This past weekend, Less Than Drake threw on their gear and got ready to rock their first show as the premier Less Than Jake cover band. As part of my attendance to this madness, I took some time to talk to their leader, Jason Wall.

Cut & Sewn: Why did you decide to start a Less Than Jake cover band?
Jason Wall: When I was younger, when it was actually popular in the late 90’s, I was a big fan of ska music. Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Goldfinger; I enjoyed it all. At some point, my friend Jon showed me Hello Rockview and changed my whole opinion on playing music. I started watching Less Than Jake videos, reading interviews, basically imitating everything they did in my junior high and high school bands.

One of the biggest things I respect about the band, however, is their live show.

Confetti, dancing, interactions with the crowd, jokes, costumes…every show was different, fun and done to ENTERTAIN. There are too many bands that record a CD, try to just play their songs and try to create a sort of “ambiance” for the crowd. That sucks.
(more…)

Our West Coast Cut Crew Reps Emma Allison and Makenzie Lynd came all the way from Santa Barbara to donate some sun to the cold coast. Their first adventure in Brooklyn brought them to Williamsburg’s Nita Nita and the exclusive filming of British music maker Neil Halstead’s (of Slowdive and Mojave 3) music video “Elevenses.” A big thanks to Chris Piazza of Jigsaw Soul for hooking it up.

Cut Crew East: How’s New York treating you?

Emma Allison: There’s no beach around and that’s weird. But I love it. I like the city and change of pace. It’s refreshing. – culture shock is refreshing, anything new is refreshing. It’s a bit nipply but I like it here.

CCE: Rub it in. Brooklyn can be a scary place for new comers. How has it been treating you?

Makenzie Lynd: I feel like it’s more like we’re living here than visiting. We are doing every day sort of stuff. We’re living the Brooklyn life.

CCE: How do you feel about tattoos?

EA: I like them. They are hot.

CCE: So how was the video shoot today with Neil Halstead?

ML: Everyone was really welcoming and really nice. They wanted to get to know us.

EA: It was set in a cute garden, pretty windy. I like how it was supposed to be set in the summer and it was freezing out.

CCE: How was the music?

EA: I loved it. I know every word now.

ML: It was my first time hearing it and now I’m sick of it. But the music was relaxing.

(more…)

We would like to give a big THANKS to our good friends at Uncle Magazine  for helping us get hammered the right way!

Friday night at Public Assembly, formally known as Galapagos, (we all remember Cut & Sewn’s epic Everyone Wants a Piece Party) brought good vibes, good people and excellent exclusive reading material.

Sponsored by New Rome, the night kicked off right with mix-masters Indian Giver. There wasn’t a single booty in the crowd that wasn’t shaking. Using a Girl-Talk minded mix, they spun their own original flavor with a very energetic guitarist, drummer and singer. Singing along with Bono takes cajones. Here’s a video quicky if you’re curious and feel free to download their sweet album, Taking It All Back: The Mixtape Album.

Closing the night was DJ Swaaan. He rocked the house, we danced until bedtime aka when our motor skills began to shut down.

So why were we there anyway? To celebrate Uncle Magazine’s launch of Issue II . To read it in full, click here.
In only a matter of days will you be able to get your hands on a hard copy. We assume you don’t want to have to look long for it, so here’s an answer to the savenger hunt.

If that’s not enough for you, put on Indian Giver’s Mixtape, load up the photo album of the night, and let the slideshow begin.

For more stuff about the Uncle Empire, click here.

This week’s playlist is provided by Goldie Jawn, an up and coming rapper out of Philadelphia. With her name growing every week in Philly, we’re were lucky to get her to talk to us for just a minute.

C&S: Pick 10 musicians that influence your music.
Goldie Jawn: JDilla, Carmen McCrae, Black Milk, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Jay Z, Little Brother, Ella Fitzgerald, Jill Scott.

What’s your worst gig?
My absolutely worst gig was the first time I performed. It was at this community center here in Philly. OMG, it was the summer time and it felt like I was in the middle of the Sahara Desert rocking a leather jumpsuit with 3 pairs of socks and a big wig without water. So hot. My throat was soooo mad at me cuz i did 5 songs! The water provided didnt help but I guess thats what you call paying your dues.

(more…)

After living in Columbus, New York City and Cincinnati in the last several years, Reena Samaan is now making her home – and hopefully for some time – in rock and roll capital of the world: Cleveland, Ohio, where she works in the communications department at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

In our department, we handle public and media relations for the Museum and of course, all of the great events, educational and public programs, and this year, the 24^th Annual Induction Ceremony! Every day brings new challenges and of course, it’s always a lot of fun working in and being surrounded by music. It’s an especially exciting time around here and I feel really lucky to be able to work at a special place like the Rock Hall. I thought I’d be somewhat misplaced in a city like Cleveland. I always had fun visiting, but where do you go after living in a place like NYC? I’m definitely learning Cleveland does rock – in its own way. There’s always a band playing somewhere, great independent restaurants and record stores, and of course the Lake Erie beaches in the summer. It’s a big city but with a more intimate feel…I’m into it!

