As 365 days seemed to stream by in a blur of sales, boobie pics, and fart jokes, March 13th marked 1 year strong for the our very first Мишка retail store, in our home-base of Brooklyn, NY. It has been a huge year for us, with new Мишка stores constantly popping up like dandelions, and we figured that it would only be right to pay back those who are most responsible for such an awesome year… YOU GUYS BACK HOME!

So for our 1 year anniversary celebration, we decided to team up with Three Kings Tattoo to give all of our most loyal supporters a chance to get inked up, Мишка style, at 350 Broadway for only $3.50. And once the news broke out, madness ensued…

Even on a cold and rainy Saturday morning, there were fans lined up outside the store for hours before we opened. They were all eager to be the first to feel the lovely sting of the needle. Swiftly, the list filled up with a legion of fans all enthused to get inked.

The talented team at Three Kings wasted no time in putting needle to flesh, and neither did the people in attendance in deciding which piece of Мишка flash they would be taking with them from now to eternity. I like to think of it as the perfect accessory for any Мишка outfit.

Now what would a Мишка event be without a few fly guys swinging by to say “Hi!”? A few familiar faces made their way to the store to be a part of the festivities and waited their turn to be tattooed.

Even with the huge turnout and pouring rain, the all-day event ran smoothly under the watchful eyes of Cyco Simon and his new and ever-faithful companion, Mr. T-Yoda. No kicking and screaming went down on this day, as this duo made sure that everyone manned up.

To further set the tattoo parlor ambiance (as if the neon lights weren’t enough), the guys from Three Kings brought over some of their favorite pieces from their shop to display on our gallery wall. Make your way down to 350 B’way yourself and check it out, there are some great pieces.

The guys at Three Kings knocked out the tattoos in an efficient and orderly fashion, while sharing a few smiles and giggles with their patrons.

It might be because we’re in Brooklyn, but around these parts, we live by the motto of “No pain, No Gain”.  So while this young fellow screeches in agony as the needle  pierces his flesh, the only thing that I can think to say to him is “go to your happy place dude” because it will be worth it in the end.

This is Joel, a regular over at 350 Broadway. He got the early scoop on this event weeks ago so he had plenty of time to figure out the exact location for his Death Adder tattoo. Looks like he made a good choice.

Our very own Ease DaMan stopped by the shop to show some love and support to his favorite store. However I have a feeling that he really came to show off his new “Fruck Ease DaMan” on loose-leaf paper pinky nails.

As soon as all of us got our first peak at the final flash art for the anniversary event, we all pondered to ourselves for a moment as we tried to figure out who was going to be the first to get the Bozak tattoo. Who’s Bozak? Well he is is a cute and lovey testicle character that we invented some three years back, but has never since surfaced…well actually he’s on the Freaky Stylee blog banner.

Well, with all pun intended, this lovely young lady was the only person that was ballsy enough to get the Bozak tattoo. Maybe it was her free willing spirit, maybe it was her you only live once attitude, or maybe it was the Happy Hour across the street at Trophy bar. Whatever it was, she loved Bozak as much as much as we do, and we give you a thumbs up for that!

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Ov Curse is our official SXSW showcase, but that doesn’t mean that’s where our involvement with this year’s festival ends. From the 18th through the 20th, our buds at Mad Decent and IHEARTCOMIX have organized a monumental Carnival event down in Austin during the festivities.

Ever want to listen to your favorite band while flying on a tilt-a-whirl or riding the Zipper?  What about cotton candy, corn dogs, and rock-n-roll? If so, just step right up!  Step right up and experience all the carny fun and mayhem over three days of free music and booze!  Full blown carny rides, games, as well as fun booths and food galore await all who attend this expansive event.

Set on the immense grounds of the Mexican American Cultural Center, CARNIVILLE Austin will be the event to attend March 18th, 19th, 20th. Catch live music or take a break by shopping at the American Apparel Factory Flea Market.

Musical acts set to perform include: Major Lazer, The Walkmen, Diplo, Glass Candy, The Very Best, Rusko,  Jack Beats, Kid Sister, Hudson Mohawke, Sleigh Bells, Yacht, GZA, Rye Rye, Japanther, The Death Set, plus many, many more.

