We recently had a visit to both 350 Broadway and the Мишка headquarters nearby, from one of my artistic idols… the one, the only, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge of Coum Transmitions, Throbbing Gristle, and Psychic TV. Genesis stayed and chatted with us about art, Charles Manson, Brian Jones, and even Juggalos. I could have spent the whole day getting lost in everything Genesis had to say, but eventually busy schedules pulled everyone back to the realities of our daily grind.

Genesis has been busy recently not only reviving Throbbing Gristle, but working on a variety of art projects. Most recently was her collaborative show with the talented Daniel Albrigo called Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is…A Love Story, which just wrapped up at the Renwick Gallery. Genesis will also be hosting an evening at MOMA on March 22nd that you all should attend and expand those horizons by spending an evening with one of the greatest and most unique artists to emerge from the 20th century.

Also, I’d like to wish a belated Happy Birthday to Genesis, who turned 60 yesterday. Here’s to 60 more of pushing artistic boundaries and acceptance. If you have any interest in learning more about this singularly amazing artist, I recommend checking out the recently released Thee Psychick Bible from Feral House Press and the re-pressed Wreckers of Civilization from Black Dog Publishing.

Мишка
350 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
718-388-1725

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

Hello, hello ninjas! I’m Kev Buc and the Bloglin asked me to come on board as their resident man with Faygo on his tongue and his finger on the Dark Carnival’s pulse. That’s right, I’m here to give you what you all want…regular Juggalo content from an actual Juggalo. I’m sure some of you Blogin-alos are rolling your eyes and things of that nature, but I will try to keep it entertaining for everybody.

So what better way to start things off than episode one of Hatchet Happenings. 12 minutes of Psychopathic records news so that you, me, and all Juggalos can stay down with the clown. The video is hosted DJ Clay and Sweet Sugar Slam along with WFUCKOFF radio personality DJ Fillin’ and is done in the now familiar (thanks to SNL) format of the 2009 Gathering infomercial.

In this Juggalo’s opinion the video is pretty embarrassing and hard to watch. It’s really far cry from the old Weekly Freekly Weekly (clip above) news videos that Violent Jay and Shaggy used to host.

And while Hatchet Happenings is some actual Juggalo News, I thought it’d be funny to compare and contrast it against this recent spoof video from comedian Scott Gairdner called the Juggalo News Network. I’ll leave you now with these videos to whet your whistles. Enjoy, woop woop and all that…more on the way!

Ollie Magazine came by 350 Broadway a couple of weeks ago to do a little photo shoot of the crew. A great photo of myself, Lamour Supreme, John Prolly and Mike Jones.

Tak is an amazing photographer and does a great job in getting the cool shots and the best lighting. Check out his website of bike photography, New York Bike Dreams.

Joanna Newsom- Have One on Me (2010) [Drag City] // Grade: A

If Joanna Newsom’s weirdo-cool squawk of a voice ruled The Milk-Eyed Mender, and Ys had its so-grand arrangements, then Have One on Me is theoretically the happy middle ground between the two. Except there’s nothing middle about it. It’s the highest ground—the skyscraper ground, troposphere ground—because this girl? She can actually sing. For real. The new Joanna Newsom has a voice like razor blades, like pocket knives; not some thoroughly modern quirk but an honest-to-god, goosebump-inducing instrument. And if that’s not enough to sway you, let me just say this: Newsom’s always sort of annoyed me, and now I love her almost as much as I love Kate Bush. Or at least, I love them in a similar way.

