Rocking Out At The Knitting Factory
Posted on April 24, 2008
Filed Under Events, Gay/Lesbian, Music, Women | Comments Off on Rocking Out At The Knitting Factory
On a night when Gossip was playing at Webster Hall, two all-female bands stole away a piece of the fan base (heavy on the faux-hawk-sporting, i-D-reading rocker ladies) to New York’s legendary Knitting Factory. Boyskout and Girl in a Coma played the Factory’s Tap Bar on April 15, with the Isles opening.
Boyskout, hailing from Brooklyn via San Francisco, plays punk-inflected indie rock that has been compared to the early Cure, but the band’s latest single, “You Act Strange,” is danceable enough for pop. Boyskout was featured on the July 2007 cover of Curve, and JIVEMagazine.com quoted a fan, “Watching their live show is like getting laid.” Is it? I didn’t get laid, but maybe someone did. After an audience member screamed, “We wanna have your babies!” singer/guitarist Leslie Satterfield shrugged, smiled, and said, “All right.” The band’s energy built up on the hot, sweaty little stage. Synthy keyboards and unabashedly feminine vocals gave a fetishistic edge to Boyskout’s dark, driving rock.
San Antonio-based Girl in a Coma has had a great year, opening for Morrissey and entering the Billboard Charts with their debut album, Both Before I’m Gone, which was also an iTunes feature. Girl in a Coma has a history at the Knitting Factory, where in 2006 the band impressed Joan Jett and was promptly signed to her label, Blackheart Records. The audience crowded up devotedly as singer/guitarist Nina Diaz’s powerful voice alternately thundered and soothed. Bass from Jenn Alva and drums from Phanie Diaz (Nina’s sister; the three bandmates are high-school friends) filled out the band’s gritty, dreamy sound. The verdict: a good night for sweaty women and an even better night for rocking ones.
Girl in a Coma is currently touring the U.S. in support of the new album. For those of you in the New York area, Boyskout is playing Williamsburg’s Luna Lounge on Friday, April 25.
posted by Nina Schloesser
Cut and Paste
Posted on April 23, 2008
Filed Under Arts/Culture, Books, Women | Comments Off on Cut and Paste
As seen on the blog A Very Short List, collage artist Graham Rawle spent five years cutting 40,000 snippets of text and spot illustrations to create his new novel Woman’s World.
The text compiled from 1960s women’s magazines create a page-turning thriller that’s utterly original yet retains the sensibility of its source material. Even without Rawle’s amazing facsimile presentation, Woman’s World stands on its own as a delightfully dark suspense novel about a family with a horrible secret.
Cycling Around Town
Posted on April 23, 2008
Filed Under NYC, Sports, Travel | Comments Off on Cycling Around Town
The weather has been lovely in New York City and the notion of getting on that treadmill or bike at the gym is not so appealing. I do have to speed up on my cardio before the swimsuit comes out so, why not take it outside? Problem is, I don’t have a bike.
Unfortunately, I lost my bike to a creepy landlord who let me store my bike in his basement then essentially locked me out when he decided to sell the building. Typical.
Not wanting to waste another sunny moment, I did a little research and discovered a host of shops that rent bicycles by the hour or by the day. Fabulous!
My partner and I hoofed it over to Chelsea Bicycles and got a couple of “standard” bikes for 6 bucks an hour plus the requisite helmet (don’t leave home without it ). The bikes were well maintained, in great working order and the service was super friendly and speedy. Off we went.
After a two hour trek along the Hudson River bike path maneuvering around strollers, vendors, protesters, and other cyclist, we dropped off our wheels and did not have to worry about someone cutting our lock or having to schlep them up some stairs. It was a pleasure. Next week, Central Park!
Where to Go:
New York City Bike Path Map
Where to Rent:
Chelsea Bicycles
212 727 7278
info@chelseabicycles.net
130 West 26th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues)
Hours: Mon-Sat 10 AM-8 PM, Sun 11 AM-7 PM
Price: $35/24 hrs, $6/hr; helmet $5
Type of Rentals: road, hybrid, mountain
Bike and Roll
866 RENT-A-BIKE or 212 260 0400
nyc@bikeandroll.com
Pier 84, Hudson River Park (12th Avenue at West 43rd Street)
Hours: 9 AM-7 PM
Price: $30-$99/day, $8-$15/hour
Type of Rentals: cruiser, comfort, mountain, hybrid, road, tandem, kids
Bike Heaven
212 230 1919
mybikeheaven@yahoo.com
348 East 62nd Street (between First and Second Avenues)
Hours: Mon-Fri 10 AM-7 PM, Sat-Sun 9 AM-5 PM
Price: $35/24 hrs, $25/day, $5/hour; helmet $5
Type of Rentals: hybrid, mountain
Champion Bicycles
212 662 2690
896 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 103rd and West 104th Streets)
Hours: Mon-Fri 10 AM-7 PM, Sat-Sun 10:30 AM-6 PM
Price: $40/24 hrs, $30/day, $7/hr; helmet $5
Type of Rentals: hybrid, mountain
