October | 2009 | ChinaShop

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Music Kings of Convenience – The Norse Code

October 23, 2009 - 2:39 pm

The Kings of Convenience might hail from Norway, but vicious and violent Vikings these lads are certainly not. This sterling duo makes serene, electro-acoustic music that soothes troubled emotions and eases the tension of even the most stressed-out parietal lobes. For their third LP, Declaration of Dependence, the Nordic bandmates (Eirik Boe and Erlend Oye) delve even deeper into their signature niche and create an LP loaded with yearning, idyllic pursuits and sublime lyricism & instrumentation.

“What we do together is very important for us,” Erlend says. “When you’re in your 30s, you want to make decisions that are set in stone. You want to accept how – and who – you are.”

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Fashion Gallery Skingraft’s Spring 2010 at MOCA

by Zoetica Ebb

October 23, 2009 - 11:00 am

Skingraft unveiled their spring collection at downtown LA’s Fashion Week . The show, which gathered a spectacular leather and feather-clad audience, opened with an energetic modern tribal dance routine. The performers wore Skingraft trademark leather holsters, once again proving their immense practicality. Models sashayed down the runway in aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart-inspired bob wigs and flight helmets. The collection featured the designers’ signature leather, tuned to the key of spring. White, grey, black and blue jackets and vests were paired with smart dresses, shirts and trousers in light fabrics – all paying tribute to no-nonsense pilot style. Classic cuts were offset by epaulets, studs, and heavy metal buttons. Three extravagant final gowns harked back to the label’s couture circus-inspired roots, complete with extra-plentiful studding, cascades of ruffles and leather armor.

Words and photos by Zoetica Ebb

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Music Burns

by Jeff Nau

October 22, 2009 - 5:00 pm

Take a listen to “First Move” and one of the first things you’ll notice is how much the funk-oriented guitar and bass sound of Burns could be something off of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. It’s this classic-sounding riff which helps provide the underlying theme for the song, which continues for some time before giving way to a serene interlude of thin, piercing synthesizers under a variety of lush and ambient sounds.

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Fashion A-Morir

by Gala Darling

October 21, 2009 - 9:51 am

I discovered A-Morir at the beginning of the year. The Patricia Field Boutique in NYC is a veritable treasure trove of all things colorful, shiny & over-the-top, but even among their choicest pieces, something stood out: a pair of Swarovski crystal-encrusted glasses. The frames were square & oversized, & the crystals were gleaming gunmetal. They made me think of what the World Spelling Bee champion would wear if they’d had a huge (albeit underaged) win in Las Vegas.

You’ve seen A-Morir too– you just don’t know it yet. A-Morir is an accessory line, but customized eyewear is what they’re known for. A-Morir glasses have been donned on The Hills, the red carpet & in a variety of music videos. They’ve adorned the faces of a slew of true modern icons like Cassie, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey & Jazmine Sullivan. A-Morir also counts Rihanna as one of its most enthusiastic supporters, meaning it’s really only a matter of time until this one-girl operation is no longer a top-end secret.

I got cozy with Kerin Rose, the flame-haired vixen at the helm of the bedazzling, to get a view of the girl behind the glasses.

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Music Rainbow Arabia

by Jeff Nau

October 21, 2009 - 9:41 am

Tribal, rhythmic, exotic– these are descriptions rarely applicable to dance artists nowadays, most of whom favor the monotonous and uninspired over something even remotely experimental. But there’s a great deal of the unique in Rainbow Arabia’s new EP, Kabukimono, on which keyboardist Danny Preston and his wife, Tiffany, exploit their respective musical talents to the fullest.

Rainbow Arabia – Haunted Hall

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Music The Slits

by Jeff Nau

October 20, 2009 - 11:58 am

After flying off the radar for quite a while (25 years to be exact), The Slits have emerged to once again raise their collective middle fingers to the bastards at AOR, exactly three decades after their debut album Cut. Around the time that The Runaways were proving girls could handle the big leagues of hard rock, The Slits went even further by embracing a more schizoid musical palette that extended far beyond the punk rock realm.

