April 10, 2007

Ten With Neal Carlson of Mink

Fresh off their stint at SXSW, Neal Carlson and his band Mink are playing The Saint tonight in Asbury Park. You may recognize Neal from his former band Bona Roba, or from the reality show Rock Star: INXS or from his really tight pants. Trigger talks to the Mink front man about his new band, their forthcoming record, and their new single “Talk To Me”.

1. Mink just got back from SXSW, what was that experience like?

It was insane. We played four shows in three days and Lou Adler, who produced Sam Cooke (one of my heroes), checked out one of our shows. That was cool. Late at night everyone got really trashed so it turned into more of a frat party vibe, except everyone was wearing really tight pants.

2. What's the deal with your other band Bona Roba? Did you guys break up?

Yeah, we were all ready for something new. I started in Mink about a month after Bona Roba's last show and it's been pretty intense. I still listen to the Bona Roba stuff very fondly and I am convinced that it's going to be a cult classic in a few years.

3. What's the response been like for your new single, "Talk To Me"?

It’s been pretty rad. "Talk To Me" is getting a great reaction from radio and it's currently in rotation on a lot of college and indie stations. "Talk To Me" is one of those songs that took twenty minutes to write and that's the appeal. There's nothing over thought about it.

Looking back I would say so. It's never fun to get tossed in front of four million people, but it is better that I did. A few months after the show ended, I was already in Mink and on tour in Australia.

5. Is it hard keeping a band together when half lives in New York and the other half lives in Australia?

Not at all. Anyone who has played in the same city for a few years knows that the scene gets old after a while. The way we're doing it keeps it way more exciting and it is important to give both hemispheres equal attention.

6. We've seen you play live a few times and you really know how to work a stage, you have the girls...and the guys drooling. Who were your music idols growing up? Is it safe to say Mick Jagger was one of them?

I don't know that I've caused drooling…maybe frothing or eye-spasms. My idol as a kid was Axl Rose. His style in the video for Sweet Child O' Mine was incredible to me. Then to follow it up with an all-white leather suit for Paradise City…genius! There also was David Byrne, Jim Morrison and Evan Dando.

7. Mink's first LP comes out in June, how was the recording process? Any fist fights or diva-sized tantrums?

We worked with Sylvia Massy, who produced some of my favorite bands growing up like Tool and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. She's very free-flowing and open to experimentation which makes recording fun.

I've been known to pitch a diva-sized tantrum every now and then. For example, I WILL NOT sing unless there are three dozen swans in a circle around me, cooing my name.

8. With a lot of New York clubs closing recently like CBGBs, Tonic and Sin-E, what impact do think it will have on the scene?

I don't know, it's painful to see. Maybe McDonald's will open a music club and a $10 cover charge gets you in to see the band and a #2 combo meal.

9. You are a Guns N' Roses fan...will you buy Chinese Democracy should it ever be released?

It's a race. Mink vs. Guns N' Roses. I wouldn't be surprised if Axl decides to scrap all the material and start rewriting Chinese Democracy.

10. What's you favorite movie with Mink Stole?

Don't hate me for this, but I haven't seen a movie with Mink Stole. I am a corrupt and bad person because of this.

Mink plays The Saint April 10th, 2007

The Saint
601 Main Street
Asbury Park, NJ
www.thesaintnj.com

Mink online | www.minkmuisc.com

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April 3, 2007

Art Vendors Vs. Police

No...it isn't the tourists and SUV-sized baby strollers crowding SoHo...it's the people selling art!

Art vendors say police get picture all wrong - The Villager

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Graffiti Bars

Finally, some non-offensive chocolate usage!

"Urban sensibilities and New York City flavor are the key ingredients to the early success of Alison Nelson’s Chocolate Bar, a purveyor of premium chocolates and gourmet sweets located in the West Village. Since starting her business in 2002, Nelson has brought a fresh approach to the stuffy world of premium chocolates by combining confectionary delights with uniquely urban sights – a reflection of her irreverent nature and her love of the arts and New York City. Her latest creation, Graffiti Bars, promises “Great Chocolate, Pure Street” and includes ten new flavors adorned in wrappers designed by a group of legendary New York City graffiti artists such as Lady Pink, Crash, Spar One, and Blade. Nelson will donate a significant portion of proceeds to a non-profit group selected by the artists – the All Stars Project, a performing arts organization for underprivileged youth that operates in Harlem, Coney Island, Bedford-Stuyvesant and the South Bronx."

Graffiti Chocolate Bars - Format Magazine

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Astroland May Get One More Ride

"It's not quite game over for Coney Island's fabled Astroland Park.

Developer Joe Sitt, who bought the 3.1-acre summer amusement park to incorporate into his planned, glitzy, Vegas-style complex, told The Post he's "willing to keep Astroland open" - or some form of it - for at least the 2008 summer season if his project is delayed.

"The last thing I want is for Coney Island to go dark," said Sitt.

On Sunday, Astroland opened for what was expected to be its final season, with Sept. 8 as its scheduled last day.

The developer and City Hall remain at odds over whether Sitt's firm, Thor Equities, should get the green light to include luxury condos in its proposed $2 billion, 10-acre, year-round entertainment project. Without the condos, the developer says the project doesn't make fiscal sense.

The Astroland sale has no effect on the park's most popular ride - the landmarke Cyclone roller coaster."

Astroland May Get One More Ride - New York Post

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April 2, 2007

LES: It's hard out here for a pimp.

If you can keep from being distracted by the collapsing buildings on the Lower East Side, you'll notice that both Tonic and Sin-E are closing this month. Thank god, we were just wondering when someone would be kind enough to open up seven more Duane Reads on one block.

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