Brooklyn

Savannah, GA's Black Tusk will release new EP "Tend No Wounds" on July 23rd via Relapse Records. The EP was recorded with producer Phillip Cope (Kylesa, Baroness) at the Jam Room in Columbia, SC. The artwork was created by Brian Mercer (Eyehategod, Lamb of God, Zoroaster). Today the band has teamed up with Invisible Oranges and Brooklyn Vegan fo... Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

Our worst fears have been confirmed after Luis Mateo pulled up lame with elbow pain back in mid-April. The 23-year-old flamethrower has indeed undergone Tommy John surgery -- so says Baseball America's Matt Eddy: #Mets RHP Luis Mateo, who made just 4 appearances this year because of elbow trouble, had Tommy John surgery this week. — Matt Eddy (@MattEddyBA) June 19, 2013 Mateo's agent chimed in to clarify that the surgery took place last Tuesday and add that stitches were to come out earlier today. This news comes after Mateo spent upwards of a month resting and rehabbing the arm in an attempt to avoid the surgery route. After a stellar season debut, the righty injured himself making a spot start for Double-A Binghamton in his second start of the season. He was able to get back on the field to make a pair of relief appearances for St. Lucie at the beginning of June. However, while reports on his stuff were not available, he was beat up pretty good in his last appearance. 2013 Amazin' Avenue Mets Top 50 Prospect Rankings The 23-year-old Mateo earned the no. ten spot in the latest AA Mets Prospect Rankings. As we've alluded to before, for whatever reason the Mets played this one pretty close to the vest -- which is why we're hearing about this so far after the fact. Yet it's probably safe to assume, based on the results, that -- as we heard directly before he was pulled the first time around -- the stuff was likely pretty down compared to the dominant mid-90s heat he generally features. It's unfortunate news for a kid that really put himself on the map with an outstanding 2012 campaign in Brooklyn, where he posted a 2.45 ERA in 12 starts for the Cyclones. Furthermore, scouts were extremely impressed with what they saw from him during spring training and the early 2013 season, portending what could have been a true breakout summer for the hard-throwing righty. Yet, we can't be too surprised as Mateo has struggled with elbow issues in the past. His first professional contract -- signed with the Giants back in 2008 -- was voided when a physical discovered bone chips in his pitching elbow. For what it's worth, at the time Tommy John-specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum felt surgery was not required, instead prescribing aggressive rehab. Oh well, TINSTAAPP. Send an email to the Prospect Mailbag!

Little Daylight est ce trio de Brooklyn qui se fait remarquer par ses remix de Passion Pit, de Niki and The Dove et de St. Lucia, entre autres... mais aussi par de judicieuses chansons de son rpertoire llectro-pop sicle. Des chansons toujours accrocheuses et lumineuses. Ainsi, Little Daylight dvoile un troisime extrait de leur EP Tunnel Vision prvu pour le 6 aot. Aprs les titres Overdose ( El Tino janvier ) et Name In Lights, la chanson Glitter & Gold vient de prendre laffiche au tableau de Soundcloud. Du vrai bonbon Read MoreBlog: El TinoRelated: Little Daylight Glitter And GoldLittle Daylight Glitter and GoldLittle Daylight Overdose (The Chainsmokers Remix)All Things Gold 019: Goldroom, Stepdad, Little DaylightChicago Style Italian Seitan Sandwich Oiled by Son Ame Feliz, Little Daylight and Shy Around Strangers

Life+Times visits Tom Dick & Harry sneaker store in Bed-Stuy, a neighborhood staple since the ’40s and the setting for scenes from Jay-Z’s “Streets Is Watching” video. Previously: Jay-Z Teases New Album Magna Carta Holy Grail | This is Big Money Talk, Can You Answer Me?

Black Tusk‘s new song “In Days Of Woe” has received its own music video which you can watch below courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan. A new EP from the group titled “Tend No Wounds” in on the slate for a July 23rd release through Relapse.

A New York woman claims to have been raped at knifepoint while walking through the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint on Sunday morning, and according to reports, believes she was targeted because of her sexuality. But where would she get an idea like that, you ask? Halfway through the attack, the woman’s assailant told her “I’m doing this because you’re gay.” As if that made it more acceptable? The attack happened just after midnight on Java street between Manhattan Ave. and McGuiness Blvd., and is the first documented “rape by a stranger” in Greenpoint this year. Brooklyn Paper notes that the dodgy area used to be home of the Bushwick Bike Patrol, a volunteer service that escorted women home from subway stations at night until it shuttered in 2011. The troubling incident is the latest in a string of anti-gay attacks happening in New York City over the last two months, and like many of the previous, the NYPD has failed to bring the assailant to justice.

