Well have you? Maybe? If it looks familiar it’s because you were playing close attention to the G4 Attack of the Show segment on our Red, White & Brews 4th of July party. These guys were actually hanging out by the SEEN photobooth station at said party, so if you got your picture taken you also had the opportunity to get a bit more hands on with them.

So what the hell is the deal with these kicks you ask? Well they were done as a promotional piece (only 2 pairs were produced) for the party between ourselves, SEEN of the Etnies classic Rap High model. I think everyone had the full intention of going into production with these until we were hit with the unfortunate news that Etnies could no longer produce the sole that was needed for this model. So currently these sit in limbo as we drag our feet coming up with an alternative idea. But everyone really, really, really liked these shoes… From the buttery blue suede uppers to the Magenta midsole and that classic gum sole, it was love at first sight when the samples came in.

So why am I talking about these shoes if they’re not getting made? Well 1) to show them to you guys and 2) because everyone just really wanted to see how much interest they’d generate once people saw them. So who knows? You blog and retweet about these enough and maybe, just maybe they’ll come to pass!

The Mantles - Pink Information EP (2010) [Mexican Summer] // Grade: B

San Franciscan act The Mantles are well-aware of good music and it shows. The follow-up to their debut, self-titled, Slitbreeze-released LP of last year, Pink Information finds the guitar-led quartet mimicking the best years of proto-punk and paisley pop with a near-perfect, telltale relief. Delivered by the fine Brooklyn-ite purveyors of buzzed-about pop, Mexican Summer, the five songs that comprise Pink Information play like a sheer ode to all our favorite frontmen of leather-jacketed boast.

Their label refers to this as their most “conventionally pop record to date,” and for the most part, this is validated as quickly as opener “Cascades” starts chugging into its Lou-Reed-like swagger where singer Michael Olivares sings “walking around, thinking the world looks good on you” as if it’s The Velvets’ leader himself speaking directly to some homeless, street-walking troubadour about how the grass actually might be greener.

Following track “Situations” takes a weary Iggy-Pop-Idiot path, while EP standout “Lily Never Married” shines through in its Phil Spector-ish drums (or JAMC if you’d like), Dream Syndicate Paisley-ness and rough-around-the-edges tale of one Lily and her story of matrimonial misstep- “now she’s old and what can you say.”

On “Summer Read,” the quartet show just how sharp their teeth actually can be with a blunt, no-bullshit tune accounting cheap love. Olivaries blurts “treat me like a summer read, bake my spine in that sunshine” over a track immediately recalling the Heartbreakers’ or New York Dolls’ spiky, sputtering guitars and hastiness. Six-minute closer “Waiting Out The Storm” wraps up the Pink Information EP with a woozy, slowpop haze and you’re ultimately reminded that the days the abovementioned greats may be long gone, their influence is as endemic as ever.

An oldie but goodie from Electroclash partystarters Crossover… remember Electroclash? The Chiillwave of 2000-2001.

Torche & Boris - Chapter Ahead being Fake EP (2010) [Hydra Head] // Grade: A+

It’s been a while since I heard anything from either of these bands that struck me as inspiring as their earlier work. Growing up down south, I must have seen Floor and Cavity, Torche’s predecessors a dozen times. The same goes for Toche. Having never seen Boris live, I can’t speak for them but Torche’s energy during their live performance is something that has never been captured on any recording. Enter Chapter Ahead being Fake which is, in my bull-headed opinion, the first release to do so. Torche and Boris’ performance on this two-track, 18-minute long EP is so commanding and powerful that it literally sends goose bumps up my back every time I listen to it. Each track captures the art and energy of the bands to a new degree. Like the Ying and Yang one cut balances out the other. A perfect pairing.

Starting with the empirical dictatorship of “King Beef”, we’re all reminded of one of the key elements in Torche’s weaponry, Rick Smith’s powerful percussion onslaught. The entire 5-minute cut is pummeled into submission. This is Torche at their full potential. Steve Brooks and Jonathan Nuñez absolutely crush it in their own respect as well. From “King Beef” we are introduced to “Luna”, a very atypical Boris composition. Having never been a huge fan of the band in the past (I know I know), I can say that “Luna” brought a new level of respect from me to Boris. After sitting through it a few times, I revisited their other albums to see their work in a new light.

