With the month wrapping up, here are some good parties to check out at APT until December comes.  Standing out most is Small Change who spins tonight and an international artist party on Thanksgiving night.  Check out their complete lineup for the month at the new website.

• •11.21.08: upstairs: Small Change, downstairs: Jesse Mann and guest Evan Baggs
• •11.24.08: upstairs: Akalepse, downstairs: ‘Vinyl Is Forever’ with Bobbito Garcia
• •11.25.08: upstairs: Live Music with The Element, Raw Fusion along with DJ’s OP! & Scribe and special guests
• •11.26.08: upstairs: Akalepse, downstairs ‘Little Ricky’s Rib Shack’ with Rich Medina
• •11.27.08: upstairs: Sid L’ Vaga & Gusto aka “Les Rouyas”, downstairs: La Vielle Ecole (NYC old school tech house electro boogie) with: Cchristopher Just and a DJ set with Jimmy Edgar and G.Rizo

There are few venues in NYC right now that can match the calendar that Santos is puting together on a monthly basis.  On 11.26.08, come celebrate the Scorpio Birthday Jam with your main DJs for the night, Jazzy Jay and Red Alert.  No birthday is complete without yer friends, and many guests will be in the house to party.  Get ready; guests include Chuck D, DMC, Dana Dane, Nice & Smooth, DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, DJ Skye & DJ Julio, Funk Master Flex, Grand Master Melle Mel, Grand Master Caz, Grand Wizard Theodore, Grand Mixer DXT, and DJ Johnny Juice with even more unannounced heads expected to roll through.  Cover is $10 at the door and $15 after midnight.  RSVP in advance to rsvpsantos@gmail.com with “scorpio jam” in the subject line for reduced $5 admission on the list.

After a strong performance at the Allido CMJ showcase last month that won over a lot of new fans, England’s The Rumble Strips returned to New York, this time at Santos Party House on Monday for a follow up show.  With a longer set than last time the guys were able to run through a stellar set including a lot of material from their debut album.  Fans were also given a chance to check out new cuts from Cardboard Coloured Dreams, the new four track EP that comes out today.  The Rumble Strips are a fun live band, really a nice cross between pop rock and a little classic ska element to it all.   Charlie Waller fronts the band with vocals and guitars supported by sharp trumpet and sax.  ‘Time,’ their big single overseas which never really broke stateside is the perfect example of a typical song by them.

Lissy Trullie followed…don’t really know the group that well and can’t say it was really what most readers on here would be that in to as the main attraction for the night was The Rumble Strips.  Trullie played quite a long set capped off by an interesting rendition of Biz Markie’s ‘Just A Friend.’

Other guests for the night included a performance from Adam Green of The Moldy Peaches and a DJ set from Mark Ronson.  More photos inside….

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The Lyricist Lounge will be presenting ‘Love Is Love,’ a showcase fundraiser event for Sybarite Arts Development Center. The showcase takes place at Highline Ballroom on 11.24.08 and features live performances from Camp Lo, Oveous Maximus, One Love Crew and choreographed dance performances by Sybarite Dancers. DJ Sucsio Smash will hold it down on the decks providing music throughout the night. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door, show starts at 10:00 PM.

Camp Lo also headlines the Fire Your Boss finale party that Friday the 28th along with Jemini the Gifted One and Big Shug

Highline Ballroom appears to be the venue of choice for Atlanta rappers hosting their release parties.  T.I. held his Paper Trail party there last month and now it has been confirmed that Ludacris will be performing there on 11.25.08 in support of his seventh studio release Theater of the Mind.  The album hits stores the day before and Ludacris will be making a rare small club performance the following night.  Luda always comes through with fun albums and on Theater besides expected production from Scott Storch and Swizz Beatz, he has also tapped 9th Wonder for ‘Do the Right Thing’ a track featuring Common and Spike Lee on vocals.  There are plenty of New York natives with guest spots on the album including Jay-Z, Nas, Chris Rock, and DJ Premier.  Who might join Luda on stage for the night is a good question as well.  Highline’s event page says tickets are only available through Hot 97 who are presenting the event.  No info is available on Hot9 97’s page either; more info will be posted when available.

It’ll be a battle of cities when GBH brings in Don Ramini of Paris and Baltimore’s Aaaron LaCrate for a special Cheeky Bastard party you won’t want to miss. Don Ramini isn’t quite a household name stateside yet but he has been crushing it on the European scene at some of the most premier clubs. He finally will make his way over to America for the U.S. tour which kicks off in Milwaukee and comes to Le Poisson Rouge on 12.06.08. Aaron LaCrate, the other half of the show being billed as the ‘Delicious Gutter Kick-N-Run Tour’ completes this hot lineup which is all yours for just $5 tickets.

