Everything with Sheriff Unser was really great tonight. His character has been developing in season 2 beyond a Barney Fife-type who sits back while SAMCRO runs the town and into someone with much more depth. He showed huge balls going into Sherman’s and standing up to Ethan. Unser’s got a bit of a dark side, and I’m really glad they’re bringing it out. I actually got chills a little when he as talking about Charming:

“Not many folks take to it. I like to think that the town chooses its occupants. Right ones stay…wrong ones disappear.”

I thought Gemma might spend most of the season tracking down her rapists, but last night she spotted AJ’s tattoo and followed him around for most of the episode. I knew she wouldn’t pull the trigger – something tell me she’s still terrified of him, even if his back is turned and she’s got the gun. It’ll be interesting to see how she deals with this over the next nine episodes. Also, Katey Sagal is fucking stealing this season.

The rift between Jax and Clay is really starting to heat up (finally). We even got a little shoving match! Clay’s arthritis is also starting to heat up, to the point where he couldn’t pick up his bike. Very nice touch.

RIP Fatboy on a Fatboy!

“…one of the most inspirational movies I have ever seen.” – Oliver Stone, from a 1993 Entertainment Weekly interview

When my boy Kyle and I were researching films for this retrospective, one instantly grabbed our attention by the dicks and wouldn’t let go until we acquired a copy. Directed by Donald G. Jackson, the “Ed Wood of the video age,” 1991′s The Roller Blade Seven is an immensely enjoyable shit-show of jump-cuts, non-linear action sequences, and rollerblading. I even enjoyed it sober. The movie stars martial artist and zen filmmaker Scott Shaw, who has appeared in countless cult films, including the 4th installment of Jackson’s Frog Warrior series. The film was never “formally” released in the U.S., but like all misunderstood masterpieces has developed a cult following.

The movie follows Hawk Goodman (Shaw), a member of the Master of the Light Institute, who travels into the Wheelzone to rescue Sister Sparrow, who has been abducted by Saint Offender (Joe Estevez – younger brother of Martin Sheen and Emilio). If you get caught travelling without some form of self-propelled-wheeled-transport while in the Wheelzone, you get beat up and forced to sing. Along the way, Hawk takes magic mushrooms with Karen Black, befriends a Kabuki rollerblader wielding NERF bats, fights a giant armored, rollerblading minotaur, and runs into a Banjo playing blader wrapped up like the Invisible Man. The movie also features Elvis, Frank Stallone, S&M, and almost no dialogue (thank the gods). Another unique “touch” is the inclusion of title cards every time a new character is introduced, which displays the actor’s name. It’s like they asked the coolest kid in middle school to list everything he’s always wanted to see in one movie.

Unlike the other two films we’ve looked at, RB7 features no sweet jumps and the action sequences are fucking miserable. Scott Shaw is supposedly an accomplished martial artist in real life, but in these fight scenes he appears to barely know where the handle is on a sword. But unlike the other two films, RB7 makes you feel like you’re on mind-bending drugs. During one fight scene, I found myself blinking really slow and heavy because I thought my eyes were fucked up. Nope. They really did just show Hawk kicking that ninja in the face…11 times. The same shot is shown 11 times.

But it works, maaaan. It’s a campy movie with lots of bladin’, thongs, and . Throughout it felt like I was watching a movie one of my friends had made, if my friends were brilliant and knew the little brothers of Sylvester Stallone and Emilio Estevez.

Retrospective Pt. 1 – Prayer of the Rollerboys

Retrospective Pt. 2 – Solarbabies

I was cleaning up my desktop yesterday and I found an folder with shots from around the city. I think they were taken in about 2003-2004 when we first launching our website. In fact this shot eventually worked it’s way into the design of our first splashpage.

I liked this shot, for a few reasons:
1) It was trying to be all “artsy”
2) It was a shot of our first t-shirt tag
3)It had great background.

I cant for the life of me, remember what the name of this building is on Wooster. Its is (was?) across the street from Deitch, and would act as a canvas for the hottest Street/Graf artists of the time. There is some great talent in this shot. I can see Bast, Faile, D-Face, London Police, Skullphone, The Polaroid Scene (pre-Cobrasnake), Monster Project along with many others I can’t quite make out.

Doomriders – Darkness Comes Alive (2009) [Death Wish] // Grade: A

To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of Doomrider’s last CD, Black Thunder. Something about it not fulfilling all the hype and not really satisfying my craving for some post-Converge and Cave In tunes. I grew up listening to Converge and Cave In, so I expected some of the brutal breaks along the lines of Petitioning the Empty Sky and Until Your Heart Stops. After listening to Black Thunder I wrote off Doomriders as another Hardcore band flailing their arms before they drown. That being said, when I saw that Thomas Hooper was working on their new album, a bit of hope was instilled in my blood. Hooper’s work is phenomenal, so surely the album must be matching right?

Well, I have to say, after a few listens, I really like it. There are very, let me emphasize very, few bands in the hardcore genre that I could give two shits about. The ‘scene’ has been dead since the mid 90′s as far as I’m concerned. All the bands I grew up listening to have moved on, or are still putting out the same music under new monikers and touring well into their 30′s.

