Friday, January 31, 2014

Listen: Vancouver Sleep Clinic & GXNXVS – “Hold On We're Going Home” (Drake Cover)

Brisbane, Australia’s Vancouver Sleep Clinic the project created by 17 year-old Tim Bettinson has been killing it as of late and his latest partnership with GXNXVS for a memorable cover of Drake’s “Hold On We’re Going Home” from the Nothing Was the Same LP is no exception.


While your at it you should check out “Collapse’ from last year’s EP which is sure to please Bon Iver fans.

Listen: Rook Milo - “Outland"


Vancouver based Brock McColm aka Rook Milo shared “Outland” earlier this week; a standout track in the ever-growing electro-R&B scene.  A real smooth vibe musically with some great Eddie Kendrick sampled vocals make this one a winner; check it below…

Video: St. Vincent – “Digital Witness”

St. Vincent's "Digital Witness" is the first video from her upcoming self-titled album out on February 25 via Loma Vista. The Chino Moya directed clip features Annie in some sort Utopian futuristic world.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Video: MOCA TV – Art in The Streets “Building Detroit Part’s 1 & 2”

The excellent Art in The Streets series from MOCAtv returned today with two new documentaries that were shot & directed by Colin M. Day on the current artistic scene taking place in Detroit. Many onomatopoeia favorites are featured in the two shorts, which you can read about in much more detail below…



Like New York City in the 1970s, modern day Detroit is a paradise for street art. The miles of unused facades and ample loads of refuse in this "bombed-out, dilapidated urban landscape" are grist for graffiti artists and writers from the United States and beyond. In this short film, Los Angeles artist REVOK discusses the creative community that has coalesced in Detroit, highlighting the fantastic assemblages he creates from abandoned houses and buildings, and collaborates with POSE to mount a tribute mural to local icon Sean Griffin, better known as NEKST, on the western facade and southern wall of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. Without local authorities policing or buffing their work, the city itself becomes an enormous canvas. 

Featuring work by Nekst, Revok, Pose, Askew, Risk, Rime, Flying Fortress, Nychos, Decolonize.


In Detroit, Michigan, where economic demise has forced the city to shrink and turn its back on empty homes and properties, a community of artists thrives by continuing its rich tradition of building. Under the auspice of Power House Productions, a local nonprofit which supports neighborhood revitalization, Oakland artist Monica Canilao (you need to see her website) transforms a dilapidated Victorian into an aesthetic object straddling the worlds of street art and architecture. On the land surrounding his African Bead Museum, DABLS incorporates discarded construction material into his network of sculptures and installations. And in his backyard, a former General Motors employee named Dmytro Szylak continues to build and tinker with a massive visionary environment which evokes both the auto plant and his own Ukrainian heritage. The factories are closed, but the desire to work remains.

 

Artists:
Powerhouse Project: Monica Canilao, Richard Coleman, Swoon, Saelee Oh, Retna,
Ben Wolf.
African Bead Museum: DABLS
Hamtramck Disneyland: Dmytro Szylak
N'Kisi Concorde Filmmakers: Nikki Sass & Brittin Richter

Video: Son Lux – “Alternate Worlds”


Ryan Lott, aka Son Lux, released his latest video in the form of “Alternate Worlds” today. The song appears on one of my favorite albums from 2013, Lanterns, which if you haven’t had a chance to spin yet you most certainly should as it is a beautifully complex record filled with many moving moments.  Truman & Cooper direct the emotionally charged video which is quite effective in that I most certainly got depressed watching it.

Listen: Broods EP (Full Stream)

New Zealand’s pop duo BROODS  made their debut EP available to stream this morning. The six track effort features, among other songs, “Bridges,” which you might have heard on our latest playlist series from earlier in the month. The ep was produced and co-written by Joel Little (Lorde), and will be available to download on February 2. Take a listen beforehand below.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Listen: ceo – “WONDERLAND” Full LP Stream


I’ve shared a handful of tracks from ceo’s Wonderland and now we have a full album stream of Eric Berglun’s forthcoming LP. The record picks up where 2010’s White Magic left off with its vibrant, jubilant melodies providing the backtrack for the sometimes dark subject matter. Wonderland officially drops on February 4th but you can head over to NPR to hear the full 8-track LP now.  

