The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2012 inductees this morning, and Beastie Boys are among the artists who made the cut this year. Joining Beastie Boys in the 2012 class will be Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Donovan (Adam Horovitz's former father-in-law), Laura Nyro, The Faces, Freddie King, Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd, and Glyn Johns.

The induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 14. Tickets for the ceremony will go on sale to the public on December 17 at Rockhall.com.

Beastie Boys have partnered with A Bathing Ape to offer a charity T-shirt that will aid tsunami and earthquake victims in Japan. The T-shirt, which features a graphic design by Mike Mills, will be sold at A Bathing Ape stores worldwide beginning on November 12. (It will first be offered at Vogue's Fashion Night Out in Japan and several BAPE stores in Japan on November 5.)

Beastie Boys issued the following statement: "The people of Japan have given Beastie Boys so much love and appreciation throughout the years, that we want to give back and help them, in some way, get through the devastation they've recently been through."

The T-shirt will cost ¥5040 (approximately US$66). Proceeds from the T-shirt sale will be given to Civic Force, a disaster relief agency working in Japan.

Adam Horovitz has created a remix of Tune-Yards's "Gangsta" — a song from the artist's 2011 album w h o k i l l — for a remix EP released yesterday. The EP, which includes a remix by Cut Chemist, is available as a digital download at the iTunes store.

Tracklist
1. Gangsta
2. Gangsta (Ad Rock Remix)
3. Gangsta (Cut Chemist Remix)
4. Gangsta (Instrumental)
5. Gangsta (Acapella)

🎵 Listen HERE.

4AD, the label putting out the EP, is offering Horovitz's remix as a free download at its website.

A limited edition vinyl release of the EP will be available on September 12.

The Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win Remix EP was released as a digital download today on Amazon and iTunes.

Tracklist

1. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Edit) [Explicit]

2. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (SebastiAn Remix) [Explicit]

3. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Bangladesh Remix) [Explicit]

4. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Major Lazer Beastie Remix Edition) [Explicit]

5. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (K. Flay Remix) [Explicit]

6. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Z-Trip's Evil Twin Remix) [Explicit]

7. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Acapella - Make Your Own Remix) [Explicit]

There is no information on a scheduled CD or vinyl release of the EP.

Photo by Mic to Mic

1. Directed by: Spike Jonze
2. Story by: Adam Yauch
3. "Actors": Beastie Boys action figures by Nigo and Santigold
4. Opening Scene: At a concert
5. Story: A sniper crew attempts to attack Beastie Boys and Santigold. A car chase between the two parties ensues. The chase involves sharks, zombies, Sasquatch, helicopters, parachutes, and submarines.
6. Video release date: End of July
7. Video length: 20 minutes


Photo by Opening Ceremony/Ace Hotel

The video for "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" (featuring Santigold) premiered at a private party at the Ace Hotel in New York City last night. See photos from the premiere at the Opening Ceremony/Ace Hotel blog [DEFUNCT SITE].

Press
-Interview Magazine: Boys (and Santigold) Just Want to Have Fun [DEAD LINK]
-New York Observer: Beastie Boys Get Plastic at Premiere of Epic-Length Spike Jonze-Helmed Music Video

From The Observer:

Beastie Boys Get Plastic at Premiere of Epic-Length Spike Jonze-Helmed Music Video

By Nate Freeman
July 13, 2011

In 1994, a young music video auteur named Spike Jonze teamed with the Beastie Boys on “Sabotage,” the still-enduring classic of the genre. It’s a pastiche of crime-film chase cliches, with Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D donning seventies porn ‘staches and running around L.A. dressed up as cops and criminals, the pursuers and the pursued.

The newest collaboration between Mr. Jonze and the Beasties is the video for “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win,” and it has the trio in similar run-for-your-life panic mode, but with one slight alteration: the guys are pure plastic. They’re stiff, hand-held dolls. “We went to a warehouse and just messed around for a while,” said Mr. Jonze at the video’s jam-packed premiere, Tuesday night at the Ace Hotel.

He’s being modest — the video is a gleeful romp that won over the attendees, many of whom dressed as if they had sprinted back from a clutch Rockaway Taco trip to get there (Day glo tank tops, skateboards, et cetera. It’s nearly as good as the hyper-kinetic cops and robbers mayhem of “Sabotage.”