Maybe that’s what the intent of this EP was for the bands; a brief glimpse to keep their fan base yearning for more and a taste of their talents to gain new followers. It’s tough to say what each band was thinking, but overall I’m not going to question the ends with such a successful means. Mixing genres and composing beautiful music is what drives these guys and I can’t say anything bad about it other than it’s just too damn short! Do yourself a favor and grab this one, if you haven’t already.

I know, I know… we haven’t had a Store Spotting in a while. It’s not for lack of people visiting and us not taking pictures it’s just well, a long convoluted story with as many twists and turns as our dear Toilet Cobra’s mustache… or rather his former mustache! I still can’t believe Oslo is gone, Oslo is what I called his mustache by the way.

While going through our surplus of unedited and unposted Store Spotting images I discovered that TC had actually visited the shop last week or so, mustache still intact. Look at him… flaunting his 60 or so dollars like he’s ballin’, you think you can get away with that without that mustache? I don’t think so buddy!

Sigh… I’m gonna miss that mustache. But on the brighter side of things, the Toilet Cobra may soon be returning to regularly blogging for the Bloglin. We’re in the process of some very heavy negotiations right now and wells some of TC’s demands are just unreasonable and others are just completely absurd. Plus his agent is a total asshole.

P.S. Go check out his crappy awesome band, Fuck School. In case you were wondering it’s Fuck School like in “Fuck This School!” and not Fuck School as in a school where you go to learn the art of fucking. I’ve told TC that he needs to add an exclamation point so that it’s a little clearer but he won’t listen to me.

Мишка
350 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
718-388-1725

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

It’s been more than 30 years since bands like The NY Dolls and The Dead Boys were tearing up downtown clubs with outlandish outfits and nihilistic attitudes. Times have changed since those days, both the music and the neighborhoods that nurtured it have become safer and more family-friendly.

However if you look closely, you can still find some junkies on the Bowery and there a still kids out there who are not afraid to throw on some leather & spikes and play Rock N Roll the way it was meant to be played. Enter New York City’s very own Shapes.

Shapes play raw stripped down pop and are not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves. The bands latest release is a 5 song EP entitled I Feel… Therefore I Drink that is everything you would expect from a band keeping the glam torch burning bright!

Lead singer “Fanelli” performs with unending energy and somehow manages not to break a leg as he runs, climbs, dives all over the room in heels most women wouldn’t be able to walk in.

Shapes have always got shows coming up in Manhattan and Brooklyn so don’t deny yourself the joys of getting covered in cheap beer and glitter. You know what? There’s actually no reason you should be reading this still… You should be buying their EP, throwing on some leather and getting rowdy on the avenues with your friends.

As Adam Wallacavage recounts, Magic Fun Shop was a dusty mausoleum of a relic shop commandeered by an owner who looked like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a 100 year nap.  Situated on the North side of Philadelphia, Wallacavage discovered the novelty shop by chance in 1995.  Over the course of the next 10 years, he befriended the shop owner and slowly amassed a personal collection of vintage masks and 1960′s adult gag toys that once called Magic Fun Spot home.  During this ten year “Twilight Zone” span, Wallacavage documented his findings through a series of photographs until Magic Fun Shop mysteriously closed it’s doors for good in 2005.

Мишка is proud to host a series of Wallacavage’s documentation over this period at 350 Broadway.  The show – aptly titled Photos From the Magic Fun Shop – boasts a library’s worth of photographs spanning Wallacavage’s fascination and interaction with Philadelphia’s hidden novelty shop.  A number of relics and gag-toys will also be on display.

If Adam’s name sounds familiar it’s because he’s the man behind the Octopus chandeliers in all three of our shops. Beyond making chandeliers, Adam Wallacavage is also an accomplished photographer, documenting artists, musicians, daredevils and all things weird and wonderful. Adam has long documented skateboarding and the underground art scene.  His curriculum vitae includes shooting for various skateboard magazines in the early 1990’s including Thrasher, Slap and Skateboard Mag and transitioning to underground-art publications like Juxtapoz and Shepard Fairey’s, Swindle Magazine. His first book, Monster Size Monsters, was released in August of 2006 through Gingko Press and spans fifteen years of his photography.

Photos From the Magic Fun Shop will run for six weeks starting with an opening party at 350 Broadway on July 23rd.  A limited edition t-shirt including various prints will be available for sale at 350 Broadway.

