According to NME.com, Adam Yauch will have a new short film out, Fight for Your Right Revisited with the tagline "After the Boys Leave the Party."

Yauch is director and screenwriter for this short film, which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, with the cast of Elijah Wood, Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and Jack Black, among other big names.

The man himself posted a still from the film on Beastieboys.com [DEAD LINK] at the beginning of December as a hint.

Mike D confirms that it will also be a video for a new song titled "Make Some Noise."

Mike Diamond has created a remix for Brooklyn band Matt and Kim. The song, titled "Cameras (Mike D Remix)," was released today and is available for download at the iTunes store and Amazon.com.
You may listen to the full song at Soundcloud.com.

But wait! That's not all. Mike has also created a remix for Swedish singer Lykke Li. "Get Some (Mike D Remix)" can also be heard on Soundcloud.com. The song will be available for download at iTunes next Tuesday (12/14) with Lykke Li's "Get Some" deluxe edition single.

One of the editors at Beastiemania.com has discovered a short 1982 radio interview with Adam Horovitz and Dave Rubenstein on WNYU's "Life After Death," which was a New York hardcore and punk radio program hosted by Hal Jannen. Rubenstein (aka Dave Insurgent) and Horovitz were on the program to promote a free show in which their bands — Reagan Youth and the Young and the Useless, respectively — were playing at the Mudd Club in New York City on August 2, 1982.

You may download and listen to an mp3 of the 5-minute radio interview HERE [DEAD LINK] or at Beastiemixes.com. [DEFUNCT SITE]

The audio comes from hardcore music fan Greg Fasolino, who recorded the "Life After Death" programs on audio cassettes and kept them for nearly 30 years before sharing them online. Four of Fasolino's recordings of "Life After Death" — including the one from which the Horovitz/Rubenstein interview has been extracted — are available to download from the blog More Than a Witness. It should be noted that Fasolino did not record full audio of the programs, choosing to stop the cassette player on occasion. Additionally, note that his recordings are two or more shows that were combined on a single cassette.

On the same program that Horovitz promoted the Mudd Club show, he supposedly premiered the Young and the Useless' 7-inch. Unfortunately, Fasolino's recording does not capture that part of the program.

The average Beastie Boys fan may not find the Horovitz/Rubenstein interview or the "Life After Death" recordings all that interesting; however, the over-40 fans who remember the hardcore music scene and '80s college radio will likely be highly entertained with the audio.

Click to enlarge

In memory of Sean "the Captain" Carasov, who passed away on October 30, we share his article "The Captain's Beefs," which was published in Issue #1 of Grand Royal Magazine (Fall/Winter 1993).

Today Tamra Davis, aka Tammy D aka Mrs. Michael Diamond, was a guest DJ on KCRW radio in Los Angeles. She chose five songs and discussed their significance to her. Her first song pick was Beastie Boys's "So What'cha Want." Davis explained the song pick by sharing a personal story:

I love that song. It, to me, really defines a time and this attitude. It's also a personal song to me because my husband is Mike D, and while he was making that record, I was just like the wife at home like, 'Oh God, you're just like taking so long on this record,' and the record company had asked them to make one more single and I was just like, 'Oh god, not another week in the studio every night.' So then he comes back and he plays me this song, "So What'cha Want" and I remember sitting in the front of our house in the car listening to it and I just was like, 'This? This is the song that you spent all this time on?!? This isn't that good.'

Time changed her opinion of the song, which she says is the best song that she has ever heard.

You may listen to and/or download audio of the program at KCRW's website (click on the "Listen" box at the upper left of the page), as well as read a full transcript of the show.

Tamra Davis is currently promoting her film Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, which contains music composed by Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz.

(Shoutout to Mama B)

More than a year ago, Beastie Boys fans got to hear "Pop Your Balloon," a new song from Hot Sauce Committee, Pt 1 (and on Pt 2) when it was included as an audio track on the NBA Live 10 video game.

Because I don't like album spoilers, I avoided listening to the song. However, yesterday's announcement from the band made me realize that I've been holding out on listening to the song for no good reason. What the band will eventually release on Pt 2 may not sound or have the same lyrics as the NBA Live 10 track.