The scene begins at a concert, each Beastie doll with a rod stuck out the back to allow for mobility. Santigold, who guests on the track, is there too. Then, suddenly, an anti-Beasties sniper crew is discovered lurking in the shadows, waiting to attck. But when they do the guys roll out in a truck, and then engage in a pursuit that lasts for the remainder of the video. The following things make appearances: sharks, yetis, helicopters, zombies, parachuting, submarines, and a lot of explosions.

“It’s like that fantasy you have as a kid, about action figures,” Adam Yauch, who wrote the video, told The Observer during the after party. “And I’m basically still a twelve year old at heart.” Look for the video later this month.

The Major Lazer Remix has a single and is out pressed on red, gold, and green tie-dye colored vinyl — limited to 1,000 pieces!

Below is what "El bando" posted on Beastieboys.com about it. (Click to enlarge.)

Money Mark and Alfredo Ortiz will be performing together at a benefit for San Francisco Cinematique, a film society that showcases experimental film and video. The benefit will take place on Thursday, May 19, at 8 pm at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. Tickets are available at Brownpapertickets.com.

Photo from FMQB

Last Sunday (May 1), Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond sat down with Matt Pinfield to talk about Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. Audio of the interview is presented in four segments, courtesy of FMQB Productions.

🎵 [AUDIO REMOVED]

Money Mark is providing the soundtrack to a new internet show at ComedyCentral.com. The show, called "The Download," looks at technology, entertainment, and social media. Mark will be a guest on the next episode of "The Download," which airs on Thursday, May 12.

[VIDEO REMOVED]

Photo: Philip Andelman

Well, the Beastie Boys new album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, is finally out, and the reviews are streaming in. Although the majority of reviews are positive, the consensus seems to be it is good, not great. The album is receiving an average rating of four stars out of five.

Below are a few select comments from reviews:

"[Hot Sauce Committee Part Two] is exactly the Beasties album that the public has been salivating for, and more — not just a return to form, but a masterpiece on the level of '80s classics like their raucous debut Licensed to Ill and the staggering sample odyssey Paul's Boutique."
-Matt Diehl, Los Angeles Times
Rating: 4 stars (out of 4)

"...Beasties sound exactly like themselves, cutting loose without straining to fit anyone else's idea of relevance...they make no effort to accommodate or even acknowledge any of the latest hip-hop trends. Instead, we get the sound of master musicians in their comfort zone, doing everything their own way."
-Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

"The Beasties' weird, wise-cracking spirit shines brighter than it has in years…the top five or six tracks here are on par with the band's best work…the Beastie formula sounds vibrant, cohesive and, yeah, still saucy."
-Patrick Foster, The Washington Post

"The earnest social commentary that was slipped into Beasties albums like To the 5 Boroughs in 2004 and Hello Nasty in 1998 has virtually disappeared on Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. Now Beastie Boys are back to their longtime staples of boasting and name dropping, particularly New York City locations and all sorts of food..."
-Jon Pareles, The New York Times

"Many of Part Two's tracks are reminiscent of early Beastie Boys...The album is a return to form that still manages to be innovative and ridiculously fun."
-Megan Gibson, Time

"[The album contains] grimy keyboards, grimier vocals and sparse beats that sound like they belong on a demo rather than a major-label release. In contrast to the polish of much mainstream hip-hop, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two sounds like a crusty mix tape...That's not a bad thing. On the contrary, it's a refreshingly understated return to long-ago form by one of hip-hop's most venerated groups."
-Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune
Rating: 3 stars (out of 4)

"...much of the album, while usually loud, is surprisingly minimalist — in good ways (the spliced samples and spacious beats of "Long Burn the Fire") and bad (the dub instrumental "Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament," even the driving "Make Some Noise" is studded with holes and lacks a real chorus). It's still a good party, just maybe not worth fighting too hard for."
-Thomas Conner, Chicago Sun-Times
Rating: 3 stars (out of 4)

"...this is the Beasties Boys at their most vital, engaged and surprising...While drum loops remain a staple, Hot Sauce Committee is also the most organic mix yet of their hip-hop and musician sides. The result? From staggering grooves to jams that could soundtrack the future robot wars, don't expect the expected here."
-Neala Johnson, Herald Sun (Australia)
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