LaCrate’s last New York party was the Delicious Gutter Big Night Out at Webster Hall in on 10.24.08 during CMJ week. Guests included Mr. Vegas and Verb while the always fresh DJ Skeet Skeet held it down all night on the second level.  Photos from the Big Night Out party inside…

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The Robert Glasper Trio (which includes Chris Dave on drums, Alan Hampton on bass) will be performing a show on 11.22.08 at Miller Theatre within Columbia University. Glasper is a New York regular but this marks his first time visiting the Columbia stage. The Miller Theatre is a 688 person venue which welcomes in many high caliber jazz ensembles and orchestras and is known for it’s excellent acoustics. Should be a nice change seeing Glasper and the crew in a more professional performance space. Tickets are $25; show starts at 8:00 PM.

Always a personal favorite of this site, Reef the Lost Cauze will be giving an in-store performance at Fat Beats next week on 11.25.08.  The Tuesday is also the same day Reef’s new album A Vicious Cycle comes out on Fuck You Pay Me Records.  It’s the highly anticipated follow up to 2005’s Feast or Famine, one of E.C.’s all time classic records.  More than three years later he’s back with this record which focuses on him again with production support from The Beatills and Marco Polo.  The free in-store starts at 7:00 PM and Reef will be both signing CDs and giving a short performance.

GBH is returning to Webster Hall again for another party done right.  In May GBH first invaded Webster Hall with a crazy party featuring everyone from Grandmaster Flash to James Murphy which got incredible reviews.  The guys are back at it again as they do a full takeover of all three floors at Webster Hall on Friday, 11.21.08.  The main acts headlining the show Grandmaster Flash again, Switch + D.I.M., and The Asteroids Galaxy Tour Live on all different levels of the venue.  Plenty of guests will also be there DJing it up including the Soulshaker DJs, A.C. Slater & The Captain (of Trouble & Bass) as well as Dimitry!!! and The Mood will be playing live opening for The Asteroids.  Tickets are $10 in advance or $20 at the door; show starts at 10:00 PM.  If you haven’t been to Webster Hall lately it’s worth paying it a visit.  The legendary club is as fun as ever, now landmarked by the NYC Landmarks Dept. and even expanded with new rooms.

Good music (literally, not the label) will be in Highline Ballroom on 11.30.08 when Jean Grae headlines a show with a strong supporting lineup. 2008 is wrapping up to be a big big year for Grae who has been pounding her name in the scene for years. The former Natural Resource member released two very well received albums this year, Jeanius produced almost entirely by 9th Wonder and The Evil Jeanius, a collaborative with Blue Sky Black Death. Joining her on the lineup is Brooklyn’s own Derrin Maxwell, a chilled out blend of hip-hop and soul which, a nice fit for the bill and a good chance for those who don’t know him yet to check it out (give a listen on MySpace). Rounding out the bill is another Brooklyn native, Mr. Len, founding member of Company Flow. Tickets are $15 and is an all ages show.

D.I.T.C. was one of the most legendary crews in all of hip-hop and one of the main reasons New York City ruled the scene in the 90’s.  Even without Big L with them any more it should be a special night at Knitting Factory on 12.07.08 when original members Diamond D, A.G., Lord Finesse, & O.C. take the stage and reunite for a one time show.  Speaking of legendary New York crews, Juice Crew member Craig G will open the show along with The Legion.  Many special guests are confirmed to roll through and Fat Joe is definitely who comes to mind.  Tickets are $20.

…A-Ok Collective, Tanya Morgan, Uncle Ralph McDaniels (DJ video set), Rob Flow & DJ Synapse have all been confirmed as additional acts to the bill for the December Souls of Mischief show.

With MF Doom more or less vanishing, nowadays Doom in concert means, the Dooom with three O’s, Dr. Dooom aka Dr. Octagon aka Black Elvis aka Kool Keith.  Keith always puts on a sick live show and has a great stage performance so it should be exciting to check him out at Blender Theatre on 04.03.08.  Keith will be performing the show billed as “Dr. Octagon vs. Dr. Dooom,” referring to his two classic 90’s albums.  Almost everyone knows his Dr. Octagonecologyst record produced by Dan the Automator but many slept on First Come, First Served, one of his first collabs with frequent partner/producer KutMaster Kurt.  The Blender show will give fans the chance to catch Kool Keith on his own planet, flipping between aliases and performing all his material from the two albums.  Tickets are now on-sale for $21.

This Wednesday, 11.19.08, Knitting Factory will welcome in a night of live hiphop with up-and-comers Blitz the Ambassador, Amanda Diva and Che Grand.  The show will “also highlight a musical progression in hip-hop, as the three featured acts all perform backed by live bands. In fact, aside from an opening DJ set to warm up the crowd, there will be no records played on November 19th. Horns will blow. Drums will bang. Mics will be rocked!”

