It has been rumored that Shiner has saved one of each and every board that they distributed over the years. Being in business for as long they have I’m sure you can only imagine the wealth of classic decks they’ve had go through their hands. And as a teaser, this preview trailer gives a pretty impressive idea of what they had/still have in their coffers.
I just caught this on Eddie from AdFunture’s Blog today… A Brand New Bootleg? Didn’t we just release a new one? Hmmm… All we’ll say for the time being is that stay tuned for the first Glow-in-the-Dark Bootleg!
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!
Being that I was always a casual Blood Brothers fan it took until about the 5th or 6th track to say “Hey wasn’t this guy in another band?!” Tapestry of Webs is the debut full length from Past Lives who are essentially the Blood Brothers minus Johnny Whitney.
Tapestry of Webs incorporates many different sounds from the unmistakable James Chance racket of “Falling Spikes” to the hazy “Deep in the Valley” which (befitting with the bands name) sounds like what déjà vu feels like. Other tracks on the album such as “K Hole” sound a little bit more like what you would expect to hear from well, Blood Brothers. There is a great transition through these different sounds and intensity levels that creates a sort of audio roller coaster ride as each of the disparate parts find common ground and depth between the albums drone and haze filled atmosphere.
For added effect I recommend searching out Past Lives debut EP, Strange Symmetry and segue it into this album. The two bookend nicely with one another as Tapestry of Webs seamlessly expands on its precursors mood and ideas. I’ve had this album on repeat since I was assigned to review it and am eagerly looking forward to much, much more from these guys…hopefully another EP later this year?
Nerve City sounds as merky and humid as a Florida swamp, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they call that state home. Jason Boyer, the man behind the band has a knack at blending garage with folk, arena rock with a dash of country and cover it all under a generous helping of reverb and fuzz.
Thanks to the bedroom production values there is this inherent creepiness to the band, especially when their songs venture far and deep into some Americana. I almost always automatically think about a horror movie where kids on a road trip get lost in the swamps of the deep south only to come across a family of cannibals or disturb some local creature thought to be an urban legend whenever I play any Nerve City songs. I’m a a big fan of the whole southern gothic feel these guys give off in spades.
The band has released an extensive collection of 7″s and cassette EPs over the past couple of years on a variety of labels. Vancouver’s Sweet Rot recently complied and released as a self-titled Nerve City 12″ (pictured above) which collects songs released between 2007-2008 from many of those out-of-print 7″s and cassettes.
Not too much is going on in the tour department right now but I am sure theses Floridians will be in a van in by this Summer and hitting a house party/show near you. In the meantime get a taste for them with “Dogs” originally off of the Catholic School cassette.
So I was charged with the task of putting together a write up on some of my favorite pieces from the current Spring collection. This was pretty difficult since Spring 10 has been my favorite collection to come out in the three seasons I have been in the services of Мишка as an intern. The Spring collection offers up all of your old favorites like tees and hats, but also has some of the best cut and sew pieces the brand has produced in the 4 or so years that the line expanded beyond graphic tees and caps. This is only part one because I simply can’t fit all of the pieces I like into one post so stay tuned for subsequent posts.
It is no secret that the designs being produced just keep getting better and better with each season. Allow me to present to you a few of my favorite pieces from the current Spring 2010 collection. First up none other then the Unknown Pleasures Mop tee which takes its inspiration one of my favorite albums of all time, Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. This image doesn’t really capture how intricate the line work is in creating the Bear Mop. Head over to the shop for more detailed look.
Next up we have the Keaton Striped Button-down which is your basic cotton striped shirt with a twist. It’s perfect for hanging out on breezy spring night with my derelict friends or to go to a sales meeting the following morning. The shirt is available in 3 different colorways all of which have contrasting pocket and interior cuffing stripes. I of course went for the shirt in Black stripes with the Navy pocket.
The Orion Denim Jacket has been shielding me from the up until recently mild breezes that have been giving me chills. I was lusting over a sample of this jacket for the past few months before it finally came in with the Spring shipment. The inspiration comes from the classic denim jacket you’d dress up and personalize with patches and pins. Thos eof you without a patch stash fear not, the Orion comes with 9 pre-packed Мишка patch designs that span across the past few years, all of which perfectly suit the rough and tumble nature of this piece. I got mine all ironed and stitched up and even added an old Bad Brains back patch to give it that extra little kick of goodness.
All my dudes out there that rock skinny jeans know what a pain in the ass it could be to find a pair that fit you properly. I was actually shocked at how awesome the fit was on Boris… though if you’re a shorter dude you’ll need to get them hemmed as they come with a set 34″ inseam, but no biggie. The washed black is what I’m all about, but even the vintage indigo are pretty great and all purpose wash in their own right. If you are looking for a quality pair of skinny jeans I definitely suggest trying a pair of these bad boys on.
I have this theory that listening to Missing Persons while driving around an itty-bitty beach town is just about the best way to spend your life ever—so when Tanlines’ calypso drum-circle “Real Life” hinged itself on the lyric “my destination was unknown”, I felt totally at one with the Brooklyn duo’s deal. Here’s a band who gets it—the weird magic that results from rolling bikini tops and overproduced synths into one giddy package—and even if the MP reference wasn’t intentional (though I really hope it was), it substantiated my theory all the same.
Because Settings is one hell of a deliriously happy EP. Steel drums, the warmest bass, all manner of clicks and clacks and finger snaps; call their debut some tropical gimmick, but at least Tanlines have it down. Tracks like “Reinfo” and its engulfing round of three-note melodies and the almost-dark sunset thump of “Policy of Trust” are jaunty and perfectly (over)produced, and Glasser’s vocals on “Z” explode into the best harmonies: all seagulls and crashing waves. Settings is fun without feeling quirky, silly without a hint of preciousness; electro-boardwalk jams hip to a trend, for sure, but so thoughtfully created.
Granted, more than a few songs of this might be a bit much. For all its spot-on poly-rhythms and beachy cool melodies, Settings doesn’t dive much deeper than face value; the tracks sort of blend together once you spin the EP twice. But let’s worry about the intricacies of a Tanlines full-length later—until then, Settings is the perfect little outro to winter’s so-dark days. Hello, spring.
As I’m writing this on Saturday, people are getting мишка-inspired tattoos at 350 Broadway. I’m sipping a Bud Lite and am planning on finally watching The Box later. Fair trade-off, I think. If you haven’t been keeping up with the tattoo club, we run deep.
• мишка Tokyo is now open!!! Worldwide, fools. The gang documented their excursion to the East, check out parts one, two, and three.
• Photographer extraordinaire Ellen Stagg got a chance to shoot Buck Angel, a transman. Open your mind.
• Don’t forget SXSW attendees, the Ov Curse showcase is on Thursday, March 18th at 8:0pm.
• Fumbling around with the keys to all your different girlfriends’ apartments is a nuisance. Cop some мишка Key Toppers!!!
Director Stephen Vasquez brings you this blood, sweat and tears documentary, The Electro Wars which analyzes the current Electro scene as seen through the eyes of various key players.
Over the course of the film, Vasquez illustrates the extent of how Electro influence has recently infiltrated a variety of other musical genres from the underground to the mainstream. From Lil Jon, Pitbull, DJ Premier all the way to Major Lazer, Electro has left its stamp across the musical spectrum and each is eager and excited at the possibilities it poses for furthering their own genres of sound.
A perfect example of cross contamination of sounds is Pitbull’s “Hotel Room Service” (video above). Pitbull samples Nightcrawlers classic “Push The Feeling On” (video below), a move that would eventually bring Pitbull and Nightcrawlers to work on new material together.