Because of my holdout, Beastiemania.com does not have a discography and lyrics page for "Pop Your Balloon." We'll correct the matter now that I have finally broken down and listened to the track. Please help Beastiemania.com by providing feedback on my lyric transcription. The only verse that I had a problem with is Mike D's last one. He spits out too many syllables too quickly. I catch that he's rapping about Tron and Kahn.

Pop Your Balloon (Clean Version/NBA 10 Live)

Rickity-rickity-rickity-rickity-wow!
I got the golden style
You people go wild when I bless this crowd
Ooh to the ahh, to the ooh, to the eee
You want to know who funky and I said 'Je suis'

Well, I give you a wedgie, I give you a noogie
But my [censored] electric boogie
Break dancing at your door on a pile of [censored]
Set the bag on [censored]

I bust into your radio station
Put on my [censored] mask and put my tape on
By the time you figure out what went wrong
Light up my jet pack and I'm gone

Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon

I grab my mic and people lose their minds
And twist their hands in the air and bop their heads in time
Rockin', shoutin' (Do your dance, Mike)
Because I'm built for speed like a Tour de France bike

I got the tape spinnin' in the echoplex
I keep the competition sealed under a hex
And if you waste my time then I get vexed
I never sleep 'cause it's the cousin of death

Like Franz Harary, I'm a magic man
Films in the cam, cat's in the bag, carpet is shag
You can try to take the boast, but you can't take the brag

Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon

We come together upon the mic and rock it
We got styles ain't none of y'all can top it
We in the cut and, yes, we in the pocket
We're getting down and that's right, that's right, that's right, that's right…

Yo, because I'm down in the basement mixin' up
I'm on the edge and I'm on the break
You've got the press, and I've got the plates
We pressin' [censored] by the crate

Yes, we make it happen with the rappin'
With the crunch with the Cap'n and the Boo Berry
With Count Chocula, the sound that you love
We've been getting fly with the highest above

I'm on, the one, the battle tank in Tron
You're too far gone -- ARGH! -- another pawn
Guide searching, what channel is he on?
'Cause there ain't no sunshine when Mike D's gone

Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon
Pop your balloon, pop-pop your balloon…

Yo, the sound man almost lost his soup on that one
He's still contemplating it though
Oh-oh, look out!

Someone please suggest an alternate lyric for "We've been getting fly with the highest above." It's too Christian rock to be Beastie Boys.

🎵 You may listen to the song HERE.

Beastie Boys have announced via their fan email list that the tracklist for Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2 will be the same as announced for Hot Sauce Committee Pt 1. The songs on HSCP2 will be remixed, redone, refurbished, recalculated versions of the songs that they originally recorded for HSCP1. The band plans to release Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2 in spring 2011.

Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2 Tracklist:

1. Tadlock's Glasses
2. B-Boys in the Cut
3. Make Some Noise
4. Nonstop Disco Powerpack
5. OK
6. Too Many Rappers (featuring Nas)
7. Say It
8. The Bill Harper Collection
9. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)
10. Long Burn the Fire
11. Funky Donkey
12. Lee Majors Come Again
13. Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
14. Pop Your Balloon
15. Crazy Ass Shit
16. Here's a Little Something for Ya

Beastie Boys recently updated fans with this new information:

"Although we regret to inform you that 'Hot Sauce Committee Part 1' will continue to be delayed indefinitely, 'Hot Sauce Committee Part 2' will be released on time as originally planned in Spring of 2011."

It also appears that Beastieboys.com might be undergoing some sort of makeover (for the new album?) as the message board (and everything else) seems to be down, and the above message is the only text on the screen. So keep an eye on changes to that page!

No time to say hello?

The French music industry has been abuzz with talk that Beastie Boys have invited French artist Philippe Zdar (of house music duo Cassius) to help them mix Hot Sauce Committee. Zdar has successfully mixed albums and songs for Phoenix, Cut Copy, and Chromeo, among other artists.

A source close to the band has shared that Mike Diamond confirmed Zdar will be mixing HSC. It appears that Zdar will reign over the mix of the entire album, not just a few songs or remixes.