The Slits – Ask Ma

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Art/Design Gallery Buff Monster and the Heavy Metal Ice Cream Smile

by Zoetica Ebb

October 20, 2009 - 11:54 am

In September Culver City’s Corey Helford Gallery welcomed Buff Monster in “Heavy Metal Ice Cream Smile”, his 3^rd solo show at the outlet. Art lovers obeyed the call of the sweet tooth and crowded the Washington Boulevard space filled with 20+ new super flat, super-colorful pieces by the famous street/fine artist.

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Event Featured Gallery Erykah Badu and the Cannabinoids vs. Shiny Toy Guns

by Dustin Downing

October 19, 2009 - 1:27 pm

I hate concerts. Yep, you’ve read it correctly, I HATE CONCERTS. Why in the hell would I want to stand in a crowd of 2,000 people and listen to the same stuff I hear day after day on the radio from the same band? Then I get to wait 45 minutes so they can get all their flutes and bongos off the stage so another band can get all their kazoos and what ever else silly crap up there only to repeat! Thank the sweet Lord though– somewhere from deep in the mountains of Austria, Red Bull’s round-the-clock team of musicologists has formulated a “new” type of concert concoction to serve our way: Red Bull Soundclash.

Now hear this kiddos… I got a taste of its yummy goodness this weekend, and it makes me want to strip down to my knee socks and have sexual congress with the Kool-Aid Man.

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Music Playing With Shiny Toy Guns

by Dustin Downing

October 19, 2009 - 11:35 am

It was deep in the heart of Oklahoma where I obtained evidence that the Japanese electronics company TDK secretly carried out mind control experiments on children– to rewire their brains from just a “lil’ bit country” into a “lil’ bit rock n’ roll”.

What’s the evidence? What’s the conspiracy theory? I will testify that two magic bullets (bassist and keyboardist Jeremy Dawson and vocalist and guitarist Chad Petree) were fired directly from these Shiny Toy Guns.

Ok, that intro might have sounded a bit contrived, but it’s perhaps the best way to relate to the 2008 Grammy-nominated Indie rock/Electro pop group now based in L.A. Aided by drummer Mikey Martin and smoking hotpants Sisely Treasure on vocals, this now sans-country duo have fixed up quite the low-calorie, Killers-meets-New Order main dish (with a side order of The Sounds). Their new remix album, Girls le Disko, is going to drop this holiday shopping season, complete with hard-to-find mash ups by The Teenagers, Ferry Corsten, Classixx, High Def, and Boyz Noise to name drop a few.

I had the opportunity this weekend to have a lengthy sit down interview with Jeremy for a quick shot 240 seconds while they were rehearsing for a performance with Erykah Badu at Red Bull’s Soundclash, in Dallas, TX.

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Fashion Make the Irregular Choice

by Gala Darling

October 16, 2009 - 9:15 am

Irregular Choice has always staked its claim on being totally original, completely out of the box, & super, super-fly. Their designs are just as likely to make your jaw drop as to have you aching to spend your dosh. As the London-based company approaches its 10th year, they have returned to their roots with gusto. The infamous shoe company, headed up by Dan Sullivan, has wholeheartedly outdone itself with its Spring 2010 collection. With amazing prints, insane wedges & thrilling colorways, these will certainly be their most riveting releases yet.

Dan Sullivan is an intriguing character. His parents are both working designers who owned the well-known Transport store on London’s Kings Road in the 1970s, & worked with the likes of Red Or Dead & Katharine Hamnett during the burgeoning years of punk. Easy to see where he gets it from! Dan’s catch-cry is, “Recapture your freedom which eloped with your youth!” & it seems he helps people do just that with every shoe he designs. Months of traveling & collecting swatches & fabrics culminate in a mad designing frenzy. He sits alone in a bare room, utterly free from outside influences, sketching each & every shoe.

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