"...a party album that's as good as 1998's Hello Nasty.… Hot Sauce Committee Part Two finds the Beasties on marvellously carefree form, scattering references to food, microphones, Bob Dylan, Lee Majors and other pop-cultural detritus..."
-Kitty Empire, The Guardian
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

"Time has not dulled Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock's devotion to the old-school hip hop aesthetic of big beats and braggadocio."
-Basem Boshra, Montreal Gazette
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

"The Beasties are back with a 16-track album full of squelchy beats, tossed-off jokes and on-point rhyming..."
-Jason Lipshutz, Billboard

"Hot Sauce is a lot like Daniel Craig's übercool James Bond — another stripped-down return to a franchise's best virtues after a decade or so of wandering the desert. It took a little time, but the Boys are back with a license to ill."
-Kyle Anderson, Entertainment Weekly
Rating: A-

"The sound of the Beasties here is catnip for those who still revere their late 80s/early 90s output: vocals are drenched in reverb...while the tracks fuse live instrumentation and samples...delivering tracks alive with ideas and chaos and funk and noise and groove..."
-Stevie Chick, BBC Music

"[Hot Sauce Committee Part Two] is a vibrant mix of live instruments and samples, blending the '70s-funk vibe of The Mix-Up with the Beasties' hyper-verbal wordplay as emcees MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D ping-pong rhymes back and forth, with occasional help from guests."
-Eric R. Danton, Hartford Courant
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

"All the staples are present: wonky electronics, hardcore punk/rap crossovers, a daft routine about the name Larry, a funky instrumental, a rap battle with Nas, magnificent beat-making."
- Ludovic Hunter-Tilney, Financial Times
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

"...there's no radical new direction: HSCP2 might have been lifted out of any period in the trio's history from 1990 onwards — with jubilant old-skool synth squiggles and absurdist rhymes about the sort of topics nobody but the Beasties would think of covering."
-Simon Price, The Independent (UK)

"Hot Sauce is rooted in the good-time party-rocking rhymes and dusty grooves of old-school hip-hop, though the group finds ways to expand its sound without deviating from retro fundamentals."
-Nathan Rabin, AV Club

"[Hot Sauce Committee Part Two] sounds fuzzy, the songs are kinda rough, and there doesn't seem to be any ambition to make a hit — their focus seems to be simply aimed at having fun. It's as if the Beasties are revisiting their Check Your Head and Ill Communication days, minus the massive singles."
-Eddie Fleisher, Alt Press
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

"...with the production obscuring the scarce hooks, the impact of the trio's still-ample wit gets blunted. Lacking the detailed soul-searching that's always given the Beasties' pop-culture onslaught wisdom and depth, Hot Sauce merely simmers when it needs to boil."
-Barry Walters, Spin
Rating: 6 stars (out of 10)

"The record's appeal is largely nostalgic...Hot Sauce Committee Part Two begs the question: can you be nostalgic about nostalgia?...[It] sounds like a record out of step with the world."
-James McMahon, NME
Rating: 7 stars (out of 10)

In the end, it matters very little what critics think and say about the album. They are not the ones who buy the Beastie Boys music and see their shows. What matters is what fans think about the album. So what do you think? Do you love it, hate it, or feel ambivalent about it?

Beastie Boys streamed their new album Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 in its entirety live from center court of Madison Square Garden this morning. Fans tuned in to see only Sasquatch and a boombox. The stream image consisted of the following views:









When the streamed completed, it began repeating continously. Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 will be released on May 3 in North America.

Watch the short-form video of "Fight for Your Right Revisited," aka the "Make Some Noise" video, above. It was posted at MTV.com earlier than announced.

According to TV Guide, "Fight for Your Right Revisited" will air on VH1 on April 20 at midnight and on Comedy Central on April 21 at 3 a.m. EDT.

The Guide don't lie.

Update: According to a press release from MTV Networks, the "Make Some Noise" video (not "Fight for Your Right Revisited" but a short 5-minute video [an edit of FFYRR]) will premiere online on April 21 at 6 pm on the websites for MTV2, mtvU, VH1, Palladia, Comedy Central, MTV, and Spike.