A very rare recording of a 1986 concert featuring the Beastie Boys has surfaced in an audio sharing forum. The recording is from a July 19, 1986, concert at Madison Square Garden.

The audio captures two hours of a mega-concert with performances by Run-DMC, Whodini, LL Cool J, Timex Social Club, and Beastie Boys. Beastie Boys performed only two songs: "Slow and Low" and "Hold It Now, Hit It."

You can download the audio HERE [DEAD LINK].

The concert is in mp3 format and not divided by song. Beastie Boys's performance can be found in the second file around the 10:30 mark.

Beastie Boys have been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Other nominees are Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Chic, Neil Diamond, Donovan (Adam Horovitz’s former father-in-law), Dr. John, J. Geils Band, LL Cool J (who was discovered by Adam Horovitz), Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex, Tom Waits, and Chuck Willis.

The inductees will be announced in December, and the awards ceremony will be held on March 14 in New York City.

Propellerhead, the maker of music software Reason, recently taped a video interview with Adam Horovitz in his home studio. In the interview (above), Horovitz discusses sampling and his approach to making music.

An outtake video (below) has Horovitz sharing stories about the Beastie Boys early days.

Michele Lupi and Adam Yauch in Venice. Photo: GQ.com Italy.

Michele Lupi, the editor-in-chief of GQ Italy, has become an unusual source for an update on Adam Yauch. In an editorial posted at GQ.com Italy, Lupi describes meeting Yauch in Venice this month and shares details from personal conversations with Yauch.

In his editorial (published in Italian HERE [DEAD LINK]), Lupi explains how he came to connect with Yauch. The story goes that Lupi was contacted by Italian rapper Jovanotti, a friend of Yauch's, to help Yauch find a house to rent in Venice while he attended the Venice Film Festival. Lupi used his connections to help out Yauch.

During a party for the Venice Film Festival, Lupi ran into Yauch and introduced himself as the guy who helped him with the house. Yauch thanked him, and the two chatted casually. Lupi decided to brave the personal question about Yauch's health and was surprised that Yauch responded openly and frankly. Yauch told Lupi that after 12 months of trying to beat the cancer, he believes that he has finally found the cure. Yauch said the trip to Venice and the Venice Film Festival was to celebrate the cure.

Photo by Emilie Sandy

Enjoy this photostream of the Beastie Boys taken by Emilie Sandy in London in June 2009. Sandy took the photos for use in a UK magazine. In her blog, Sandy shared, "They were really nice guys and were extremely easy to work with...just shows their shooting experience throughout the years."

Photo by Ari Marcopoulos, originally published at Beastieboys.com

Alfredo Ortiz, the Beastie Boys percussionist and drummer, is a consummate musician, who at any given time might be a member of a dozen bands. No exaggeration. Fredo is currently on tour in Europe playing drums with Tito & Tarantula. The band are touring in support of their album Back into the Darkness. They recently recorded the title song for the upcoming Robert Rodriguez film Machete.


Fredo in action with Tito & Tarantula

Over the last year, Fredo has recorded and produced music with a number of musicians, including Mexican-American artist Lysa Flores, whose music will be included in a documentary titled Immigrant Daughter. Fredo helped to produce Flores's new album on which he plays drums and contributes vocals. The album should be completed before the end of this year. See video of Fredo performing with Lysa Flores in Pasadena last month HERE [VIDEO REMOVED].

Fredo also recorded with Los Angeles–based bands Funeral Party (on their album Golden Age of Knowhere) and Cava. Fredo played drums and percussion, as well as helped to write several songs, on Cava's new album A Naughty Dread, which was released last month. Cava's keyboardist is Walter Miranda, who toured with the Beastie Boys in the late '90s when Money Mark was unable to go on the road.

