I took a tour of Ludlow Manor, a quite large restaurant/club/lounge on the south side of Delancey and Ludlow. It's right across the street from Hotel Chantelle. The joint will open this Friday, with owners Georgie Seville and Luc Carl doing the inviting. It is the sister club to The Delancey, that wildly famous joint just east. The owner of that joint, Robert, is hanging out behind the scenes letting the rock studs run with it. I worked with Georgie back in the day, and he is pure Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo. This makes me happy. I am a rocker to my core, and am pleased to have another joint where I can hang.

Summer is well underway, and you've finally decided to either tackle that long to-do list you’ve been writing, or you've chosen to go do nothing on Governors Island because -- let's be real -- there is nothing to do there. Or maybe you’re fortunate enough to be tossing back a couple of your favorite summer ales at the beach on a hot Friday afternoon. Whatever you may be doing to enjoy the life, you're still probably missing one thing: Brooklyn-based hitmaker Paolo Xz’s Italo mix from his jumpin’ set at Cameo Gallery.

"I want it to be like Friendster," declares Socialisting founder Lawrence Lewitinn, then quickly clarifies: "The early days." We're at Socialisting's launch party. I found out about this party because I spotted it on Facebook and recognized some attendees. I found Lawrence at the party through Peter Gaston, a SPIN editor my girlfriend met through work. Friends of friends! Theme!

CMJ is a big festival featuring many, many bands. It's easy to get overwhelmed. And sure, you can always just go see the hyped and often overhyped bands you've already heard of like Deerhunter and My Morning Jacket. But CMJ is really about exposing up-and-comers to the world, and allowing them to rock it. In that spirit I recommend three under the radar bands who are definitely worth your time.

If exposure is the reason that the College Music Journalism Marathon takes over every single venue in the city each October, then there's no reason to see bands you already know are good. Bands like Cold Cave, The Atlas Sound, Deer Tick, or Ted Leo + The Pharmacists have gotten enough attention so far. Instead, here's a list of shows that basically explain why CMJ was invented.

Are you tired of hokey recession specials that never end up scratching your gnawing, thirsty itch? We are rapidly becoming a city of broke drunks, thus it is vital we learn how to be the best broke drunks we can be. If you have no job, no prospects, and only a few bucks, but still maintain flawless taste, then check out the top ways to get your drink on without further damaging the already broken bank.

Zipcar is sold out. Your hedge fund boyfriend no longer has that Hampton compound (or the hedge fund for that matter). The gas prices at the pump read as high as the price tag on your Louboutin pumps. You are city-bound this Memorial Day weekend. Luckily, so is half the city, and they're going to be out and about, enjoying all the local happenings sans traffic, suitcases, soaring fuel prices, and annoying mini-clubs. Here's a short list of events approved for your day life and your nightlife.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock in New York, you’ve walked into one of Johnny T’s East Village hangs. A staple in the NYC music and nightlife scenes, Johnny recently opened Cabin Down Below, an insta-speakeasy sensation. We sat down for an afternoon cocktail in the basement of his bar Niagara, source of many rock n' roll memories.