Unscheduled appearances along with additional surprises await those that come join the fun.  The carnies may or may not be toothless wonders. So come one, come all! Experience the madness of CARNIVILLE Austin 2010!

CARNIVILLE Austin is free to attend, but concert goers must RSVP.  There will be booze, so attendees must be 21 years of age.  For RSVP and additional information go here!

Jokers of the Scene – Bombs Over Belleville (Click Here to Download)

Those of you heading to our SXSW showcase curious as what to expect from a “dark” Jokers of the Scene set, should look no further than their most current mix for Canadian electronic music blog Curbcrawlers.

Those of you who remember (and hopefully downloaded) their Since Our Last Report Many Things Have Changed mix for Seattle clothing label Actual Pain should know that this is not JOTS’s first foray into the darker side of dance. However for this go around, the duo take things even blacker with a trip to the dark side that marks the end and a new beginning for the people behind the Clubcrawlers blog.

Download Bombs Over Belleville and this is what you can expect this coming 18th of March at our Ov Curse, official SXSW showcase: smoke, mirrors, driving basslines pounding straight for your hearts! This is the darker and deeper side of JOTS’s psyche.

We’re at the end now with our countdown to Ov Curse previews. This final installment focuses on the three DJ talents (4 DJs total) brought in to keep the place dancing and not fall into a melancholic pit from all the darkness that will be engulfing you this Thursday, March 18th! See you there…

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First up are Jokers of the Scene who we hope don’t really need an introduction. This Ottawa duo are known for making some of the best remixes for an array of artists ranging from Passion Pit and Kid Cudi, as well as producing some of the biggest dance floor stompers of their own.  Jokers take influence from every aspect of dance music from 8 bit to dark and heavy house beats.

Jokers of the Scene have been down with the bear from the get go, even producing the first volume of our Keep Watch Mixes. We’re thrilled to be teaming back up with them to satisfy your SXSW dance floor needs with a very special all dark and disturbing set that only they could bring!

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Next up is the first lady of Bass, Star Eyes who has over 15 years experience in full on dance floor destruction. As a founding member of the world famous Trouble & Bass Crew, Star Eyes has dedicated herself to the art of making you shake your ass. But what everyone may not quite be clued in on just yet is that Star Eyes (like us) has been a devout proponent of Goth and Industrial dance music. She’s no stranger to turning raves over to darker side by incorporating EBM and Industrial sounds into her sets for a minute now. Check her Industrial/EBM banger, 7H3 H4X0R M1X from back in 2008.

In addition to spinning at this year’s showcase, Star Eyes got together with Fools Gold co-founder Dust La Rock in creating an incredible mix of dark jams for which this showcase was named after, Ov Curse. Download the mix, by clicking here.

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Finally we have Lauren Dillard who along with Lauren Flax make-up NYC duo CREEP. If you haven’t heard CREEP just yet you are missing out on some of the hottest music coming out of NYC or anywhere for that matter. CREEP slows it down drones it out and pumps the bass way up.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more gothed-out goodness from these NYC ladies and some esteemed friends lending vocals to their dark and dancey beats. And if the few tracks leaked here and there are any indication of what’s to come, I am going to have a new favorite record.

Thursday, March 18th, 8pm-2am
Club 1808
Austin, TX
All Ages, Free!

Man, oh man…If you were in NYC, are fan of Post-Punk, No Wave and just all around awesome music in general and missed Hussle Club’s debut this past Friday you should stop reading this and start kicking yourself! While it was their first show, it should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Prince Terrence that the band came prepared to rock the hungry crowd!

The band played a tight and energetic 45 minute set to a packed house that had me floored for the fact that it was in fact their first live show as a full band! After seeing their debut, I can’t wait to catch these guys at our SXSW showcase on Thursday, March 18th with a few more shows under their belt. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if after all is said and done at SXSW that Hussle Club is one of the  top stories of the festival.

Nicky Digital was there snapping away as usual. Check his video (above) of the band performing “I Have High Expectations…” and then head over to his site to catch a full set of Hussle Club’s performance along with a set of T.V. Baby opening up for them. The Culture of Me was also in house at the show and has their own set of images from Terence’s debut. Check it out…

Silent Barn is a music space and living quarters that is based in an unpleasant area of Ridgewood, Queens that smells like garbage and has a lot of weird businesses that you only see in places where society has failed and brutality is the only rule of law. It’s the kind of place where people park on the sidewalk.