Listen: AWE – “Crystals”

You can’t help but think of Rustie when listening to L.A.-based producer AWE’s new hyperactive synth heavy song “Crystals,” but that a good thing because the super upbeat tune is a lot of fun.

Listen: Banks – “Brain” Prod. By Shlohmo

I haven’t shared anything from L.A. artist Banks in a while and this one is a double whammy as Shlohmo handles the production. “Brain” keeps the moody dark tone explored in both artist’s work so this really is a natural collaboration that works well.

Listen: Three Unearthed Elliot Smith/Mike Doughty Colaborations

Soul Coughing’s Mike Doughty randomly dropped three EDM collaborations he recorded with Elliott Smith in 1998 this week to many people’s surprise. Doughty, who records his electronic music under the alias UUL, had this to say on the music…

Smith recorded the vocals a cappella while he was in town working on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. The tapes were only just retuned to me in November of 2013 so I just started laying out the backing tracks.

At the moment it sounds unfinished to my ears but it’s never the less a treat for his many fans.

Listen: Cloud Nothings - "I'm Not Part Of Me"

Been gone for a minute as I had friends in from out of town but finally managed to get some free time for a new post this evening.

Cloud Nothings released one of my favorite albums in 2012 and by the sound of “I’m Not Part of Me” from the band’s forthcoming album, Here and Nowhere Else, they have a good chance of making 2014’s list. Stream the tune below and if you like what you here you can pre-order the record before it officially drops on April 1st.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Video: SchoolBoy Q - "Man Of The Year"

Hey Ho, real quick before I get into this next post, I just want to call to attention that this is our 2000th post! A much earned thanks to the handful of friends who give time to help out with this little project whenever they can and of course to the readers. Here is to another 2000 posts.

Schoolboy Q dropped a video for his NBA Live 14 track "Man of the Year." Of course the tune famously samples one of my favorite bands, the Chromatics, specifically their tune "Cherry." The video goes with the partying theme and was directed by Dave Free and APLUSFILMZ, look out for Q’s new LP, Oxymoron, to drop on February 25th.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Listen: Twilight - "Lungs"

It’s been a great day for posts with the latest coming from black metal super group Twilight. Strangely enough I was discussing the group last Saturday with my friend Kris without any knowledge that this was coming out. Check out their second LP from 2010 entitled Monument To Time End, it's a monster of a record if you haven't already!

For those unfamiliar Twilight has had an ever-evolving lineup with each release and in 2012 added  Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth fame to the army. Unfortunately this will be the last record from the collective  with news of their new album—III: Beneath Trident's Tomb, out on March 18 via Century Media.

III features Moore, Stavros Giannopoulos (Atlas Moth), Wrest (Leviathan), N. Imperial (Krieg), and producer Sanford Parker. Get a taste of the 6 track LP below with "Lungs."

Nitchow's Real Life Instagram

While I don't really have a problem with Instagram, it’s a useful tool after all, it does upset me to see so many images on the web receiving accolades after they essentialy have been hammered to death by filters. Brazillian street artist Bruno Riberio, aka Nitchows, might be feeling the same way, or perhaps it’s a comment on  how we have all started to concern ourselves with capturing moments through the lens instead of experiencing them. Whatever the case the artist has been cleverly interacting with the urban environment, not unlike the FTW crew, to make these killer works...

Video: Childish Gambino - “The Worst Guys”


Childish Gambino recently released his latest LP, Because The Internet, and with it we get a new video for “The Worst Guys.” The tune and video feature Chicago it-guy of the moment Chance The Rapper, who we of course were blogging about back in 2012 when I included his #10 Day mixtape as one of my albums of the year. The guys keep it laid back as they spend a day at the beach which is where I would rather be at the moment. Directed by Kyle Newacheck.