Friday July 23rd, 7-10 pm
Мишка
350 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
718-388-1725

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

School of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire (2010) [Vagrant] // Grade: B+

The ethereal voices of twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza bolstered by Benjamin Curtis’s dream rock accompaniment return for their second go with Disconnect From Desire, the trio’s followup to 2008′s highly regarded Alpinisms. Where Alpinisms was a tour through delicate vocal harmonies and lightheaded electronica, Disconnect From Desire finds the twins owners of newly forceful and pop-leaning voices, and the instrumentation seeping with the heavier notes to match.

Churning in a mix of druggy shoegaze and dark synths, “Dust Devil” is a strong push away from the dreamscapes and choir girl vocals of Alpinisms. Alejandra and Claudia’s voices engage in a tug-o-war with Curtis’s production, soaring in short spurts then backing off for the grinding beat to punch through. Followed in sharp contrast by “ILU”, the two tracks back-to-back illustrate just how much variety SVIIB have very quickly imbued into their music, without losing any of their familiarity. “ILU” brings forth ambient dream rock with just a touch of harder synth to offset the orchestral elements. The vocals detour from their usual Stereolab-esque sounds and embrace pop melody.

In Disconnect From Desire‘s foray into richer, more complex sounds, there are a few oversights. Curtis’s production on “Bye Bye Bye” edges into the cheesy side of synthpop, his synthetic effects unconsidered against Alejandra and Claudia’s two-part harmony. Underneath the track, the main beat line is too fast, outpacing the vocals and losing what are some very strong hooks in the process. “Camarilla” again loses purpose over Curtis’s generic synthpop production. He shines at so many moments across Disconnect From Desire, and the unfortunate side effect is that his few less considered tracks stand out boldly.

With Disconnect From Desire School of Seven Bells have gone from spaced-out dreamers to focused musicians making plans for the future. It’s not perfect, but it’s a strong predecessor for whatever’s next.

Seriously, how great of a fucking name is From Russia With AIDS!? I don’t even think they’re from Russia, their Myspace lists Oslo, Norway but who the hell ever knows with these Witch House bands? What I do know is this song and video by Cosmotropia de Xam is pretty friggin’ awesome.

Amazing Spider-Man #638
Alright, fuck every other comic that is coming out this week, I want to talk about Peter Parker. This week, the Spider-Man event One Moment In Time is kicking off. The event is in response to the other Spidey event that took place in 2007. That shiz was called Brand New Day. In this wonderful arc, Spider-Man was faced with a choice presented by Mephisto. Mephisto was all like, “Yo, I can save your dying Aunt May. But in return, you will never have married Mary Jane.”

Somehow, and for some reason, Peter Parker decided that this was a solid deal. What a dumb bastard. He chose his rickety old fucking Aunt May, over his gorgeous, accepting supermodel wife? This shit has irked me for some time now. Dude Pete, she ain’t even your Mom, yo. I know, I know, same thing, close enough, blah blah blah. So poof! With a wink and a nod, and probably some magical smoke that makes people disappear and stuff, Mary Jane and Peter Parker were never married.

Somehow.

Why’d it happen?

Well, it happened because Mephisto wanted Parker’s love. Or something. But we know why it really happened: because Marvel had no idea what the fuck to do with Peter Parker anymore. Parker was the character that apparently everybody related to growing up. I didn’t, I was a total X-Men dude. I was more comfortable running around with a pack of mutants, watching Wolverine gut dudes and totally talk smack to Scotty Summers and secretly hitting on Jean Grey.

As a brief aside, did you ever consider Wolverine’s enhanced senses? Like, what’d they be like in the bedroom? I imagine sniffing a pair of panties with his skills is either the greatest thing ever, or he passes out and goes semi-catatonic.

But anyways, people related to him. Why? Because he was dorky, and disaffected. Because he didn’t fit in, and he had typical teenage angst, and he had a rough go of things. His parents were dead, he kept waking up with webbing in his pants thinking about watching Mary Jane cheerleading at the pep rally.

Peter Parker married to Mary Jane?

That shit changes everything! Parker wasn’t angsty anymore, he wasn’t unfulfilled. He was a middle-class teacher, married to a gorgeous supermodel who accepted him for all his quirks and the fact that he dresses up in tights and fights giant reptiles. Acceptance. Evolution. Before Brand New Day, Parker wasn’t the character that people had grown up to love, who was eminently relatable. He was normal. And apparently that was boring enough, and scary enough, and far enough away from his “roots” as Joe Quesada put it, that they had to use one of the most contrived storyline mechanics I can recall to pull it off.

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