30 December 2008
NYT: Change? It Wasn’t in Fashion—Really?
While it seems that you can always rely upon a greater cynicism out there than your own, Eric Wilson’s article in the Times on the lack of originality in fashion this year really drives home the whining about the ever-presence of coloured shades and skinny denim. If anything, the piece speaks to me about how fast paced our standards and expectations have become — as if the iconic trends of our generation need carry a much more sporadic, hyper-aware shelf life than before.
As H(Y)R suggests, and ironically so, the article also excludes the mention of many different kinds trend facets that were born out of this past year, from silhouettes to pants to heels, along with many fresh and unusual faces.
23 December 2008
Daniel Merriweather feat. Wale: Change
Daniel Merriweather is a blue-eyed, post-boy-band soul singer from Melbourne, Australia. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with producer Mark Ronson — especially their Smiths cover Stop Me — released for Ronson’s solo record in 2007.
Meanwhile, Merriweather’s debut solo album Love and War due is out this spring. You can get a preview with the video for his first single, Change.
More tracks available as per usual via Myspace, and are definitely worth a listen.
21 December 2008
Holiday Giftgiving: Christmas at the New Yorker
If you’re the type to save your Christmas shopping to the last possible minute — present company included — gifting the New Yorker holiday edition, Christmas at the New Yorker might not be such a bad idea. (Retail: $21.95)
While one might recoil at the cheesiness of a themed gift, just imagine how nice this would look as an annual touch on the family coffee table.
Photo: Mark Coatsworth (Now)
19 December 2008
Bergh Stalker: Bad Holiday Fundraiser Tonight
For those of you on Bergh watch, you might have already noticed Colin in Now Magazine’s dj spotlight this week. However, if uninformed, perhaps this could yield to a further suggestion of catching him tonight as Wyrd Visions at the Bad Holiday Fundraiser, supporting our favourite local mag, Bad Day magazine.
If you’re committed, you’re in luck — you’ll have the pleasure of checking out more Colin afterwards at his monthly party, The Clap. It may be the snowpocalypse outside, but take note: Bergh stalkers work in rain or sleet.
15 December 2008
Tiga—Mind Dimension (Gingy Edit)
"Funny, three weeks ago at my night at Fouf’s, someone put ghb in my drink. And while I blacked out, I played Mind Dimension three times in a row. The third time, I played it backwards and I looked at my crowd with one finger up in the air.” -DJ Cherry Cola
14 December 2008
Online: Kenneth Anger, Scorpio Rising (1964)
On a late weekend blogging, still in a haze from last Friday’s More Proof party, finding a full-length version of Kenneth Anger’s seminal film, Scorpio Rising is a sweet sight for sore eyes.
While the quality isn’t its greatest, the film is typically impossible to find otherwise. And as a touchstone of the avant-garde film era of the 60s, you would think you’d see it around more: Scorpio Rising has been a well-known influence on some of America’s greatest film directors, the likes of David Lynch, Martin Scorsese and John Waters, as well as being a great slice of Americana on its own.
Plus, it has one of the best soundtracks in film history — the perfect tunes for a chilled-out Sunday afternoon.
12 December 2008
Food of the Gods—Boy From Brazil
All mention of “supergroup” aside, Food of the Gods is a psychedelic pick-up band featuring Eddie Ruscha, DJ Harvey, Tim Koh, Thomas Bullock, and Miho Hatori, all of whom have found fame and fortune from their previous musical noodlings. After reading a review of their single Boy From Brazil/Poison Apple, on RA, I was curious about the group’s supposed buoyancy, though their Can-ish quality of awesome psych is undebatable.
In any case, Boy from Brazil is set to get your next dance party, happening, or other climax moments achieved. Get it from the inconspicous Whatever We Want Records as soon as you can, since it probably won’t be re-printed or issued on CD. In fact, it might just be sold out by the time you finish reading this sentence.
These guys don’t even have a myspace, but the kind, amazing folks at WWWR did send us a copy of the record, and let us stick up a sample:
11 December 2008
10 Deep Presents: The New Deal Mixed by DJ Benzi
The New Deal is my new favorite Benzi mixtape. I made up a new dance for the Diplo remix. It involves rasta hats, bamboo sticks and the running man but with stomping. And how much of a DJ Premier bite is that Ronson beat for Wale?
If you are stoked on the Kanye remix tape, there will be slick CD copies at More Proof on Friday, so come up and say what’s up in between Jager Bombs.
09 December 2008
Mixtape: Paper Route Gangstaz—Fear and Loathing in Hunts Vegas
Two personal favourites, Benzi and Diplo, have been cooking up their Paper Route Gangstaz — Fear and Loathing in Hunts Vegas mixtape and I’ve been following it close since last winter. During a recent late night pow wow, I referred to it as ‘the most slept on tape of the year’ and I’m not preparing to take that back anytime soon.
The PRGz have something going on their own, but Diplo and Benzi bring it all together with some of the best remixes and production I’ve heard from either yet. The samples are way out there, but way amazing — Orbital, George Michael, Weezer...really? Did I hear some Cafe del Mar chillout, new age Buddha Bar type shit in there, too? No way.
It might catch you off guard, but every second of it sounds right at home. The end result is a fresh take on the genre that’s true to the OG dirty south sound.
Benzi and I have been plotting to share the stage for a while now. Come out and see us all on Friday at the Drake for More Proof’s December mixer.
You can purchase the mixtape as a complete digital download on the Mad Decent website or snag the promo sampler from Benzi’s site right here.
07 December 2008
Matthew Young: Lost and Found
In the early eighties, a hermetic musician by the name of Matthew Young released Recurring Dream — an entirely electronic, Eno-inspired album of instrumentals. Five years later, in 1986, Traveler’s Advisory was released into relative obscurity and went under the radar until this past September, when it resurfaced on California imprint Yoga Records.
Comprised mostly of folk-influenced numbers, it’s the song Dummy Line which stands out as a would-be new wave hit, albeit drenched in the ethereal sounds of a hammered dulcimer. You can buy the album here.