If that weren't enough, Fredo recently recorded percussion with garage rock band the Jump Offs, whose members saw Fredo perform with BS2000 in 2001 when they were only 10 years old. Fredo was introduced to the Jump Offs by his friend Manny Nieto, who has recorded with Los Lobos, Lysa Flores, and Kim Deal, among others. Manny has Fredo working in the studio right now during his short break from the Tito & Tarantula tour, laying down drums for an album by punk band The Inevitable Backlash. You can hear Fredo drumming on the band's cover of the All-American Rejects's "Gives You Hell," which they recorded live in two takes. The NSFW video of the song is located HERE.

To top all of that, Fredo has been recording an album of his own (!), which he plans to release in 2011. Hiatus what?!

In addition to working on music, Fredo has done some recent television work. He appeared in the 200th episode of CSI with friend and fellow Beastie Boys associate Eric Bobo. Fredo has also contributed to a new commercial for Venus Gillette (yes, ladies razors), which will air in the coming months.

[VIDEO REMOVED]
Fredo and Eric Bobo on the set of CSI

Fans interested in connecting with Fredo may reach him through his Myspace page and official website.

Ricky Powell has compiled a new dvd containing the best clips from his early '90s cable access show, "Rappin' with the Rickster." The two-disc dvd set includes interviews and footage of the Beastie Boys, Russell Simmons, Cypress Hill, Sonic Youth, and Kool Keith, among others. (Click on the image at left to view the dvd contents list.)

The clips on the dvd were pulled from Powell's original analog masters, so the quality is much better than the VHS-sourced clips fans have posted at Youtube. (View some clips HERE, HERE, and HERE.)

The dvd, aptly titled Rappin' with the Rickster, may be purchased at Amazon and other online outlets. According to the distributor, the dvd's official release date is tomorrow, July 27. Please note that the dvd is a region 1 dvd (United States and Canada).

Powell recently did an interview with Conspiracy Worldwide Hip Hop Radio in the UK that Beastie Boys's fans will appreciate. Powell talks about his time with the Beastie Boys in the past and where he stands with them now. Powell definitively puts the question of beef between the band and him at rest.

There is no beef. "I never hang with them as a unit anymore...Adrock gives me dues and respect," he says. Powell attributes his not hanging with them now to his being a "bohemian, swingin' bachelor" and the band being married with children. Powell summarizes it all with the explanation, "Their wives don't really dig me."

Stream or download and listen to the 34-minute interview HERE. The interview is highly recommended.

Bad news, Beastie Boys fans. According to a source at the Beastie Boys's label, Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 has been removed from Capitol's 2010 release schedule. My source says the album has been on-again, off-again a number of times this year, but now it is definitely off for 2010.

Fans should not assume this news is a sign that Adam Yauch is doing poorly. It simply means for reasons known only to the band, the album will not be released this year.

Do not despair. There are a number of things related to the Beastie Boys to check out or do during the band's continued hiatus.

HE CHOPS, HE DICES
Attend a Mix Master Mike show to reaffirm what you know: Mix Master Mike reigns supreme on the turntables. See MMM's performance schedule at Mixmastermike.com.

2 MCS AND NO DJ
See the film Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child by Tamra Davis to hear music composed by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz. Visit the film's official website [DEFUNCT SITE] to see if it is being screened in your area.

Y'ALL KNOW KEYBOARD MONEY MARK
Watch Money Mark's Myspace and Tumblr pages for possible updates on his new album. Also listen to Mark's keyboarding on Salvador Santana's album Keyboard City, which was released earlier this year. Mark played on and produced some of the songs on the album.

WE LIVE TO PLEASE HIM
Make Yauch happy by seeing some of Oscilloscope Laboratories films. Visit Oscilloscope.net to view a list of its films. (On American cable TV, Flow: For Love of Water is currently showing on the Sundance Channel.)

A BOOMBOX IS AN OLDIE MUSIC PLAYER
If you are in Washington, DC, visit the National Museum of American History to see the exhibit Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment. Beastie Boys donated the boombox that they used on tour opening for Madonna in 1985 to the exhibit. The exhibit is in DC through August and then will travel to museums in Detroit and New York City in the coming year.