When you finally get inside Silent Barn it’s big and dirty and full of neat shit.  It’s like an artier version of Don Pedro’s. The person in the above photo is Taraka, guitarist and keyboardist for Prince Rama.  Everyone grabbed on to her crystal necklace for this photo.

Inside Silent Barn there is this cute little corner in which they have a zine library, a laser disc library, a Sega Genesis set up with Sonic turned on, and a big PA.  It was mighty cozy.

This wacky stoner is Cop Magnet. He wasn’t performing but he was around. He had a giant cube of purple nurple which he was smoking nonstop.  This guy is a high bitch’s dreamboat. He raps about weed and bitches and makes remixes which he calls “jams.”

This is Prince Rama, occasionally called Prince Rama of Ayhodha.  These are the Larson sisters, Taraka and Nimai. Nimai is the one drumming in the foreground and she can drum like an automated drum machine that gained the ability to love to drum.  As far as interesting modern drumming goes I think she might be second only to Teenage Souls.  Taraka’s in the background and I’m not really sure what she’s up to.

This is Mike Collins. His contribution to the band is that he repacks their shared suitcase during the sets. Haw haw haw! Naw, he has some keyboards and stuff in there.  The band is a whole lot of complex rhythms, echoed indiscernible singing and beautiful synth shit.  It’s like a musical Aurora Borealis.  People were really into it and there was a row of dancing dudes who were really into it.  It was like the inverse of the crowd for White Car last Tuesday.

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We’ve spent the past week getting you familiar with some of the bands performing at the Ov Curse showcase.we’re throwing with Chronic Youth. Today we are at Pt. 4 of the countdown which concludes all of the bands and our host. Next week we’ll profile all of the DJs spinning that evening.

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King Dude is the latest project from Seattle renaissance man and all around awesome dude T.J. Cowgill.  Cowgill is of course the master mind behind Book of Black Earth and amazing clothing line Actual Pain among other things. For King Dude we see T.J. picking up an acoustic guitar and singing folk inspired songs, just a little different from the music of his other bands.

King Dude has released a limited cassette entitled ” My Beloved Ghost on Bathetic Records just like Actual Pain and Book of Black Earth the lyrics of King Dude are inspired by mysticism and the occult. Be on the look out for a new 7″ entitled “The Black Triangle” which will be released not to far down the road.

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Cairo Pythian play dark, debauched and glammed out cold wave. The bands sound has been referred to as a “lucid ass fucking” ..intriguing. Not much is known about Cairo Pythian other then they are from Olympia Wa, and play some great music that isn’t afraid to explore some unconventional topics like say S&M.

Cairo Pythian has a 4 song EP out now full of 80s throwback hooks and excess. I for one am anxiously awaiting more from this mysterious and shadowy group.

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The whole night of mayhem will be hosted by none other then Damien Abraham who (in case you don’t know) fronts one of the best hardcore bands on earth, Fucked Up. Damian is longtime friend and biggest supporters of the label. Damian is also a semi-regular guest on Fox News’ Red Eye getting our wears into the eye-shot of staunch conservatives everywhere!

Family man, amateur comedian and front man extraordinaire Damien was the first and only name on the list of possible hosts for Ov Curse and I think you’ll all see why. Dude needs way more time in front of the camera and his own show.

Thursday, March 18th, 8pm-2am
Club 1808
Austin, TX
All Ages, Free!

This is Todd Pendu, the man who hosts dark and loud events around Brooklyn. By the way he is not the same guy as Todd P, so do not confuse them.  Did you hear that Jon Wurster call about Power Pop Pop-Pop, on the Best Show on WFMU?  Wurster called in character and talks about this guy who promotes power pop shows and is absolutely humorless about this light and happy music. During the course of this hilarious conversation they start referring to him as “Quad P”, which seems like it could be referencing the real life guy, Todd P.  This probably isn’t of interest to people outside of the New York area so pardon my digression… now back to the show that I saw at Glasslands this past Tuesday.

