Ever finish a project before and finally hold it in your hands only to be stoked on the outcome? That’s how we feel about this. It’s the Milwaukee Bicycle Co. x Mishka D.A.R.T. Bruiser. The Bruiser was the first fixed gear of it’s kind. A solid-as-fuck bike meant to take a beating. Since its release, other companies have followed suit, mimicking the geometry and detailing.

I worked on designing the Bruiser with MKE three years ago and about a year and half ago, I set them up with Mishka to design a D.A.R.T. version. The team at Mishka came out with some rad ideas and this year, at Interbike, we displayed our creation with pride!

It bears (huh huh. Get it? Bear?) the D.A.R.T. and MKE insignia.

And a special headtube badge.

So, how does it ride?

Pretty damn good. Last weekend, fellow Milwaukee Bicycle Co team rider AJ Austin and I took to the neighborhood streets in Austin, Texas to ride. Yeah, t-shirts in January.

We had a blast and it was the first day I had been on a fixed freestyle bike since October. Get pitted!

Right now, these frames are en route from the factory. Expect more news on availability, build options, pricing and other details as events warrant!

Pixies – Surfer Rosa (1988)

Vs.

Joy Division – Closer (1980)

The Game is simple… if only one could exist which would it be? What’s more important… personal relevance, cultural significance, or simply being the better album all other things aside? Choice is yours…

Sup time travelers! Nerduo, composed of Mike Essl and Robb Irrgang, are out with a batch of new t-shirts for all of you ubernerds out there! You may remember their first t-shirt The Battle, which took a jab at one of my favorite 80s cartoon series’, and now with their new shirts they are taking it back again for a classic 80s trilogy!

As you may or may not know, Essl and I run the newly reinstated Mr. T And Me together. Despite his knowledge of all things T, the man still has a lot of time and brain power to devote to other sorts of nerddom, much of which is expressed through Nerduo.

There isn’t enough Back to the Future fandom out on the streets. Everyone loves that shit, but I should be seeing DeLorean tattoos on the reg. It’s also definitely high time that the gauntlet is thrown on the battle between Back to the Future and Star Wars. Y’all know that would be an epic battle that would span both space AND time.

“Jigga What?” and “My Trilogy” are now available for pre-sale on their site 1.21 Jiggawatts! Currently the pre-sale price is only $19.55! Get em for that good price now before you’re outta time!

Growing up I loved wrestling, which I’m sure my parents thought was weird. But, what I’m sure was even weirder was the fact that Goldust was one of my favorite wrestlers then and, being one of wrestling’s greatest heels, he still is today. Goldust, who’s actual name is Dustin Rhodes, has been the subject of controversy from day one.

Often referred to as “The Bizarre One” Goldust has always exuded a level of sexuality and overall mysteriousness not usually associated with wrestlers in the WWE. Anyways, this brings us to THE TAPE. A few weeks ago I was cruising the “For Sale” section on my local Craigslist for old wrestling memorabilia, and I came across a posting for a Goldust Action figure for $10. In small print next to it, read the magical words: “Also comes with a VHS tape of The Best of Goldust, which I made myself.”

An email or two later, the seller had agreed to sell me just the tape for only $5 on the condition that I meet him at his house because he didn’t have a car. What would the tape be like? I mean it was homemade, so I could only hope for a the very least a cool handwritten label. I’m really into cool nostalgic things like that.

Pop culture artifacts if you will. Thirty minutes later I had arrived at his place, which didn’t look like the sorta place I might die, so I went inside. To say his house was trashed would have been giving him credit. I thought about calling the producers of Hoarders AND Intervention, but I couldn’t really tell which he needed more. A few words of small talk about tapes, wrestling, and our love of a certain golden wrestler and I was out of there.

The tape was in a bag so I hadn’t gotten a good look at it until I got back to the car. Once inside I quickly realized I was the new owner of actual gold – no pun intended. This thing had a case and even shitty 90’s graphics on it. On the back it had a description of all the matches which included Undertaker, Bam Bam Bigelow, Roddy Piper, Ultimate Warrior, and even Jake the Snake. I was grinning from ear to ear.

How could I have gotten so lucky. Who was this creepfest seller? Why had he gone through so much trouble to make this? The answers aren’t important. I watched the tape today and it rules to say the least. Such bad quality. I forgot about tracking on VCR’s. Lazy Times indeed.

Jeans Wilder – Nice Trash (2011) [Atelier Ciseaux/LA Station Radar] // Grade: A-

It’s been a big 18 months for chillwave. As far as I can tell, though I’m sure there was some under-underground beginnings that I’m entirely unaware of, it’s gone from 0 to 60, or, more likely, a nice, comfy, top-down 25. Despite it’s popularity, no one could bring up it’s existence without also acknowledging the buckets of ire that have also been directed towards it. I find that this happens with most newer genres that rocket to ubiquity, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t have it’s problems.

Most obviously people seem to condemn it’s perceived sameness: that different artists, and even songs, are indistinguishable from each other. I guess that this can be true at times, but go ahead and turn on literally any radio station and see if you don’t start to feel the same way about a multitude of other genres. No, if there was one faceless, mostly unqualified, cheeto driven internet complaint I would level at chillwave it would be some of the artists attempt to falsely exploit the quality of a sun bleached, polaroid photographed, emotionally honest fun. So my long winded point is: I like Nice Trash because not only does it have enough of a unique sound to stand out, but it also, mostly for the best, sounds genuine. Jeans Wilder tries out all different things on Nice Trash, never content to stick to one specific sound, even if sometimes that experimentation may lead them slightly astray.