HE WAS BORN TO SING AND DANCE
If you are in New York City, attend a "Our Hit Parade" show at Joe's Pub. If Adam Horovitz is not on stage performing with the ensemble, he is usually in the audience. Performances are generally scheduled during the last week of each month, and they are hilarious. Review the calendar at the venue's website for performance dates. (Note: "Our Hit Parade" often posts full video of its shows to its website [DEFUNCT SITE].)

RELATED THROUGH MARRIAGE AND MUSICAL TALENT
See the concert documentary Le Tigre: On Tour, now screening at various film festivals. Some of the concert footage in the documentary was shot when Le Tigre opened for the Beastie Boys on their concert tour of Japan and Australia in 2005. (Beastie Boys do not appear in the documentary.) You should see this film because Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman, and JD Samson are interesting women who make interesting music. In many ways, they are similar to the Beastie Boys, particularly their sense of humor and feelings on standing up for what you believe.

JULIA CHILDS NEVER SHOPPED FOR SUPERHERO PAJAMAS
Watch or rewatch Tamra Davis's internet cooking show to see the Michael Diamond family and friends at home and at play, while you learn how to prepare healthy dishes.

BIG SCREEN TAKEOVER
Keep an eye out for announcements about the Bad Brains documentary in which Yauch appears. According to IMDB.com, the film has been in post-production status for some time. Screenings could be announced any time.

Buzz 103.1 radio in West Palm Beach, Florida, recently posted audio of an interview it conducted with Mike Diamond in February 2008. The interview was done to promote the Beastie Boys performance at the Langerado Festival in March 2008. Whether the audio ever aired or has been shared before this week is unknown. (It's new to us.)

In the interview, Mike talks about the Beastie Boys recording Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1. Although there are no revelations about the album in this interview, it's worth a listen because it is Mike being Mike.

[AUDIO REMOVED]

Photo by Philip Andelman

Milk Gallery in New York City is currently hosting an exhibition by photographer and music video director Philip Andelman, titled Three Days in Paris. The photo exhibition chronicles three days in which the Beastie Boys and The Dead Weather hung out together in the City of Lights. The photos were taken in June 2009, when the Beastie Boys were in Europe to promote Hot Sauce Committee, Pt 1.

Three Days in Paris is on display at Milk Gallery until May 29. If you are unable to visit the exhibition in person, you may look at some of the photos HERE.

You may find additional photos Andelman took of the Beastie Boys that do not appear in the exhibition at his website, PhilipAndelman.com.

After Three Days in Paris closes at Milk Gallery, it will move to a gallery in Berlin, Germany.

Video and photos of the Beastie Boys at the ribbon cutting ceremony of MiniMoogseum, an installation honoring synthesizer inventor Bob Moog, were published online today by the Moog Foundation. The ceremony took place at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina, where the installation is housed permanently, almost a year ago. (Beastie Boys played a show in Asheville on June 10, 2009.)

Photos by Mic to Mic

Mike Diamond participated in a guitar jam at the Church Street School for Music & Art today as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Street Fair.

More photos HERE.

The details about Mike Diamond's appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival Family Day have been announced. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Church Street School for Music and Art, Mike will be hosting and leading a public guitar jam with Andrew W.K. on Family Day on May 1.

The jam session will take place outside the school, which is located at 74 Warren Street, from 3 to 4 pm. All players are welcomed to join the jam.

Mike Diamond did his best Blue Steel, posing for photographers on the red carpet at the Food Bank for New York City's 8th Annual Can-Do Awards dinner in New York City last night. Mike and his wife, Tamra Davis, have been long-time supporters of the Food Bank for New York City, which aims to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs.

Don't forget to go out today and support your local independent record store. If you're on the hunt for the Beastie Boys super surprise record, let us know your luck in finding it. Moreover, if you find it, let us know what's on the album.

Update: The super surprise album contains two remixes: "Here's a Little Something for Ya Remix" by DJ Shadow and "Lee Majors Come Again Remix" by Cut Chemist. These remixes were mash-ups created for the DJ Hero game soundtrack. For more information and photos of the album, visit Beastiemania.com.

Mike Diamond will be making an appearance at the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair on May 1 in New York City. He will be participating in a "guitar play-in" (perhaps as Country Mike?) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Church Street School for Music and Art. The event is free and open to the public.