Because they’re kindred spirits, Bush and Newsom. Both of them evocative, baroque, enamored with images of gardens and mud and Eden and dogs. Both of them softly inviting, but sometimes a little scary—eccentric mother-figures prone to total freak-outs. They create the strangest worlds—the Gaffas, the Organons—and ask little but that you please, come in, stay awhile. And you do, you will, because it’s difficult to turn away from the Have One on Me universe. It may sprawl across two-plus hours and three discs, sure, and be a tad emotionally draining (so much love, loss, life), but it’s like staying up all night with a book you just can’t close—from Joni Mitchell jaunts like “Good Intentions Paving Company” to the bluesy “Baby Birch” and epic, obstuse “Kingfisher”, Newsom’s songs are captivating and swirly, the sonic equivalent to a real page-turner, or falling through the looking glass. It doesn’t matter that you don’t know which way is up, what genre is what, which part is ending and if there’s even been a chorus at all; you just want to float along in this place for a few minutes longer.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that (emotional nakedness aside) Newsom’s on a serious technical high too. Whether her songs strip themselves to a sweetly plucked harp, maybe a piano, or blast with real Ys-like orchestral grandeur, there’s something that feels newly complete on Have One on Me, like Newsom grew from fledgling baby bird to king of the jungle without anyone realizing she was so fledgling in the first place. And that voice, careening flawlessly back and forth from whisper to squeal, its former gruffness just a surprising little accent; those lyrics, both percussive and smooth, elated and desperate, poetry in the least annoying sense of the term—everything about Newsom here screams “all grown up”. Totally gorgeous. And capable of completely facing any former skeptics.

On Friday I ventured to NYC for Vice’s screening/celebration for Jonathan Kaplan’s 1979 teensploitation masterpiece, Over the Edge. Because of my parcopresis, I tend not to eat anything when I know I’m taking the Fung Wah to NYC. I’d rather starve than have to sit on those toilets. I did have to pee around the two hour mark, so I went to relieve myself. The toilet seat was spotted with blood and the woman who went in before me didn’t flush. It looked like a crime scene. I arrived unscathed with only a minor cramp from holding it in. I have a friend who works on Madison Ave. who lets me use his private bathroom, but he wasn’t around. So I bit the bullet and went at the restaurant we ate at. Relief.

If you’ve never seen Over the Edge, you should. It’s about a suburban development in Texas where there’s nothing for the kids to do but get wasted and raise hell. It has a kick ass soundtrack too. It’s Matt Dillon’s first movie. He was 15 years old and he wears a cut off shirt through most of it. He was unable to be there for the reunion but he wrote a nice letter talking about how the movie changed his life. As a huge fan Over the Edge, it was amazing to see it on the big screen and to hear the cast/crew discuss the film afterward. Except for the producer, George Litto, who didn’t know how to hold a microphone. He kept answering people’s questions with absolute nonsense. When someone asked what they thought about Kurt Cobain’s professed love of the movie, George talked about Cameron Crowe.

The guy on the far right of the above picture (Harry Northup) plays Sgt. Doberman in the movie. He got emotional during the Q&A and said that this event was one of the greatest days of his life. It was really awesome.

That’s Vice’s Jesse Pearson chatting with co-writer Tim Hunter. Hunter directed River’s Edge, another cult classic. He’s also directed episodes of Twin Peaks, Homicide, Mad Men, Dexter, etc. etc. I spoke with him during the after party and his face lit up when I told him he directed two of my favorite Eerie Indiana episodes. Super nice guy. My dear friend Bryan had him sign his copy of River’s Edge. Bryan told him he could sign over Keanu Reeves’ face. Tim called Reeves an “instigator.”

Who sat next to me during the movie but our beloved Toilet Cobra and the Vidiot. We had never met in person so it was pretty random and awesome. I was unable to check my Twitter beforehand, so even though Vidiot @’ed me, I had no idea they were coming. Vidiot talked to me about how awesome Tom Arnold is in Cradle 2 the Grave. Then me and my Salem pals got on NJ Transit and called it a night.

All photos snagged from Vice, except for the bottom one.

No, not those kinds of Cathouses! These are cafes in Tokyo were patrons can spend some time enjoying the company of cats! I know this sounds ridiculously odd, but it’s Japan Ok? How is this any odder than this? It’s actually infinitely way more sane if you ask me. Just look at the guy up above just waiting to me you!

The concept behind these is very similar to Japanese hostess bars where you can select from a wide range of girls in a variety of outfits ranging from maids, school girls, gothic lolita to just your favorite anime characters and enjoy some drinks or even some video games in their company. Above is the “menu” of all the lovely cats you can select to spend your time with for ¥900 (about $10) an hour.

Coilhouse recently took a visit inside one of these Tokyo Cat Cafes and has a great rundown of this very surreal experience that was filled with highly trained cats and I’m sure some pretty creeped out Japanese patrons. I mean who wants the presence of a weird westerner as you try and get your cuddle on with some sweet, sweet kitties.

