Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm of Tanlines.

​Giving the Best Local Music Twitter award in our Best of NYC issue to @tanlines was pretty much a no-brainer. The account, which is run by the duo's Jesse Cohen, is heavy on the wry observational humor and light on the "come see our band" or "here's somebody saying that we're awesome" self-promotion that bogs down way too many social-media outposts for musicians. Social-media gurus (and people who just want to be less annoying online) should take note; Cohen knows how to do it right. I talked to him on a chilly afternoon outside Blue Bottle about all things Internet; a condensed version of our lengthy chat is below.

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Das Racist, New York's Best Rap Moguls With A Business Plan.

​It's Best Of New York day! We've honored about 40 different music-related entities in our annual roundup of the best this city has to offer, from the Best Twitterer to the Best Fiddler to the Best Radio Show. Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks for being so great that we just had to honor you with a 200-word writeup. A complete list, below!

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On the occasion of the Voice staff awarding Frenchkiss Records Best New York-Based Record Label in this year's Best Of New York bonanza, I decided to give Syd Butler—the founder of the label and bassist for art-rock group Les Savy Fav—a call and see if he'd be willing to chat with me about his favorite New York locales. He not only said yes, he invited us to the Frenchkiss office, where we conducted the above interview. Please ignore my Butt-Head laugh, and yes, I did ask him to wear that shirt. (He was more than happy to oblige, though!) A list of his favorites below.

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We recently published the Voice's Best of NYC issue, our annual opportunity to bestow arbitrary awards like Best Rapper Twitter Feed and Best Radio DJ. In turn, we asked a few of our favorite New Yorkers to name their favorite local things.

Dan de Lara may hail from the forgotten borough, but the music blogger and DJ knows at least one semi-secret Manhattan bar. His favorite venue, music critic, and DJ are far more well-known, but one thing he shares that's not: an actual reason to go Staten Island.

Most underappreciated thing about Staten Island?

Brother's Pizza. Most amazing grandma slice and chicken roll. It is all about their marinara sauce. I can drink it alone.

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This week is the Voice's Best of NYC issue, our annual opportunity to bestow arbitrary awards like Best Fledgling Local Rock-Star Cheat Sheet and Best Literally Underground Cabaret Show. In turn, we asked a few of our favorite New Yorkers to name their favorite local things.

Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has headlined Carnegie Hall and Radio City, but even he isn't immune to dog owners who don't pick up after their animals. He is, however, quite susceptible to short answers.

Worst public place to pass out?

Smack dab in the middle of Times Square.

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Last week, we put out the Voice's Best of NYC issue, our annual opportunity to bestow arbitrary awards like Best Buskers Dressed as Animals and Best Film Festival. In turn, we asked a few of our favorite New Yorkers to name their favorite local things.

Cary Conover

Amy Winehouse at Joe's Pub in 2007.

As director of Joe's Pub, Shanta Thake has seen her fair share of live theatre and music. So it's no wonder she picked our winners for Best Buskers Dressed as Animals, Xylopholks, as her favorite New York street performer.

Best dive bar?

Whiskey Ward. Great crowd, great jukebox. Although avoid it at all costs on the weekend.

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This week is the Voice's Best of NYC issue, our annual opportunity to bestow arbitrary awards like Best Rock Club and Best '90s Musical Hero Holding Out Scruffily in Brooklyn. In turn, we asked a few of our favorite New Yorkers to name their favorite local things.

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Jennifer Gilson and Steve Rosenthal run LES institution the Living Room and The Magic Shop Recording Studios. They have a funny story about the worst place to pass out in public.

Best dive bar?

Mars Bar on First and Second Avenue. I used to live right down the street and it usually has a good mix of artists, lost tourists, and homeless.

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This week is the Voice's Best of NYC issue, our annual opportunity to bestow arbitrary awards like Best Guitar Shredder and Best Gay Theater Fest. In turn, we asked a few of our favorite New Yorkers to name their favorite local things.

Tony

Johnny Beach, the booker for the Bowery Ballroom, has seen Oksana Baiul breakdancing on the F train. For that, we'll even let his Chili's namedrop slide.

Best ballroom other than your own?

There is this really sweet Gazebo in Cape Cod. I think it's on 6A in Dennis or thereabouts. Also that Gazebo bar on Nantucket is pretty sweet too--try the Mud Slide.

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This week is the Voice's Best of NYC issue, our annual opportunity to bestow arbitrary awards like Best Rapper Twitter Feed and Best Radio DJ. In turn, we asked a few of our favorite New Yorkers to name their favorite local things.

Jay a/k/a DJ Good Times is the one on the right.

Jay Belin is the booker of the Mercury Lounge, an LES venue which coincidentally won our Readers' Poll award for Best Rock Club this year. Today, he kindly shares the Best Method for Picking Up Interns and the Worst Place In NYC To Pass Out.

Best Mercury Lounge after-party?

Lately, the best after-party has been around the corner on Essex Street, when the Nitrous Mafia shows up and sells balloons. For some reason, the cops don't do anything about it. The streets are littered with spun-out urban wookies!

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M. Wartella

CMJ isn't the only avalanche this week. It's also the Voice's Best of NYC issue, when we bestow imaginary awards like Best Rapper Twitter Feed, Best Radio DJ, Best Rock Club, Best Guitar-Shredder, Best Music Critic (ahem). If you pick up the print issue, across from Rob's essay about Brooklyn music/bands/future book titles, is a lovingly detailed illustration of a Jelly NYC Williamsburg Pool Party scene. The drawing comes courtesy of M. Wartella and features cameos from a Coconut Sipper, a Cut-Off Trustfunder, Darren Mabee, Terry Richardson, the World's Fastest Nudist, and a Club Animal. A bigger version is here. Look closely, you just might see yourself.