Mike Diamond has collaborated with watchmaker Nixon to design a custom Time Teller P watch featuring his image. The watch is available in blue, green, orange, and white and may be pre-ordered at Watchismo.com [DEFUNCT SITE] for $75. It will also be sold at select retail stores beginning in September.

Speaking about the watch, Mike said, "I am proud to release this little treasure as a token of my achievement in both the yachting and hip-hop communities. This advanced time piece allows me to navigate the open seas and the open mic."

Update: The price of the watch has been changed to $85.

Photo of Country Mike at the Orange Peel by Money Mark

Today's audio share got lost in the hubbub of Adam Yauch's cancer announcement last fall. It is of the Beastie Boys performance at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina, on June 10, 2009. It's the only full-show audio from the two club concerts that the Beastie Boys performed in 2009 (the other show was in Baltimore, Maryland), where the band premiered performances of songs from Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1. The recording was taped and shared by Taylor Maurer.

Setlist
The Biz vs. the Nuge (with Biz Markie)
Time for Livin'
Remote Control
Root Down
Sure Shot
Super Disco Breakin'
Posse in Effect
Shake Your Rump
Gratitude
Electric Worm
Sabrosa
Lee Majors Come Again
Transit Cop
Body Movin'
B-Boys in the Cut
Do It (with Biz Markie)
Pass the Mic
So What'cha Want
Ricky's Theme
POW
Lighten Up
Egg Raid on Mojo
Tough Guy (with Country Mike)
Bennie and the Jets (with Biz Markie)
Mix Master Mike Interlude
Intergalactic
3 MCs and 1 DJ
Heart Attack Man
Mark on the Bus
Sabotage

Although the two new songs ("Lee Majors Come Again" and "B-Boys in the Cut") and the collaborations with Biz Markie are interesting to hear, I find the performance of "Body Movin'" to be the most interesting one in the recording. Mix Master Mike whipped up some crazy beats for the song and you can hear the Beastie Boys struggling to keep up with what he threw at them. The song peters out miserably, but what happens before that is good.

You can download a recording of the show as a zip folder of mp3s HERE [DEAD LINK], or if you prefer lossless audio, you can find a FLAC torrent of the show at DIME.

Uffie, an electropop artist on Ed Banger Records, recently posted a remix of a song from her upcoming album to her website. The remix is titled "MCs Can Kiss (Mike D Remix)" (free download HERE [DEAD LINK]). A Mike D remix, you ask? From my work on Beastiemania.com, I know that there is another artist who uses "Mike D" as his handle and that he remixes songs. I contacted both Uffie's and Beastie Boys's official peeps for clarification, and no one could confirm that the Mike D who remixed the song is Mr. Michael Diamond of Beastie Boys. So, maybe the song is a Mike D aka Sweet Lou remix, or maybe it's a Mike D aka the Other Guy remix. You decide.

Update: I finally got confirmation from the Beastie Boys camp. The remix is indeed Mike Diamond's work.

Beastie Boys have contributed a "super surprise" 12-inch record for Record Store Day, which is a day in which special vinyl and CD releases are sold exclusively at independently owned record stores. The purpose of Record Store Day is to encourage music fans to support their local record stores, instead of big box stores or online music stores.

The Beastie Boys's super surprise record for Record Store Day is limited to 1,000 copies and will be distributed among more than 700 record stores. If you are interested in getting a copy of the Beastie Boys's album, go to your local record store and express interest in it. The record store will not be able to guarantee you a copy, but it will be able to make a request for the record.

I checked with Other Music, a popular independent record store in NYC, and was told that the store requested 14 copies of the Beastie Boys's album, but it has no idea how many it will actually get. It's all a crapshoot — for both the record stores and buyers.

A source at Capitol/EMI, the Beastie Boys's record label, confirmed that the label did not commission the album from the Beastie Boys — meaning, the idea to participate in Record Store Day was solely the Beastie Boys's idea. Knowing that the label was not involved in the album means the album could be anything. Because it's the Beastie Boys, you have to assume that it will be interesting.