Recordstoreday.com has confirmed that the "Make Some Noise/Make Some Noise (Passion Pit Remix)" vinyl single for Record Store Day will NOT be available in record shops in the United States. Because Beastie Boys don't want to disappoint their American fans, they've partnered with the U.S. Record Store Day people to sell a limited number of the records online on April 16. The sale of the records will go to benefit the American Red Cross Japan Relief Fund.

Restrictions apply: You may order only one record, and the shipping address must be within the United States. Watch Recordstoreday.com for ordering details.

I listened to the Beastie Boys's new song "Make Some Noise" a few times, and the following is what I heard lyric-wise. Please give me your feedback and corrections. I would like to post the lyrics to Beastiemania.com asap.

Make Some Noise

Yeah, get up
Yeah
Uh

Yes, here we go again
Give you more, nothing lesser
Back on the mic, it's the anti-depressor
Adrock — no pressure — yes, we need this
The best is yet to come and, yes, believe this

Let go my Eggo while I flex my ego
Sip on Prosecco, dressed up tuxedo
Sipping coffee, playing keno in the casino
Want a lucky number, ask Mike Dino

I burn the competition like a flame thrower
My rhymes age like wine as I get older
I'm getting bolder, competition is wanin'
I got the ball and I see the lane and

We got a party on the left, a party on the right
We gotta party for the motherfuckin' right to fight
Make some noise if you're with me
You gotta make some noise if you're with me
Crazy, crazy, crazy

Our resurrection by popular election
Get paid every year like tax collection
Hear my perfection, a rotary connection
Taking emcees down by lethal rap injection

I'm like an ornithologist when I get miffed
You must have drank a fizzy-lifting drink and you got lifted
And sifted, I'm just riffin'
When I catch emcees it's time for wing-clippin'

I fly like a hawk, or better yet a seagull
I sniff suckers out like a beagle
My ego is off and runnin' and gone
'Cause I'm about the best and if you fess well, that's wrong

We got a —
We got a party on the left, a party on the right
We gotta party for the motherfuckin' right to fight
Make some noise if you're with me
You gotta make some noise if you're with me
Crazy, crazy, crazy

The break is crazy
Crazy-crazy

Pass me the scalpel, I'll make an incision
I'll cut off the part of your brain that does the bitchin'
Put it in formaldehyde and put it on the shelf
You can show it to your friends and say, "That's my old self"

Can't do me nothing, can't tell me nadda
Don't bug me now because I'm doin' the lambada (bada!)
The forbidden dance (wha!)
Here's my chance
To make romance in my b-boys stance

Parlay my romancing into financing
Opened up a restaurant with Ted Danson
The roaches check in but they never check out
I set the record straight, no doubt

We got a
We got a party on the left, a party on the right
We gotta party for the motherfuckin' right to fight
Make some noise if you're with me
You gotta make some noise if you're with me

You may have found it odd that after stories of Beastie Boys offering a limited edition "Make Some Noise" vinyl single for Record Store Day were reported last week, neither the Beastie Boys nor Record Store Day sites confirmed the release. I checked in with a rep with Record Store Day to ask what the dealio is and learned that the organization is indeed working with Beastie Boys management on the release, but there is an issue holding it up and keeping both parties from making an announcement. So until there is an official announcement, it's best not to get your hopes too high.

Beastie Boys are among the artists who have contributed to an auction to benefit relief efforts in Japan. Proceeds from the EMI Family 4 Japan eBay Auction will go to help people affected by the tsunami and earthquake in Japan. EMI will match funds raised by the auction up to €1 million.

The Beastie Boys items in the auction are:

1. A signed set of BAPE dolls [VIEW ITEM]
2. A signed Hello Nasty gold album [VIEW ITEM]
3. A signed Beastie Boys Japanese Moon Man [VIEW ITEM]

The auction ends April 21.

[VIDEO]

Adam Horovitz plays with the new Slim Phatty Analog Synthesizer from Moog.

For some reason, Moog removed the video of Horovitz playing with the synthesizer from its Youtube page. Enjoy this photo of Horovitz from Moog's Facebook page instead.

And here's the confirmation that I told y'all to wait for. Adam Yauch confirmed this morning on Beastieboys.com [DEAD LINK] that Hot Sauce Committee, Pt 2 will be released on May 3.

