From Fitz & The Tantrums Facebook...

Very good weekend for live music in NYC this weekend; samplings below.

What I saw: The Brooklyn Hip-Hop festival on Saturday was probably the best festival that took place on some fenced-in blacktop under a bridge anywhere in the metro area this weekend. I thought Curren$y put on a really solid show (video below).

What I didn't see: The pool parties kicked off at the Waterfront yesterday in Williamsburg, BK. These free events have jumped the shark and become overrun. I have no confidence that I will attend a single one this Summer. I don't really regret missing it, but it looks like Fang Island would have more than met my expectations (video below).

Stage diving will ensue.

I like exactly one song by Health - and it's the song that everyone else likes. The rest of their noisy catalog to date does nothing for me, but, if it's any consolation I like 'Die Slow' a whole lot.
 
Despite past shortcomings, the band is back on my radar for two reasons:

In the meantime, the highly conceptual Javelin managed to find a way to cut through the blare and create one hell of a great remix of Health's 'In Heat', check it out:

Found via Stereogum and P4K

The National play The Bell House in Brooklyn tonight, and there's probably a better chance that you got a free ticket from Jet Blue then to one of these shows.

Last night, The National did Fallon. See and hear the first track off their forthcoming release High Violet,  'Terrible Love', which is nice. It kicks in with that signature, ominous bounce (a la Boxer tracks like 'Brainy' and 'Slow Show')  about 2:00 mins in and towards the end.

This premiered online before it even aired. And according to LateNightWithJimmyFallon.com, the band performed another song off the new album while in studio and it will debut on their site sometime in April.

The National's "mean record" comes out 5/11. Check out some more pics of them in-studio at HighViolet.com

"Well played," says Fallon.

How come bands sound so good on Jimmy Fallon, and so bad on SNL?

Watch last night's Jimmy Fallon on Hulu

So you know how there ain't sh#t to do on New Year's Eve this year? If you're planning on being in New York you might check out Q-Tip at Brooklyn Bowl. To clarify, it's being billed as a DJ set, but I got to believe he won't be able to resist the mic entirely.

It's $35 bucks for advanced tix, or you could try you luck with the contest they're running - the @BrooklynBowl New Years Resolution Giveaway. Tweet your resolution @BrooklynBowl  and you could win 6 passes for you and your friends including a $100 Food and Beverage Tab, complimentary bottle of champagne at midnight, and 1 custom art/poster, signed by the night's performers.

The winner will be selected at Noon on Dec. 28. My New Year's resolution is to go to the dentist and get my chompers worked on after my new dental benefits kick in. If creativity is being judged, I don't think I'm winning this.

I got shut out of The Roots show at the massive, massive Brooklyn Bowl last Thursday. Apparently, at one point the band Pattern is Movement was invited to share the stage with the greatest band in Late Night... and then it got all crooned out.

(H/T @ Pitchfork)

This is Sunn O))). They look like a laugh riot, right?

Their music is absolutely soul sucking.

To anyone who went and saw them at The Masonic Temple in Brooklyn on Tuesday night. What is your damage?