Listen: Perfect Pussy - "Driver"

Meredith Graves’s Syracuse fem noise-punk band Perfect Pussy have announced their 12-track debut LP for record label Captured TracksSay Yes to Love is out March 18th, that’s the cover art above and opening track, "Driver", below. You can pre-order the album from iTunes for $8, you get bonus live tracks, a PDF of the album art, and an instant download of “Driver.”

Video: Killer Mike - "Ghetto Gospel"

Killer Mike  just dropped a belated video for one of his more mellow 2012 R.A.P. Music tunes "Ghetto Gospel.”  As you can imagine the video is heavy on the religious imagery and see’s Mike preaching his knowledge over the El-P beat in a church environment. Created by Trevor Kane and Carlos Haynes.

A Visual History of Stüssy's Advertising Campaigns (1986-1991)

Stüssy  is one of those companies that is synonymous with urban fashion, some would call it the godfather of street wear, it most certainly has withstood the test of time and even inspired the launch of other iconic brands like Supreme who’s James Jebbia famously worked with Shawn Stussy for years before forming what many consider to be the industry standard for this generation.

I recall first being introduced to the iconic brand in the mid 80’s when I started to skate, the tribal logo created by founder Shawn himself was instantly recognizable and appealing as where their ads  which applied a great punk rock aesthetic to them with their collage like construction.

I remember flipping through the pages of Thrasher Magazine each month excited to see the latest one, cutting them out and sticking them on my bedroom wall for inspiration. I’m much older now and those torn pages obviously no longer grace my bedroom walls but I am just as attracted to the graphic work as I was when I was a kid and have recently noticed a nod to the past in some of their newer marketing which most certainly put a smile on my face and inspired this piece.

Stüssy has never hired out ad agencies or creative consultants. All ad’s are created in-house with a creative director leading the vision. Here is a breakdown of some of the important folks involved with the campaigns over the years .

Ron Leighton (1983-1986)
Ron met Shawn in the early 80’s when he and his wife, Michele, produced an ad for Newport Surf and Sport that featured some pieces from Stüssy. Shawn liked what he saw and asked Ron to do his thing on some ads for the emerging clothing brand, the two worked together for a period of three years amassing a large collection of photographs hallmarked by the globally recognized grainy black and white aesthetic Stüssy is known for.

Shawn Stüssy (1987-1989)
Shawn himself took over after Ron left in 86 and continued to combine his noteworthy graphic talents with his distinctive taste in humor. Shawn had an eye for ambiguous imagery and when he came across something he liked, he would shoot it, re-purpose it and add his own mark on the photographs often with a hip-hop inspired phrase in his iconic handwriting.

David Dobson (1989-1990)
Outside of California David spent portions of his life in Calcutta, India, Kenya, Egypt, and Sri Lanka, where he was exposed to various cultures that went on to influence his work. As a fan of Stüssy, David cleverly reached out to the brand for a box of t-shirts to take along on a missionary trip just to see what he could come up with. What the brand got in return was a series of photographs that displayed  his unique ability to connect and communicate with the diverse cultures in a natural way that didn't look staged. Most impressive perhaps is that his work still looks just as fresh today as it did two decades ago.

So now that you have some background on the who’s who here without further delay are fifty-four  Stüssy ads from between 1986 and 1991 for you to enjoy and be inspired by. Some might be pretty familiar, but there are a couple of lesser-seen ones in the mix featuring some fun guest models you might recognize, enjoy.

Video: Cities Aviv – “Don't Ever Look Back”

For those checking out Memphis rapper Cities Aviv for the first time he makes hip-hop music that borrows equally from the more traditional corners of the genre and laces it with some of the experimentation you might find on a Death Grips LP. “Don’t Ever Look Back” has got a bit of a club vibe with its pulsating beat and sparse rhymes but most certainly gets the job done. If you like what you hear make sure to check out Aviv’s forthcoming album, Come To Life out January 28 on Young One Records.

Directed, shot, edited by RimarVillaseñor.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Video: Tiombe Lockhart - “Can’t Get Enough"


When Tiombe Lockhart isn't fronting Cubic Zirconia she is working on, amongst other things, solo material. The latest single from the soul singer is the Hudson Mohawke-produced  “Can’t Get Enough” and the production on this bad boy comes in real strong, providing the perfect complimentary, albeit warped, soundscape to the powerful vocal(and video) performance of Tiombe. Pulling double duties the video was also directed by Lockhart and Thu Tran.