Sounds pretty ill.  All these names should be familiar to you already from here.  Blitz has become a regular with his hustle at the Knit, Amanda Diva has been presenting S.O.B.’s showcases for a while now (and is also now featured on ‘Manwomanboogie’ on Q-Tip’s new record), and Che Grand has performed all over the city and has another show coming up with Wale.  Tickets are $12, show is all ages.

What you doing tomorrow night? Santos Party House has announced that tomorrow, 11.17.08 they will be throwing a party with Lissy Trullie and guests Adam Green, Mark Ronson, and Harley & Cassie. Announcement below:

“Fresh off of a killer string of shows during CMJ ‘08, NYC’s own Lissy Trullie has become one of the newest buzz bands on the scene. Described by Paper magazine as a “folksky, bluesy, doe-eyed soul sister,” Lissy has already made a solid impression as the rock star for fashionable and social twenty-somethings. Tonight, she and the band play a headlining slot in Santa’s main ballroom.

Also on the bill will be the amazing Adam Green (known for his work as a member of Moldy Peaches), and after-party DJs Mark Ronson, Harley & Cassie”

This should be a fun night with a lot of dope DJs spinning throughout the night. Ronson actually DJs tonight at Mansion for the 2008 Paper Magazine Nightlife Awards where many of your favorites are nominated (Q-Tip and Medina for best party, etc) and Ronson is this month’s cover feature. Tickets are $13 in advance or $15 at the door.

Devin the Dude (pictured above at the EVR Festival) kicks off the week with a show at Highline Ballroom with The Coughee Brothaz

• •11.17.08 Devin the Dude, Coughee Brothaz @ Highline Ballroom, more info
• •11.18.08 Allhiphop.com Breeding Ground feat. Charles Hamilton & guests @ S.O.B.’s, more info
• •11.18.08 Subtle @ Knitting Factory, more info
• •11.19.08 The Liquid Liquid Party with James Murphy @ Santos Party House, more info
• •11.21.08  Pharoahe Monch & Stephanie McKay @ Highline Ballroom (rescheduled from Sept.), more info
• •11.21.08 Check The Rhyme 2008 feat. 50 Cent, LL Cool J & many guests @ The Izod Center, more info

The Allhiphop.com Breeding Ground showcase returns to S.O.B.’s on Tuesday, 11.18.08 for another edition of underground heads and unheard hype. The full lineup features more than a dozen different emcees but all eyes will definitely be on Charles Hamilton, the young Harlem rapper who is signed to Star Trak and was another one of XXL magazine’s top 10 freshmen for 2009 (along with Wale, Asher Roth, Kid Cudi and others). Hamilton’s single ‘Brooklyn Girls’ is a real banger and demonstrates that the kid can really flow. Don’t limit him to this one track though; he has really made a name for himself dropping a new mixtape nearly every week. Other featured artists for Breeding Ground include Grafh, Red Cafe, and Joell Ortiz along with special guests Torae, The League, Mr. Mecca, Rain, Esso, St. Laz, Jon Hope, Blitz The Ambassador, and Mr. Crisis. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door; show starts at 8:00 PM.

As you probably already know, the Knitting Factory will be closing their doors and relocating next year. Besides being a staple in the New York music scene for all different genres, the Knit has made a name for themselves as one of the few venues to bring in underground hiphop acts that wouldn’t have a stage to perform on if it wasn’t for them. Whether showcasing locals in The Tap Bar or bringing in legends like GZA to perform Liquid Swords, this stage has really seen it all and has been graced with plenty of high profile special guests. To mark the final hip-hop show ever there they have confirmed that Rakim will be closing it out on 12.19.08, quite the fitting farewell. Tickets to see The Ruler in the very last show there are $30 and expect plenty of special guests to come through and say their goodbyes.

Remember back in April when Katy Perry was first playing New York at Mercury Lounge and was a fairly unknown name? A lot has changed since then, but then again two #1 singles, a huge album, and headlining the Warped Tour could do that to an act. One of music’s biggest rookies for 2008 will perform back to back nights at Irving Plaza (The Fillmore) on 04.07.09 & 04.08.09. Tickets are $18 and go on-sale today.  If you plan on going get them now, this will be a fast sell out.

The Special Disco Version resident DJs and LCD members James Murphy & Pat Mahoney will be presenting a special evening with a live performance from Liquid Liquid at Santos Party House on 11.19.08. These guys dont perform that often so this is a rare chance to catch them do their thing while they are in town. The party will be a full DFA takeover of Santos with the LCD Soundsystem dudes upstairs manning the main room while the lower level will feature DJ sets from Babytalk Broucek, Justin Miller and Jacques Renault. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door, party gets started at 10:00 PM.