I’m a particular fan of the foreboding electronic presence on “Be My Shade,” and it’s dreamy ecstatic counterpart on “International Waters.” Then, suddenly, on tracks like “In My Dreams” you’re treated to a straight up execution of doo-wop. Not to say that this album doesn’t stay in a decided low-gear (you’re not getting any guitar solo’s folks), it never settles into any sort of rut. The album’s mood can’t be summed up by a grainy picture of a beach. So, like it or not, chillwave seems here to stay. But as long as artists like Jeans Wilder are willing to use the genre as a launching pad instead of a security blanket, I’m sure it’ll be fine.

Hey now! The internet continues to prove it’s status as the greatest invention ever (fuck you, simple tools made from rocks and sticks!) Eli Porter is back with a new freestyle to remind you why he’s still The People’s Champ. Gonna have to put this one in the oddly large file of “useful/awesome things I’ve discovered through Andy Milonakis’ twitter“.

Somehow, despite being online for like 10 days, this thing only has 1,800 hits. I assume that’ll change soon. If you’re not familiar with Mr. Porter, you might wanna get out a little more because you’re on some Brendan Fraser in Blast From The Past shit. His story has been grabbin heart’s and minds all over for many years now, even culminating in a full documentary. The one thing missing was new music from Eli. Wait = over. He actually sorta kills it. Swaaaaag.

Frak! After 20 years, Wizard Magazine has decided to stop the presses, close up shop, and retreat (assumedly to it’s mother’s basement). And it had only just gotten over it’s braces, acne, and nocturnal emissions stage! Tis’ a crying shame. Though, as me and My Pal The Crook were just debating, it might have been a little too chock full of ads sometimes, it was still a magazine about comic books dammit. I used to get it at the comic store all the time as a kid, along with Simpsons comics, Mad Magazine, and the less-violent issues of Spawn that my dad would flip through first to see it they were appropriate, or whatever weird ass stuff I was reading back then.

I’m not gonna lie and say I’ve had a subscription recently, but I did always look forward to picking it up in the JFK Hudson News when I went on a flight. It was a good litmus test for the person sitting next to me on the plane. Depending on their reaction we could either nerd out over the life-altering awesomeness of Crisis On Infinite Earths, or I would fuck with their stuff when they went to the bathroom for giving me the stink eye. Nerd revenge y’all. Anyway, I guess Wizard will live on on the internet, but still. End of an era homies.

On a recent visit to the states, Akihiro Namba (center), former bassist and vocalist of Japanese Pop-Punk legends Hi-Standard and Toshiya Ohno (right), editor-in-chief of FLJ Magazine popped into 350 Broadway to do some shopping. Formed in 1991, Hi-Standard redefined the American Pop-Punk sound for their native Japan with flawless execution. With the backing of NOFX and their label Fat Wreck Chords, These guys weren’t only known in Japan but gained recognition and a legion of fans stateside (us at Мишка included) for their three albums and four EPs.

Since going on a undetermined break, Akihiro Namba has gone on to work on a variety of solo projects. This recent New York trip was actually to master his upcoming album My Way.

Akihiro Namba has actually been a big fan of ours for quite a while now and even asked us to do the cover for his upcoming album. Akihiro wanted to bring in some of our characters into a fun and familiar flip to the cover of a Pop Punk classic. We went to one of our go-to illustrators, Dennis Chow AKA Glamnation to give the idea life.

Dennis also worked with us on a Tokyo exclusive T-shirt for Akihiro last year so we knew he was the right man for the job. I think the album cover came out pretty awesome, but what do you guys think?

Мишка
350 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
718-388-1725

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

Esben and The Witch – Violet Cries (2011) [Matador] // Grade: B+

If the bold gothic font, mythology tinged name, and medieval forest cover art don’t give it away- oh, who am I kidding, of course they do. Esben and The Witch are a band that knows about theatrics. Not in a foofy, campy, dinner theater way either. I wouldn’t go so far as to call Violet Cries a concept album, but with song titles like “Argyria” “Warpath” and “Battle Cry”, and lyrics to match, this music clearly has at least one armor clad foot planted firmly in the land of myth and legend.

The album is most successful at the moments it really flexes it’s muscles. Some of the songs are unrelentingly, I guess you could say, misty. They never really find their purpose, partly because the more propulsive, stirring moments on Violet Cries are so wonderful. As on knockout first single “Marching Song”, Esben And The Witch continually create songs with great arc and purpose. They build tension and drama effortlessly it seems. All their instruments sound downright gigantic, as though mixed not through studio magic but actual magic. The thunderous, warlike drums especially anchor each little mini opera. Singer Rachel Davies has a powerful and icy voice, eschewing many of her indie-rock comrades predilection towards slinking seduction for a more unique detached menace.

I think just the general uniqueness of Violet Cries is what I enjoyed most. It’s a bracing break from any sort of irony or attempt at fitting into a scene. Though I’m sure they obviously do, I can’t really picture this band going out drinking on the town. Rather I see them mixing potions or categorizing their grimoire collection or something like that. There’s an ambiance and mood at play here, one which I found myself sucked in to. It’s lush and pleasant but dark at the same time. It’s pretty darn good.