The Northside Festival kicks off tomorrow night at 5pm and if you haven’t checked the schedule out yet, I recommend getting on it quick as there are tons of options and many decisions that need to be made. While Northside has the official schedule, Tom, who writes the “What Ales You” column for The WG, posted his recommendations in an easily accessible Google Calendar, which you can check out here. Of Tom’s suggestions, one which I undoubtedly support is checking out Brooklyn-based soundscapist Julianna Barwick, who plays tomorrow night at Cameo, the new venue behind The Loving Cup. Barwick just released Florine, an EP of material that finds her taking the melodic vocal loops established on Sanguine to the astral plane. In addition to her showcase at Northside, Julianna is also in the middle of a residency at Piano’s, which continues tonight. If you haven’t heard Ms. Barwick’s music, you can do so for free over at Daytrotter, where “You Were Waiting” and other choice examples of her sentient above the clouds sound can be found. Ducktails, aka Matt Mondanile of Real Estate and Predator Vision, will play right before Barwick, making Cameo one of the premier destinations on the first night of the festival.

Photo: Verbunkos

Profile of Yoko Devereux store in Williamsburg. [NY Times]

Looking back on last weekend’s Renegade Craft Fair. [Greenpoint Craftworks]

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Photo: Becca Eley

The Oakland condo’s on McGuinness advertised on Bedford. Weird. [new york sh*tty]

Interview with Mike Conklin on the Northside Festival. [Gothamist]

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In preparation for the first ever Northside Festival, sponsored by The L Magazine, we thought it might be a good idea to get acquainted with some of the young and talented acts performing at the inaugural event. While the festival is a great way for neighborhood newb’s to stumble upon new venues, galleries and shops, it’s an even better way for people to discover emerging artists (many who call Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick home). One such artist is Bushwick-based chanteuse Sharon Van Etten, who has been breaking hearts in New York and around the world for a few years now. She recently completed a European tour opening for Beirut and Great Lake Swimmers. While Sharon has been a North Brooklyn mainstay for a while, often performing for free at clubs like Zebulon, she only recently released her first LP, Because I Was In Love, a bold collection of “sad prairie folk,” on Language of Stone. Sharon will be playing the Uncensored Interview showcase at Union Pool on Thurs, June 11th (with Olof Arnalds), as well as the Hooves on the Turf party at Trophy Bar. Take a peak at Sharon’s devastatingly intimate live performances below.

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The Renegade Craft Fair is back in town this weekend, Sat & Sun, 11am-7pm. Walk the perimeter of McCarren Park and wade through mountains of reconstructed vintage goodies, letterpressed notecards, handsewn stuffed toys, and oversized buttons. It takes a lot of browsing fortitude to make it around to every booth (over 200), even in the gorgeous, 75-degrees-and-sunny weather predicted for the weekend. Since it’s easy to come down with Craft Sensory Overload, we highlight a few of our favorite Renegade booths. Read about them after the jump.

Erica Weiner Jewelry: A staple on the craft fair circuit, this New York-based jewelry line features vintage-inspired trinkets like silver necklace charms in the shape of letterpress blocks, and antique name bracelets that will brand you as a Phyllis, a Shirley, or a Dorothy.

Mat Daly: Walking around the fair, it seems like everyone and their mom knows how to screenprint, but no one can mimic the intricacy and finesse of Mat Daly’s work. His prints, all masterful technical feats, are expressions of nature in warped geometric forms. Daly is based in Chicago, so save on shipping and pick up his prints while he’s in town.

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