe (though wi-fi will be provided throughout the site). The Overlook will be opened from 8 am to 2 am each day of the festival, and will also be open Thursday, October 29, beginning after Soundcheck. Between The Overlook and the stage you’ll find The Coil, a large swirled structure where Festival 8 turns and returns, host to multiple art installations and interactive works galore. When the sun goes down, look on the outskirts of The Coil for an explosive group of fire artists bringing the HEAT (that has TWO meanings!).

READ ON for the rest of the features being built at the F8 site…

For the past 11 years Dark Star Orchestra guitarist John Kadlecik has been a major part of the band’s epic rise through the music industry from local Dead cover band

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend the 2009 NYC Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash. At the South Beach Burger Bash earlier this year, Spike Mendelsohn (formerly of Top Chef) and owner of Good Stuff Eatery in Washington DC swept the competition, taking the People’s Choice, Judge’s Award, and the Best Dressed Burger. Last year’s NYC Burger Bash winner Katie Lee (Billy Joel’s ex) was also entered, expecting to retain her crown.

The man, the myth, the Flay!

Other places entered were: Bobby’s Burger Palace, City Hall Restaurant, DuMont Burger, Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, Fatty Crab, Gus and Gabriel, Lure, Minetta Tavern, Mullanes Bar and Grill, Old Homestead Steakhouse, Shake Shack, The Spotted Pig, Wall Street Burger Shoppe, Wildwood Barbeque and Wollensky’s Grill.

The party started at 7:00 PM and went until 10 PM. Anyone and everyone from the Food Network was there: Duff from Ace of Cakes with his team, Tyler Florence, Robert Irvine from Dinner Impossible, Giada De Laurentiis, Big Daddy, Bobby Flay, Rachel Ray, Guy Fieri, Chef Morimoto. Some major NYC food personalities were also seen floating through the crowd: Chef Michael White of Alto, Marea and Convivio, Martha Stewart, Mark Pastore of Pat LaFrieda Meats, Jeffrey Chodorow and even Rocco DiSpirito. Non foodies spotted included Nick Mangold of the NY Jets.

READ ON for more about the NYC Burger Bash…

VH1 Classic features plenty of Queen-related programs this weekend in a tribute to Freddie Mercury.  Take your pick from a Classic Albums episode about A Night at the Opera, a