Jay-Z and the Future of MusicPublished: June 19, 2013I was in a bar in Brooklyn watching the NBA Finals on Sunday night, when Jay-Z’s now infamous three-minute-long Samsung commercial first aired. Barely able to hear the spot over the din of gathered basketball fans, a friend pulled out his phone and headed to the URL displayed at the end of the ad: MagnaCartaHolyGrail.com. And it was there that we learned that the world’s most famous rapper would be dropping his 12th studio album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” on July 4. If you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, that is. The news brought up a number of questions: 1) How was Jay-Z able to keep this so quiet? The album’s release was just over two weeks away, making the turnaround between the announcement of Kanye West’s “Yeezus” and its official release today look downright sluggish in comparison. 2) Was Jay pulling a total big brother move on Kanye, stealing his thunder by announcing “Magna Carta Holy Grail” days before Kanye’s album was set to hit stores? 3) Wait, you have to have a Samsung Galaxy phone if you want to get the album on July 4? To answer the first question, I have absolutely no idea. I guess if Jay asks you to keep a secret you do it, right? In regards to the second, umm, yeah, most definitely. “Yeezus” was cloaked in mystery before leaking, but one of the few concrete things everyone knew was that it was due out yesterday. There’s no way Jay didn’t give thought to the fact that he was announcing his new album, with its similarly grandiose title, less than 36 hours before the release of “Yeezus.” And as for the third question, apparently! Which is interesting if you are curious about the direction the music business is going in. Here’s how it works: If you want to get “Magna Carta Holy Grail” on July 4, you’ll have to own a Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S 4, or Galaxy Note II, with which you will have access to the album for free, three days before everyone else, via an app that can be downloaded on June 24. That’s because Samsung graciously purchased the first one million copies for $5 million. The arrangement is great for Jay, because it guarantees that his album goes platinum before it’s officially on sale, and for Samsung, because their phone, the only real iPhone competitor, becomes even more of a “must have” — for people who absolutely can’t wait three whole extra days for the record, that is. But as mutually beneficial as the deal may be from a money standpoint, it also stigmatizes the album — this is the album Samsung paid for — regardless of when the partnership was reached. Yes, all major label releases involve monetary transactions, but here another layer has been added to the mix, and it feels a little gross. This is the direction music and marketing are headed in, though. As Daily Intel’s Kevin Roose points out, Zooey Deschanel, Alicia Keys, and Gwen Steffani have all promoted smartphones before (Keys was actually named Blackberry’s Global Creative Director). Jay-Z’s taking it all a step further by giving his most die hard fans that much more of an incentive to buy the product he is endorsing — it’s not just about having the same phone as the rapper, it’s about having it and also getting a little extra reward. We’ve already seen the sponsored tour, music video, and single, but those all felt like one-offs. But even in the iTunes era, the album is still supposed to be a cohesive artistic statement, something we rarely associate with corporate underwriting. Regardless, we’re sure this marketing ploy will work out for both parties, and those million free copies will be downloaded (whether or not Billboard recognizes them). The partnership really should come as no surprise either, as Jay has proven himself uniquely talented at personal brand expansion (the Budweiser Select deal, buying into the Brooklyn Nets, then selling his stake to start his own sports agency, just to name a few). After all, this is the same guy who once rapped, “I’m not a busines