There is no rhyme or reason to my playlist. Here is just a sample of what I’ve been listening to lately. Enjoy!

Leave it up to the folks at Uncle to uncover something like this. A rum-drinking, whore-mongering old man who calls himself Tony Baritone. And they’re proud to call him their de facto DJ. Here’s what he gave us.

Uncle Presents… Tony Baritone Plays The Hits
We met Tony Baritone in a record store in Miami. He wore a gold pinky ring, drank rum out of a paper bag, and kept telling us stories about hookers he’d fallen in love with. It was incredible. Weird and kind of creepy, but incredible. As we were leaving the store, he said he liked us and wanted to send us some records. Against better judgment, we gave our address. Whatever strange possibilities he represented, we wanted to find out.

When we got back to New York, there was a package waiting for us. A beat-up Havana Club Rum box, full of dusty old records. Havana Club isn’t even legal in the states. But of course Tony would have a box of it. Probably more where that came from.

And that was shipment one. We didn’t know what to expect, and it blew our minds. A few months later, a second box came. Shipment Two. A note said “I surprised you,” in chicken scratch. He was probably drunk when he wrote it, and definitely drunk when he paid for the shipping.

But Tony Baritone is the man, so who the fuck cares. (more…)

Today’s guest playlist comes from Erica of FIPS. She describes it much better than I ever could.

I have a blog whose title is so racy, I can only refer to it by an acronym here: FIPS, i.e. [blanked] in Park Slope. I write it with my bff Benjamin and we  mostly make fun of all people, places and things Park Slope-ish (especially  ourselves).  It’s a love/hate thing we have going on, though, truth be told  (when no one else is looking), its mostly love.  But there *are* a lot  of crazy/sexy/cool things going on in our nabe, and we kinda just let all of our  observations and analyses simmer into they bubbled up into a tasty little blog.

We def speak our minds. Some people hate us for it and some people love us  for it, but it’s fun to bust out with our bad selves.

That’s kinda how I feel about all the artists on this list (except for  maybe PM Dawn…they never really busted out.  But still…you get my drift).  Everyone else is pretty much a groundbreaker…or a “do it my way-er”…or and  “I’ve got something to say, so listen UP-er.”  And I really dig that.

So, listen up…and go on which yo bad self!

For this weeks playlist, I weighed heavily upon the XXL Freshman 10 and MTV’s MCs to Watch. Then for some reason, I added a Lily Allen song. Anyway, these songs hit HARD. Enjoy!

Next week, another guest takes the stage. Do you have what it takes to make a mindblowing playlist? Email me at lee@cutandsewn.com.

Coming out of Morrisville, PA just a mere 20 minutes from where our boy Lee hails from. He’s rapping what he knows, not guns and hoes, but fun with his bros (in college). Recently listed on XXL’s Top Freshman list and MTV’s MC to Watch, this guy can flow.

(more…)

Today’s playlist comes from someone we know very well, because she lives down the hall from Lee. Welcome Rachel!

As a single lady, society has told me I should be a bitter hag on V-Day. Those of you who were lucky enough to have received personally autographed VHS tapes of “Buns of Steel” plastered with my lipsticked kisses and sprayed with glitter in years past know that in reality I have nothing against this made-up holiday. While I may be drinking $3 Trader Joe’s wine straight from the bottle this Saturday night, by Sunday I will be stuffing my face with discount Sweetheart candy. So until then here are a few of my favorite “love songs.” I thought of going for disgustingly sappy and emotional in order to overcompensate for my single status or even disgruntled hate-sex songs. What came out though was a mixture of love ‘em and leave ‘em coupled with inflate ‘em and keep ‘em masterpieces. So today, let’s pay homage to Aristophanes and others with my V-Day play list.

(more…)

John Steele manages the blog for Solar States, a solar energy company dedicated to creating a solar industry, from the classroom to the rooftop. He has provided our playlist for the week with a great story below. Check our their blog and site.

When I saw that picture, a few things popped into my mind. First, awesome! I already have a TV, a radio, a dvd player, an omelet station, a blender and an XBOX in my bathroom. But with all available outlets filled and all circuitry going toward my entertoilet (entertainment toilet), how is a man supposed to charge his ipod while riding the porcelain bus?

But secondly, and equally as important, are there enough appropriate songs to celebrate such a monumental invention as the toilet-paper-holder-ipod-dock? There are plenty of songs about getting dumped, but what about taking one? So I set out on a quest to find the perfect playlist for this ipod. Get ready to go on a journey, from the bathroom line with N.E.R.D. to the final push with Salt ‘N Peppa and finally to lighting a courtesy match with Mirah. Once you are done listening to this as nature intended, I think you will agree that the only thing in your bathroom that doesn’t stink is the music.

Thanks to John for this playlist. Do you want a chance to make a playlist for us? Email lee@cutandsewn.com and you could be here very soon.