The reason why I like this album is that I realized people mature and you have to expect their sound to mature as well. Doomriders isn’t Cave In, or Converge. They’re a band who’s matured and their experience in the 90′s with their previous hardcore bands gave them their unique sound today. Darkness Comes Alive exhibits such refinement in the hardcore genre. 16 tracks of not only acceptable, but addictive music begin with “Fade from Black” and “Heavy Lies the Crown”.

“Bear Witness” and “Knife Wound” remind me of the old school hardcore I loved but with a new school flare. “Come Alive” is maybe one of the more catchy tracks on the album and could easily support a music video. The rest of the album offers a series of tracks to make any metal or rock fan bob their head with content. Overall Darkness Comes Alive makes me want to give Black Thunder another whirl and maybe even catch the band on tour. I take back everything bad I ever said about Doomriders to friends.

So the imports keep rolling in over here at 350 Broadway. Yesterday the dope DJ duo from France Tribe All Starz rolled in on Twitter Tuesday to scoop some gear. Teddy Ted rocking the Мишка exclusive Mad Decent New Era and Lincoln sporting the In-Store Exclusive Beanie and Garfield Tee. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with all Мишка news and promotions… such as Twitter Tuesday!

Мишка
350 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY

J/M/Z to Marcy Ave.
G to Broadway
L to Lorimer

You may remember back in January we all got together for a Star Wars sketch card drawing party? Well the cards were finished, randomly inserted in packs and then found by fanboys and resellers (I saw some go for over $100 on eBay). All of the remaining cards will be displayed and sold at auction this Friday in Long Island City.

There are only 4 Мишка artist cards available at the show/auction but there is going to be a variety of work from other artists who took part in the project. The show is being curated by Sucklord himself so you know this is sure to be a good show!

Friday October 2nd, 6-9pm
Star Wars Galaxy Series 4: Sketch Card Show & Auction
APW Gallery
48-18 Van Dam St.
Long Island City, NY

My favorite crusty bike / metal enthusiast Jack Crank helps run Endless Blockades, a Tumblr of hesheristic jackets and tattoos.

His recent entry made me laugh, it’s the My Older Brother’s Denim Jacket from Fall ’07 re-appropriated with numerous patches. Unfortunately, the Rasputin patch didn’t make the cut, but the jacket lives on!

It looks like the Keep Watch is starting to get a run for it’s money as a Мишка Tattoo. Ryan Berger of Florida went and got one of the most truly awesome tattoos we’ve seen come our way. My Pet Monster clutching/cuddling a Cyco Simon skull! I love it, I wish I had though of it!

All the coloring should be finished later in October and we’ll post up the finished tattoo as soon as Ryan send it in. I wish I could give a plug to the Tattoo artists, because his work looks fantastic! Maybe Ryan will chime in on the comments and let us know his name? The work is done by Diane Seruga from Requiem Body Art in Spring Hill, Florida

P.S. I want that design made into a piggy bank for some reason!

Black Math - S/T LP [Permanent] // Grade: B

While many bands attempt to modernize their influences, and create a sound that both references points along musical history’s timeline and plays off current trends, there are those rare bands that just don’t give a fuck about the latest fads and craft music that blends seamlessly into the past, lost in time. Through their debut EP, and more recently, their first full length album, Chicago’s darkest duo, Black Math, float through goth and new wave’s golden age.

This year sees the band releasing both an EP of new material titled Counterfeit Unealities and their first full-length album, a self-titled work of older material originally released as a cassette in 2008. Fuzzy, darkwave compositions and a raw edge stylistically mark the self-titled album. Compiled of earlier material, this release sees the band less polished and still heavily favoring guitar over electronics. Noisy, crashing and haunting, the instrumentation on the album sounds like The Jesus and Mary Chain recording while buried six feet under. The vocals alternate between male and female, droning and howling in syncopation, but remaining largely hidden underneath the instrumentation. The tracks on the album may blend together a bit too much, but it works in Black Math’s favor, sucking you deep into a vortex of despair.

Black Math - Counterfeit Unrealities EP [Self-Released] // Grade: A-

Black Math’s new EP, Counterfeit Unrealities, consists of new material and will be re-released later this year with additional new tracks as an album. The band’s new material is every bit as dark as the tracks on their self-titled album, but with considerably more polish and far less noise. The four track EP introduces gentler instrumentation. Drum machine, cello and keys are favored over crashing guitar. Echo and the Bunnymen and Siouxsie and the Banshees both come to mind as influences  on Counterfeit Unrealities. Xina’s voice possesses that same operatic, eerie range of Siouxsie Sioux and it takes center stage in the very Banshees-esque “Bottomless Sea”. “Part of Me” is easily my favorite track from Black Math’s catalog of material. It’s the band’s first truly upbeat offering, but doesn’t lose it’s dark, droning edge in the process. Counterfeit Unrealities is welcome maturation for Black Math, maintaining the spirit of their earlier material while seeing Xina, Jimmy and Andrew tackle new territory as a band.

Free Download of the Counterfeit Unrealities EP (Click Here)

picture by Barnie

My boy Ed Wonka is in Switzerland right now working with GOrilla Bicycles on the new Kilroy frame. While he’s there, he’s stomping out some pretty gnarly gaps. This triple set is daunting to say the least!