It has been a good spring for Lance Stephenson.He was a central piece of the Indiana Pacers' surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals; he is the centerpiece of the relaunch of an iconic basketball brand; he has helped kick-start some youth programs in his native Brooklyn; he is having his jersey retired by his high school; Larry Bird loves him—heck, he was even the surprise guest at an Indianapolis prom.His biggest issue these days?“We gotta figure out the laces,” he jokingly said about his signature AND1 shoes. “Sometimes they are too long.”Those are some of the minor details the 6'5" swingman mulled over as he watched the Heat and Spurs go to an epic Game 7 in this week’s NBA Finals, a Finals which, with a few bounces the right way, could have featured the Pacers.For the guy nicknamed “Born Ready,” watching this year is alright, but planning for a future on basketball’s biggest stage is where his focus is.“We knew what we were capable of doing this year, even when others did not,” he said. “Were we surprised how far we went? No. Our goal was to play aggressive, play smart and take care of the ball. It was not about being stars, it was about winning games, and we definitely made progress this year.” So did Stephenson, who went from being something of an unknown quantity for the squad to a stalwart defender and multifaceted offensive player, who became a key member of Indiana’s success.While some were surprised by Stephenson's success, Hall of Famer Larry Bird was not. He has been one of Stephenson's most loyal defenders and confidantes since the team took him with the 40th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.Bird and Stephenson have an ongoing dialogue about his on and off court demeanor, and he said those talks and texts helped him to improve his game and adjust to life in Indiana this past winter. “Larry has been an inspiration to me, we have similar values in what is needed to succeed, and he constantly reminded me all season to work on various parts of my game, to listen to the coaches and to stay focused on basketball.“Every week he would give me little tips about defending a player or handling a situation, and those little things really helped change things,” Stephenson said.Change for Stephenson came not just from basketball, but in his living arrangement as well. While some players from the hard courts of the inner city might have trouble fitting into the Midwestern environment of Indianapolis, Stephenson loved the change. “The people, the fans, have all been great, it's like family, very few distractions that you would have playing in a big market and that’s what I needed, to concentrate on basketball and help the Pacers win.”Stephenson also found ample time to help in the community both in Indianapolis and back in New York. He has been a regular at Pacers community events when kids have been involved, and, in New York, he founded his own youth program, giving young people the opportunity to exceed both in basketball and in the classroom.He also stepped into another unique role in Indiana this past Spring, creating the “Ultimate Prom Experience,” picking up all the expenses for a local high school couple who had written to him—one of several thousand—for the chance to have all expenses paid for their special night out. “Her story (Megan Conlin) was special to me,” he said. “She talked from the heart about some of her struggles in life, many of which I could relate to from growing up, and it was an honor to help them out.”All that hard work and dedication on and off the court paid off with when Stephenson linked up with a key business partner, the relaunched AND1 brand this past year.AND1, founded, 20 years ago in Philadelphia, has undergone a dramatic rebranding under new ownership which sought to recapture the presence the company had with the

In the Largehearted Word series, the staff of Brooklyn's WORD bookstore highlights several new books released this week. WORD is an independent neighborhood bookstore in Greenpoint, the northernmost neighborhood of Brooklyn, that recently celebrated its sixth anniversary. Our primary goal is to be whatever our community needs us to be, which currently means carrying a lot of paperback fiction (especially classics), cookbooks, board books, and absurdly cute cards and stationery. In addition, we're fiends for a good event, from the classic author reading and Q&A to potlucks and a basketball league (and anything set in a bar). We're a small operation, just 1000 square feet and four people, but we read too much, so it all works out. If a weekly dose of WORD here isn't enough for you, follow us on Twitter: @wordbookstores. WORD also hosts the monthly Largehearted Lit reading series, featuring authors who participated in this blog's Book Notes series and musical guests. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Molly and Jenn have been anxiously waiting for this to come out so we can talk about it with everyone. We have Many Thoughts! Lexicon by Max Barry We've been fans of Max Barry since Jennifer Government; no one tackles present-day issues with outlandish sci-fi twists quite like him. His newest is a privacy/brainwashing/data-obsessed thriller, which, how can you not want to read that? Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway by Sara Gran Jenn is still inarticulate about exactly how wonderful Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead was, so she's extra speechless about the sequel. Basically all you need to know is that Gran is whip-smart, a hell of a writer, and a genius with twists and turns. Flip the Script: A Guidebook for Aspiring Vandals & Typographers by Christian P. Acker This exhaustive guide to street styles nationwide is perfect for both coffee-table viewing and serious artists. WORD Brooklyn links: WORD website WORD Tumblr WORD on Twitter WORD's Facebook page WORD's Flickr photos also at Largehearted Boy: other Largehearted Word Books of the Week (weekly new book highlights) Online "Best Books of 2012" Lists 52 Books, 52 Weeks (my yearly reading project) Antiheroines (interviews with up and coming female comics artists) Atomic Books Comics Preview (weekly comics & graphic novel highlights) Book Notes (authors create music playlists for their book) guest book reviews musician/author interviews Note Books (musicians discuss literature)

Formed in 2011, Brooklyn rock quartet Glass Elephant show an excelled knack for polished hooks on their debut album, Atlantic. This is best shown on “Cedar Shake Home”, which progresses from fairly straightforward indie-rock beginnings into a guitar-driven flurry of melodic whimsy; the bridge to the chorus, with its angular guitar lead and slight woodwinds, is fantastically executed — and the chorus that ensues, while understated, lives up to the billing. This is a pleasant introduction from Glass Elephant show them as a group to keep your eyes on, one comparing favorably to polished rock acts like Ghosty and Mason Proper. This is yet another promising submission from the burgeoning Brooklyn indie-rock scene. Bandcamp / Facebook