Daily Dots Daily Dots: M.I.A. is NSFW, Hugh Hefner, Nas & Damian Marley, BAPE vs. Converse, MGMT on SNL, Heavy metal Cumbia, Ricardo Villalobos, R.I.P the FLoopy Disk

April 26, 2010 - 4:17 pm

savethepeak_sign

Today’s bloggin best…

- M.I.A.’s very violent video for “Born Free” is highly NSFW. MIAUK

- The video for Nas and Damian Marley “As We Enter” is pretty tame in comparison. 2DopeBoyz

- A prize to anyone who can explain the difference between Bape Ape Sta and regular old Converse All-Stars (besides price, I’m sure). Complex

- The “floppy disk” is officially dead. Wired

- MGMT weird out on Saturday Night Live. Spin

- Heavy metal-Cumbia mash-ups are the new something or another. LA Weekly

- Ricardo Villalobos finally returns to America for Detroit Movement festival. Resident Advisor

- The Hollywood sign is saved by, who else, Hugh Hefner. LAist

Featured Music 20 Years of Bullying the Jukebox: Bouncing Souls Bryan Kienlen

April 26, 2010 - 11:43 am

Bryan Kienlen

If you ever dipped your toe into the punk rock stew, you inevitably got a little Bouncing Souls on you. This band has been around the scene for 20 years now and they are holding steady as one of the most hard working, rocking, always relevant bands out there. It was my pleasure to interview bass player, Bryan Kienlen to hear how the years have been treating him as an icon of the scene.

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Music DJ Jazzy Jeff: A Man with the Masterplan

April 26, 2010 - 11:26 am

JAZZMAN COMETH

Along with Mix Master Mike, DJ Jazzy Jeff is one of those dudes who lives by the credo if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And if it gets in your way, f–k it. Like Mike himself, Jeff never had much luck with school. He never graduated from John Bartram High School in Philly, but it must mean something when they have his head plaque-ified on the High School Wall of Fame, right? Then again, he probably cares less now than back then; the guy was throwing bloc parties while other kids were sweating gym class. Jazzy Jeff, aka Jeffrey Towne, ditched classes to learn the trade, much as Mike escaped city drudgery by traveling lone wolf style to learn whatever it took to acquire his trade. If you’re white like me, you may have tuned in to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air every week just to see Jazz get tossed out of the house by Will Smith’s Uncle Phil. But there’s clearly a lot more to the lad than that, as his darling status as regular at many of the Red Bull Music Academy Thre3 Styles would suggest. Feel free to get a listen of his latest set here, where he mixes everything from classic Marley to jazz of olde to Biz Markie. There had to be more to the guy besides Nightmare on My Street.

Daily Dots Daily Dots: Cassette Comeback, DJ Premier Tribute Mix, Essential Mix 500, Hedi Slimane, Boobquake, Hole, M.I.A., Ostrich Attack, Dead Weather, Gorillaz & Bobby Womack on Colbert

April 25, 2010 - 12:06 am

hedi_slimane

Weekend’s bloggin’ best…

- The cassette comeback is now officially a “thing.” NYT

- DJ Premier drops the definitive Guru tribute mixtape. 2DopeBoyz

- Aeroplane DJ the 500th Essential Mix live from Liverpool. Discobelle

- Fashion/Daft Punk photo god Hedi Slimane shoots unsuspecting kids at Coachella. Format Mag

- Everyone get ready for the Iranian boobquake. Facebook (where else?)

- Hole makes a comeback in Los Angeles. LA Times

- M.I.A. samples Suicide on new song. Illroots

- Horrifying yet awesome: Ostrich attacks a child on a pony. Boing Boing

- New Dead Weather, “Gasoline.” Stereogum

- Bobby Womack and Gorillaz friggin rock Colbert Report. Okayplayer

Fashion Uncategorized I Never Thought I’d Say This…

April 23, 2010 - 10:58 am

J Crew Fall 2010 Presentation

But I am so inspired by J. Crew right now!

 I always thought of J. Crew as the domain of the tennis & cocktail hour set: people with names like Binty and Muffy and Todd, who use the word “sloop” much more often than most of us, and somehow never get grass stains on their immaculate khakis despite spending 97% of their time in a grassy setting.

Unbelievably, their creative director, Jenna Lyons, is changing my mind. Now I’m starting to see it as a place to get excellent pieces which contrast so well with a more rock and roll or high fashion wardrobe.