A list of the special releases for Record Store Day can be viewed HERE. Record Store Day takes place on April 17.

Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz have contributed original music to the soundtrack of the documentary Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child. The film by Tamra Davis, Mike Diamond's wife, offers a portrait of the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who died at age 27 from a heroin overdose. (Read a bio on Basquiat HERE.) The film had its premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival and will have its theatrical release later this year.

Watch the trailer on Youtube.

A nameless former A&R assistant for Columbia Records has posted an unreleased 1995 planned benefit CD for Leonard Peltier, an American activist and member of the American Indian Movement who was convicted and sentenced in 1977 to life imprisonment for the murder of two FBI agents during a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. During Peltier's trial and following his conviction, there was debate over his guilt and the fairness of his trial.

The benefit CD was planned to help raise awareness of Peltier's situation and help pay for his legal fees. Beastie Boys were among the artists who supported Peltier and contributed a song to the album. The Beastie Boys also supported Peltier by performing at the Leonard Peltier benefit concert in April 1994, which was organized by Rage Against the Machine.

The album is available to download in full HERE [DEAD LINK], where you can read more about Peltier's case. Alternatively, you may download or listen to an mp3 of just the Beastie Boys song, titled "(R)Evolution Time," HERE. The song is an early, unmastered version of "Resolution Time."

Please note that the songs on the album have not been mastered.

Exiled in the Land of the Free - A Benefit Album for Leonard Peltier
Tracklist:

"Leonard Peltier In a Cage" - The Goats
"Stick It Out" - New Bomb Turks
"Wake Up (Live)" - Rage Against the Machine
"Land of the Free Disease" - Corrosion of Conformity
"I Saw it Move" - Chavez
"If Only (demo)" - Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age)
"Long Ago" - Beaver Chef
"I Can Still Feed Myself Thanks" - Superchunk
"Just a Patsy" - Helmet
"Atomic Garden" - Bad Religion
"Punishment" - Silica Gel
"Spirits" - Giant Sand
"¿Do The Digs Dug?" - The Goats
"Clean Slate (Live)" - Quicksand
"(R)Evolution Time" - Beastie Boys
"Scumbag" - Biohazard
"Redman" - Brother Sun
"Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing (Live)" - Mike Watt
"The Punchline" - Zack De La Rocha and Corrosion of Conformity
"Greetings from Leonard Peltier" - Leonard Peltier

You can listen to the Beastie Boys's contribution to the album on Youtube:

Adam Yauch has confirmed what a source at EMI/Capitol Records told us last month: Beastie Boys will not be releasing Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 until this fall. In an interview conducted at the Spirit Awards last week, Yauch told Entertainment Weekly that the band hope to release the album in September but cannot commit to any date until he fully recovers from cancer treatment.

"It was really disappointing to have to hold the record and postpone the tour, but doctor's orders," Yauch said. He admitted that his recovery to good health has not been easy: "It was touch and go there for a while but I am finally getting my energy back."

Yauch also shared that Beastie Boys will go back in the studio and review their work on Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 and possibly make changes before its release.

Lenny Kravitz and Adam Yauch on the Spirit Awards red carpet

Adam Yauch attended the 2010 Spirit Awards honoring independent film in Los Angeles yesterday. Yauch joined the film-making team of The Messenger for the awards ceremony. The film by director Oren Moverman (and distributed by Oscope) was nominated in several categories. Woody Harrelson won the Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role in the film.

Recognize anyone in this video?

According to Rock Sound magazine [DEAD LINK], Adam Horovitz has been working on a song mix for New York post-hardcore band Rival Schools. The song, titled "69 Guns," will be a single on Rival Schools's next album, which is expected to be released this summer.

According to a source at EMI/Capitol Records, the release date for the Beastie Boys's Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 has been pushed back further. The label is now projecting a September 2010 release date.

Label reps recently met with John Silva, the band's manager, to discuss the album's status. Silva told the label that he "didn't see the album coming out anytime soon because of Adam." Apparently, Adam Yauch needs more time for recovery. Whether that means Yauch is not doing well or he simply wants more time off for personal reasons is unknown. Let's hope that it's the latter.