Back to Todd Pendu…The image on the left is Todd Pendu’s emblem. That thing next to it a tattoo. If you’re going to be dark you have to have good graphics or people won’t respect you.

There was a chat roulette being conducted live at the space with the video being projected on to the wall.  I was looking around for a way to wedge myself near the bar when I heard a communal gasp and looked up to see a a giant vagina on the wall.  Those internet jerk-offs were not aware that they were being observed by a room of people while EBM music was being DJed.  This was funny and gross.  This woman then put a perfume bottle inside her, that part was more plain gross.

This team of pervs were conducting the chat roulette.  Ho ho ho.  The girl was the one who appeared on the screen and the dude typed.

This is either Colin or Jonathan from Unsolved Mysteries. While we were talking he slipped that frozen little devil out of his shirt pocket and started munching. He talked about maybe wanting to play a Pendu event but wondered if his music might not be dark enough. I told him to insert the word “dark” into all of his song titles. That is a good idea on my part.

This is Desert of Colors.  They had all the lights off and it was pretty hard to see them. The singer kinda had the appearance of a football hooligan and the music was pretty good. He stomped around and yelled while the pianist played with his midis and stuff. I liked it…Dark and loud.

This is what they look like when blown out with a flash.

This is White Car. They have a stage full of cables and tables. There’s a TV in front of them and projections behind them. The singer alternates between a Dave Gahan singing style and some other thing.  He danced in a twitchy Michael Jackson mode.  In general it reminded me of the music I listened to before I got into punk. Good stuff.

There were good dance moves that combined well with the projections.

The girls in the audience all seemed like they were really into this band.  They look like they’re all in a horny trance.

If White Car come to your town then give them a shot.  They are doing some fun and dancey music. Check out the Bloglin review for their brand new EP from a few days back and get their record in the meantime.

Are you guys getting excited yet!? We sure effin’ are! Thursday the 18th can’t come soon enough for us, but in the meantime here is part 3 of our Ov Curse preview as we showcase yet another 3 bands performing at the showcase.

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Hours of Worship hands down  make some of the darkest and most infectious dance beats on the scene. Make no mistake about it this Brookyn duo is not afraid to drop a beat that will set a dance floor off. Stick with me on this one, HOW sound like Teen Girl Fantasy’s slightly crazed delinquent older brother who gets busted on a weekly basis for drinking 40s with his friends in that creepy ass graveyard at the edge of town no one ever goes in? Ya dig?!

Hours of Worship just released a new EP entitled Into the Grass which offers up 4 originals and 2 remixes of the track “Bury Me in Smoke.” To purchase simply open up your iTunes store type in Hours of Worship.

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If I were a Viking raider crossing the cold oceans of Europe ready to attack the shit out of some unsuspecting English town and some how managed to own an iPod I would without a doubt be listening to Awen. The Dallas band play dark and apocalyptic folk music using a variety of traditional instrumentation that ranges from strings, percussion and live electronics. Awen’s music focuses on ancestry and past civilizations. The combination is eerie and haunting anthems well suited to armies marching to battle in the dark ages.

The Bells Before Dawn is the first full length release from Awen out now on Dais. To say the record is epic would be a gross understatement.

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Hellbent on ear drum destruction Drunkdriver will be on hand to release their punishing hardcore punk on Ov Curse. The bands music is comprised of  layers of distortion, spastic drumming and the throat shredding vocals that sound more like a building exploding then some Brooklynites with some instruments and a microphone.

Coming off of the momentum of a LP, cassette and several 7″ releases the band is gearing up to release their debut album for Load later on in the month.

Thursday, March 18th, 8pm-2am
Club 1808
Austin, TX
All Ages, Free!

With the inauguration of our Echo Park shop the doors to the infinite abyss have open up above Los Angeles. There will be monthly apparition and strange happenings masterminded by the demonic Killing Spree DJs that will accompany your lonely hot nights with cold wave, goth, minimal synth and the darker side of music.

The duo is also known for their part in realizing the Weird Records fest in La with the likes of Xeno & Oaklander and Blacklist.

They also have many accolades in their past present and future but those are for you to discover. Find the clues over on their Myspace page…

Friday March 12th, 10pm
Two Headed Horse
1770 Glendale Blvd
Echo Park, Los Angeles
RSVP (For Admission)