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Fashion Silver Lining Opticians: Famously Framed

April 23, 2010 - 10:57 am


Silver Lining

In a cultural zeitgeist so obsessed with celebrities and Hollywood, most shops would just die to have one or two highly visible stars frequent their stores to create some much-coveted retail buzz. Silver Lining Opticians in Soho, NYC doesn’t have that problem. Some of their satisfied customers include marquee names like Jeezy, Diddy, Dustin Hoffman, Yves Saint Laurent designer Stefano Pilati, photographer Mario Sorrenti, Black Eyed Peas, Talib Kweli and so many more.

The independent, highly curated, vintage and contemporary designer eyewear store located on Thompson street in Soho was opened in 2007, but the owners have been dealing in luxury eyewear since 2005. The store was started by two partners:  Erik Sacher (a licensed optician) and Jordan Silver (a longtime eyewear industry veteran). Jordan offers the following about his initiation into the eyeglass business.

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Event Gallery Oddity The World Series of Beer Pong

April 23, 2010 - 10:55 am

I remember playing Beer Pong back in college as a recreational way to get my buzz on, but it has since taken on a life of it’s own.  It seems to have gone from simply throwing a ping-pong ball into a cup, to a sophisticated matrix involving rules, regulations, and professional tournaments.  Thanks to the help of organizations like BPONG.com, which caters to the needs of the beer pong community by offering amenities such as tournament information, an official beer pong store, and a beer pong players forum, this “drinking game” has turned into one serious sport.  All across the United States, Canada, and even further overseas, beer pong leagues are popping up and everyone wants to make it to one place: The World Series of Beer Pong.

The World Series of Beer Pong, known to the beer pong community as WSOBP, is the largest and longest running organized beer pong tournament in the world.  It was created “by beer pong players, for beer pong players,” according to the official WSOBP website.  All games are played on official BPONG 8-foot tables and are regulated by official WSOPB rules.  Last year’s WSOBP was the largest yet, with over 800 participants, representing 45 states, as well as Canada, all competing for the championship title but also, the whopping $50,000 pot.  This year’s event is expected to have an even higher turnout and will occur on January 1-5, 2011 on the Las Vegas strip at The Flamingo Hotel and Casino. In order to participate, players have to buy into the event by December 10, 2010, or can win their way in at one of the official satellite tournaments.

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Daily Dots Daily Dots: DJ AM, Iron Man 2, N.E.R.D., Malcolm McLaren, Lil Wayne, Optimo, Noel Gallagher, Mr. Oizo, Coachella Babes

April 22, 2010 - 7:29 pm

coachella_babe

Today’s bloggin best…

- DJ AM gives Tony Stark a “phat beat” in Iron Man 2 cameo. LAT

- Hear a snippet of N.E.R.D. featuring Nelly Furtado. 2DopeBoyz

- Malcolm McLaren’s punk rock funeral was “mayhem.” D-Listed

- Watch a 45 minute documentary on haunted troubadour Nick Drake. DeadWhiteHorse

- Producer is suing Lil Wayne over his share of the rapper’s “Lollipop.” SOHH

- Commercial for Fela Kuti Broadway show hits New York stations. Wooha

- Fan generated Best of Optimo is the best playlist ever. Optimo

- Noel Gallagher assailant gets house arrest, so you can send him thank you gifts. Prefix

- Preview for Mr. Oizo’s upcoming film, Rubber. Format Mag

- Hot chicks at Coachella. LA Weekly / GQ / LAT / Esquire

Daily Dots Daily Dots: Coachella Count, Wasted Guy, MGMT, Crystal Castles, Obey, Sir Paul McCartney, Mr. Hudon, Kanye West, Danger Mouse, David Lynch, The XX, DJ Premier, Guru

April 21, 2010 - 6:20 pm

OBEY-May-Day-Pop-Up-Shop-in-NYC-05

Today’s bloggin best…

- Hey Wings fans. Sir Mac bails on EMI, goes the indie route with his catalog. Hypebot

- Rihanna receives socialized medicine in Switzerland. NME

- Coachella packs ‘em in. Grosses over $20 million. Billboard

- Unreleased Mr. Hudson (produced by Kanye West). Hypetrak

- “Wasted Guy” is this years “Naked Wizard.” URB

- Vampire Weekend have more new music on the way. TwentyFourBit

- “Cursed” David Lynch/Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse album gets release date. LA Weekly

- MGMT at number two, can’t beat the Bieber. Spin

- Don’t fear the leaker: Crystal Castles rush second album release. Village Voice

- Vote now for Beatport 2010 Music Awards. Beatportal

- The xx “Islands” video is stunning. BPM

- DJ Premier’s statement on Guru’s passing. Nah Right

- Obey readies May Day pop-up store in NYC. Format Mag