As with any good cathouse, there are some rules of conduct patrons must adhere to. Above is said rules of the house… just like with strippers, you must also be gentleman with these saucy felines. Why Cat Cafe’s you say? Most people unfortunately just do not have the space in their Tokyo apartments to house a cat, let alone deal with it’s litter box. Plus the work environment in Japan can be very, very stressful and who wouldn’t want to relieve some of that stress by stroking one of those guys for a little while?

Best believe I’m hitting one of these up in a week or so! Just don’t tell my girlfriend… I’m just kidding she’s coming with me. We actually visited something sort of similar to this in Amsterdam, De Poezenboot!

Мишка Los Angeles Opening Night Gallery by Caesar Sebastian

Man oh man, what a weekend! We took the red-eye back last night and are still getting our bearings from not only opening the shop out in LA, but just the ridiculously good time we had at the opening reception and party. We were nervous how you guys would receive us and kept our fingers crossed as the calendar edged closer to the 20th. But we got these sense it was going to be great day when we awoke to find a write up about the opening on LA Weekly’s Blog on Saturday morning.

Thank you Los Angeles for how hospitable and welcoming you all have been to us this past week. And a H-U-G-E thank you to Echo Park for welcoming us in as your new neighbors. I haven’t ever felt so at home in all of my times in LA as I have in Echo Park. We’re even more excited to be a bi-coastal brand now more than ever!

Photographer Caesar Sebastian was out at both the opening reception and the party at the Echoplex documenting all of the madness. Caesar, thank you for so many wonderful pics! Please click the link at the top of the post for a huge 60 image gallery of the evenings festivities. It’s well worth it and who knows, you may even spot yourself in a few shots?

Big thanks to Killing Spree, Franki Chan, 12th Planet, Andy Milonakis, The Franks, Best Coast & Wavves for performing and making for such an amazing party. I also want to thank so many of the Cali and NY based labels who made the trip out that evening to congratulate us and show support. That really meant a lot to both Greg and Myself to see so many of our friends and peers in one place.

(more…)

Modern English – I Melt With You

Beirut – Elephant Gun

It Hugs Back – Work Day

The Big Pink - Dominos

Anni Rossi – The West Coast

Independent Fabrications X Bodega X BaileyWorks from Quarter Productions on Vimeo.

3 of my favorite New England companies teamed up to produce some really awesome bikes. Independent Fabrications, Bodega and BaileyWorks. Shot by a great videographer, Quarter Productions for High Snobiety.

Check it out!

I hate all holidays except for Halloween and the Fourth of July.  Every other holiday mostly serves to make lonely people miserable and aggravate family stresses to the point where people are screaming at each other and throwing shit. I think that Christmas, Valentines Day and New Years Eve are all evil and wrong. Thanksgiving is a little bit of a fence sitter but it still makes people feel like shit.

Despite hating the holidays I do like the week after the holidays when all the candy is half off.  I was in a Rite Aid where I picked up a Snoopy Valentine that contained really bad peanut butter cups, a Hello Kitty valentine with chalky candy bracelets inside and a Barbie valentine with conversation hearts in it.  I actually like these godawful candies even though I know it is wrong.  These were weirder than the ones I was used to.  Half of the candies just said “OH BOY” but the others ranged from confusing to threatening.

I am supposing that these hearts were made by people in another country who got some old conversation hearts and English words which they then programmed into the machine that prints words onto candy hearts in a very computer-like font. I like to imagine little girls faxing each other or Barbie being so in love with someone that she is moved to fax him a very passionate letter.

I am not sure if the candy is saying that things are hopeless or encouraging you to hope less. Either way, grim.

I got dewy eye from putting my head in a litter box one time. That suckkkked.

These seem to be written by and for depressed people who sit around all day by themselves.

I will get you next time.

When?

Don’t leave.

Is timing romantic? So many of these seem to be about the past and the future. “What now?”, “Yes now”, “When?”, “Next time.” It’s like whoever was writing these just passed the portion of the English for Malaysians class where they taught how to refer to things existing in time.