Tracklist
1. Make Some Noise
2. Nonstop Disco Powerpack
3. OK
4. Too Many Rappers [new reactionaries version] (featuring NAS)
5. Say It
6. The Bill Harper Collection
7. Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win (featuring Santigold)
8. Long Burn the Fire
9. Funky Donkey
10. The Larry Routine
11. Tadlock’s Glasses
12. Lee Majors Come Again
13. Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
14. Here’s a Little Something for Ya
15. Crazy Ass Shit
16. The Lisa Lisa/Full Force Routine

Contrary to some reports, Hot Sauce Committee, Pt 2 does not yet have a set release date. A source at Capitol Records, the Beastie Boys record label, told me yesterday that the album is neither completed by the band nor has a definite release date.

Late last year, Beastie Boys management and Capitol reps discussed a possible March release date. When the deadline passed for the band to deliver the album in time for the label to coordinate a March release, the parties met again a few weeks ago to discuss a new release date. The meeting ended with no release date determined.

Please don't believe the reports by media who aren't checking their facts and are just regurgitating what some other media source is reporting. Believe me when I tell you that Beastie Boys will announce the album's release date to fans themselves through their own channel (i.e., official web site, official e-newsletter) when they're good and ready.

Last night, Mix Master Mike performed with Travis Barker, Game, and Swizz Beatz on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

After going "off the map" since his July 2009 announcement of having cancer, Adam Yauch made his return to the showbiz world with the screening of his short film Fight for Your Right Revisited at the Sundance Film Festival last night. Before its premiere, Yauch kept details of the film secret except for the cast list (on IMDb.com) — even the actors were kept in the dark about the story. Danny McBride, who portrays Yauch in the 20-minute film, told MTV that he didn't know what the film was about despite having a lead role. It's puzzling why Yauch kept the film so secret, especially from Beastie Boys fans, the audience who is most likely to appreciate the film. Yauch's only communication to fans about the film was a posting of a film still at Beastieboys.com in December.

Reviews of the film are mixed. One audience member tweets that the film was "Endless and ultimately pointless cameos in an extremely vapid overlong music vid spoof." Okaaay. The Los Angeles Times provides a weirdly kinder (?) assessment of the film, saying it is so unfunny that it is perhaps funny. What?

New York Magazine tries to be helpful by describing the roles of each character in the film but doesn't give an opinion on it. Not particularly helpful.

Moviefone offers positive words about the film, saying it is "equal parts hilarious, offensive and really great to listen to." Yay! It's just like the Beastie Boys!

In its review of the film, MTV says, "Some scenes crackle with comedic verve, thanks to the talents of some of Hollywood's most reliable improv talents...[while] Other scenes could have benefited from a trim or two in the edit room."

It's unclear if Yauch attended the screening last night. From all accounts, it seems that he did not attend. (The saying goes "If there's no photo, it didn't happen.") Elijah Wood, who portrays Adrock in the film, appeared at the screening and made some comments to the audience. Danny McBride was also seen at the festival, but it's unknown whether he attended the screening.

Photo by Mic to Mic

Money Mark is confirmed to play the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, which takes place May 26 through 28. Tickets are available to purchase at Primaverasound.com. Mark will also be playing with Jack Johnson when he tours Japan in March. Visit Jack Johnson's official website for details about his tour.

Skullcandy has produced a commercial to promote the DJ headphones that Mix Master Mike created for the company. The commercial shows Mix Master Mike doing what he does best.

We're not sure how this flew under our radar, but last fall Money Mark created a remix of Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love." The remix was included on a bonus disk with the reissue of Tom Tom Club's Genius of Live, a live compilation album last September.

Tom Tom Club member Chris Frantz told Spinner.com that Mark's remix is the band's favorite one on the bonus disk.

You may legally download "Genius of Love (Money Mark Remix)" from Nacional Records [DEAD LINK].

Mike Diamond called into the BBC 1's Zane Lowe Show earlier today from his home in California, where he was "about to get ill on a sandwich." Mike told Lowe that Beastie Boys plan to release Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 this spring. Whether the band will tour has not yet been decided. It will be Adam Yauch's decision. Mike also spoke about the band's new video/short film (a "filmeo" as he called it) as well as explained to Lowe how to prepare steel-cut oats.

Listen to streaming audio of the Zane Lowe Show at BBC.co.uk [DEAD LINK]. The interview begins around the 1:14 mark.