New York City–based record label ROIR has re-released a 1982 cassette-only hardcore compilation titled New York Thrash on vinyl and CD. The cassette was originally curated by Dave Hahn, the manager of Bad Brains, and served to showcase the hottest bands in the New York thrash scene. The cassette included two songs by the Beastie Boys.

In a 1983 interview with Flipside magazine, Adam Yauch, Kate Shellenbach, and Michael Diamond expressed disappointment with the New York Thrash cassette:

Adam [Yauch]: I would like to clear something else up...we got really screwed over on that "N.Y. Thrash" tape. Tim Sommers wrote cold things about us because we didn't thank him on the record, Dave Hahn didn't pay us because he doesn't like us that much, they fucked up our sound, they wrote the name of our song wrong, it's not "Beastie" it's "Beastie Boys."

Kate [Shellenbach]: And they didn't give us any liner notes.

Michael [Diamond]: I think the entire "N.Y. Thrash" compilation was a complete ripoff, a complete scam put together by Tim Sommers, who generally masturbates with Dave Hahn....and by ROIR Cassettes.

How the Beastie Boys feel about the compilation today is something only they know. The re-release of New York Thrash is available to purchase at ROIR's website, CD Baby, Amazon, eMusic, and iTunes.

Tracklist
Undead - Nightmare / Social Reason
Bad Brains - Regulator / Big Take Over
Beastie Boys - Beastie [Boys] / Riot Fight
Heart Attack - God Is Dead / Shotgun
Even Worse - Emptying the Mad House / Illusion Won Again
Adrenalin O.D. - Paul's Not Home / New Years' Eve
Kraut - Last Chance / Getaway
The Mad - I Hate Music / The Hell
The Fiends - Asian White / Cry Now
False Prophets - Taxidermist / Scorched Earth
The Nihilistics - Love and Kisses / Here and Now

Bonus Tracks
The Stimulators - Loud, Fast Rules!
The Stimulators - M.A.C.H.I.N.E.

Mix Master Mike appears in a new documentary about musical sampling, titled Copyright Criminals. The film examines sampling's artistic value and presents the debate on copyright infringement and sound ownership. The film originally aired on PBS in January and is now available to download at iTunes and Amazon. The film includes interviews with Chuck D, De La Soul, and Pete Rock, among other hip-hop artists.

In this video interview for a film about A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys talk about the hip-hop collective Native Tongues (i.e., Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest) and their connection to Afrika Bambaataa.

Update: A second video has been posted (see below).

Mic to Mic is currently switching to a custom domain address at www.mictomic.com. You may experience some funkiness when trying to access site content over the next few days. It should resolve by Monday.

Thanks to the readers of this site for convincing me that Mic to Mic is valued by the fan community and encouraging me to continue writing about the Beastie Boys.

On January 12, Adam Yauch attended the National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York City. The event, which was held at Cipriani's, honored the best in film for 2009. Two of Oscilloscope's films, Oren Moverman's The Messenger and Anders Østergaard's Burma VJ, earned awards at the ceremony.

See photos of Yauch on the red carpet HERE and HERE [DEAD LINKS].

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris

Adam Horovitz will be performing in a "super vocal-group" at the January 27th performance of "Our Hit Parade" at Joe's Pub in New York City. "Our Hit Parade" is a semi-regular cabaret show in which local NYC performers present their own renditions of current popular songs, almost always in a comedic manner. Horovitz and wife Kathleen Hanna are big fans of the show. Although the couple have informally performed at past shows, this upcoming performance is the first time that their names have appeared on the bill.

A ticket for the show costs $20 and may be purchased online at Joespub.com. Call 212-539-8778 for a table reservation, which is recommended.

EMI is giving away a huge music package that includes a signed copy of Ill Communication on vinyl in its January Ultimate Fan Page competition. Visit EMI's Ultimate Fan Page [DEFUNCT SITE] before January 31 for a chance to win. To qualify for the contest, you must answer a question about what city the Beastie Boys come from. We trust you can answer the question without assistance.