Video: Red Bull Daily Grind - "A Day At The Office"

© Jesus Arellanes / Red Bull Content Pool
Been a while since I posted anything skate related on the ol’ blog but this Red Bull sponsored video is a whole lot of fun and features some great continuous shots of riders tearing it up in a Chicago office space located on the 23rd floor of a high-rise in the heart of downtown. Featuring Ryan Sheckler, Felipe Gustavo, Joey Brezinski, Corbin Harris, Alex Midler, Ryder Lawson, Gard Hvaara and Sewa Kroetkov.

Thanks to Nicola for sharing.

Listen: Liars – “Mess On A Mission”

Liars are gearing up to drop the follow up to 2012’s WIXIW with a new record due out on March 24th via Mute. The LP will be called Mess and based on the first single; “Mess On A Mission” the band is further developing the electronic experimentation heard on WIXIW, check it below..

Monday, January 13, 2014

Listen: Warpaint – “Warpaint” (Fulll LP Stream)

It’s been a handful of years since indie rock band Warpaint entered the scene with their 2010 debut,  The Fool, and now the quartet of ladies are gearing up to drop their hypnotic sophomore offering on January 20th via Rough Trade. The self-titled record is composed of twelve tracks running at 51-minutes with some Chris Cunningham video work due to arrive in the very near future, stream the full LP via NPR now.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Video: Glasser - "Shape"

While we first shared an audio stream of Glasser’s “Shape” in August Cameron Merisow returned today with a Jonathan Turner directed video for the lead single from her recently released LP, Interiors. The video takes queue from the songs lyrics, “my home has no shape,” as Mesirow traverses an ever-morphing and unstable house made up of mercury like substance.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Video: Party Supplies – “Working Out” NSFW

Party Supplies start off 2014 with their latest video, a Sebastian Bear McClard directed clip for “Working Out.” The humorous NSFW visuals explore the lifecycle of a character played by comedian Fat Jew; seeing him tackle all the ups and downs one might experience themselves in the course of a lifetime including birth, puberty, love, war, marriage, death and everything in-between

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Listen: ceo - "Wonderland"

Eric Berglund’s psychedelic pop project, ceo, will  be dropping  LP #2, Wonderland, on February 3 through Modular.  We already shared the first single and today we got a stream of the title track for your listening pleasure…

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Onomatopoeia Playlist Series: Vol.2 "Pedophilia"

Last October I premiered a new feature called the Onomatopoeia Playlist Series, you can still grab the first one HERE. Pedophilia is the second in the series and what better time to share it with you all as we enter 2014. Once again the mix includes three and a half hours of music from the past, present and future spanning a wide range of genera’s along side a healthy dose of remixes, bootlegs and covers. Many of the tunes have not been featured here before. 

I will not be posting any of the track information here or in the metadata normally attached to the mp3 files. If you would like a copy of the full track list you can contact us via email and we will gladly send it your way. 

Onomatopoeia Playlist Vol. 2 - Pedophilia
56 Tracks, 3 hours 31 minutes
1-6-2014
Art Design Jediak


DOWNLOAD (453 MB)

Friday, January 3, 2014

Video: The Pixies - "Blue Eyed Hexe"

Following last year's EP-1, the Pixies have returned with another new EP simply titled EP-2. It's available for sale now at the band's website; that's the cover art above and the Mount Emult directed video for  "Blue-Eyed Hexe" below..

Video: Run The Jewels - "A Christmas F**cking Miracle”

Things were running at a snails pace on this end over the holidays so I’m a bit behind on things (everyone needs a vacation now and again.) So I’m gonna throw up some things that happened in the last couple weeks starting things off with the latest Run The Jewels video.

A Christmas F**cking Miracle” appropriately hit just days before the 25th and sees El-P and Killer Mike going all out with the holiday spirit in the Joey Garfield directed clip.