When you are one of the first bands to play a 3 day festival, like Voodoo Fest in New Orleans, you have to have something unique to win thin crowd over to your stage. Luckily for the Russian Band, Debauche, who launched the Bingo! stage @ 10:45 am Friday, they thought ahead and brought a few burlesque girls to entertain. The atmosphere was appropriately very French Quarter meets Comrades meets the bright light of day.
This week I learned a new word to add to my (already impressive) vocabulary: smang (smash + bang). Where did I learn such a wonderful word, you ask? From this, so horrendous it’s amazing song / video. Just sit back and let it happen…
They are known as the “photo inept”, identified by the lack of quality images on their blogs/Facebook/Twitpics. iPhone’s Hipstamatic – as well as any simple photo-editing tool – is their best friend. They try to pass off head-chopping as “intentional” and red eyes as “arty”. Beautiful images are a happy accident, akin to winning on a scratch-off lottery ticket.
But novices rejoice – you can hone your skills at the Levi’s Photo Workshop, running now through December 18th. Not just for the individual who salivates over a 1920s Leica Compur, the temporary community space in Manhattan’s Soho is hosting an array of exhibition openings, parties, lectures and educational workshops centered on photography. Vintage cameras, a professional photo studio, and a variety of photo printers (like my fave, the t-shirt screening Zazzle Apparel Printer) are all available for use by pros and amateurs alike – the space is open to everyone. Bumbling photogs, don’t stress – workshop employees are there to help with your gear, set-up, and printing.
Oh, did we mention it’s all free?
I just finished watching the final cut of AWOLNATION’s latest and greatest video, “Burn It Down”, and I am pissed…
So last week was the CMJ Music Marathon (more commonly known as just “CMJ”) here in the NYSheezy. Established in 1980, CMJ (“College Music Journal”) is an annual, week long music festival held in various venues throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn for selected artists and bands to, essentially showcase their material for industry people, particular those with a focus in the college markets.
The Red Bull Space was the talk of the town on Thursday night with the invite only Cut Chemist album release party for Sound of the Police with special guests DJ Spinna, Telephoned and Jasmine Solano. Cut Chemist was solid and did not disappoint although I have to say, Jasmine Solano was the highlight for me personally. She’s remarkably talented; has such a great energy on stage; plus the fact that she hosts a monthly party called “Electric Punanny” is rather punchy (and awesome).
“I wanna be relatable to the average person instead of trying to be the superhero rapper with a cape,” says up-and-coming rhymer Moe Green from his home in Vallejo, California.
Green (a.k.a. Gregory Carter) admits that his raps used to be all about the get-money lifestyle, but his perspective now as a twenty-something has noticeably broadened. On his recently released debut, Rocky Mavia: Non Title Match, this MC raps precisely about the random facets of his life not so much as a storyteller but as a line-for-line lyrical technician.
Prior to my visit to the “Original Vintage Fashion Expo”, now in its 22nd year and counting, should I be ashamed to quip that I could not have told my Pucci from my Gucci? Or be stunned by the fact that my favorite plastic, polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, had a wicked street following under the jewelry moniker Bakelite? Nah. But amazed was I that some of you lovely women would drop $7,500 on a bag made of goats, as long as it carried a tag reading- Louis Vuitton: Suhali L’ Extravagant . OMfG!
Last week, three designers came together in downtown LA to present a trio of spring collections that shook up the generally tame LA Fashion Week. Edgy Ashton Michael and Skingraft were joined by the whimisical Anthony Franco at the LA Stock Exchange for a show that was fresh and full of surprises.
Ashton Michael, whose first line, Glaza [“Eyes” in Russian], created a stir in 2002 and who is known for his celebrity styling for the likes of Usher, Nicki Minaj and The Black Eyed Peas, crossed over to the dark side with a capsule collection called “back label”. Using only black and white, the eco-friendly knits featured kilts, harnesses and bondage straps, and hinted, in equal parts, at old school punk rock and new school hop hop, while remaining lightweight and even sporty. Weaving was a theme, too, showing up both in the designs and the models’ hair styles created my Plaid studios.
This week, some real gems out among the sub-standard slew of releases : Los Angeles’ own Warpaint’s plays The Fool, their first in two years; Sean Lennon’s new band, Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, unveils some new acoustic sessions; Ozzy’s Gus G. takes a break and returns to Firewind; Finnish metal stalwarts Amorphis re-catalogue their early tracks on Days of Defiance; and Roxy Music’s prolific Bryan Ferry gives his loyal cult masses Olympia. And if you like Taylor Swift, she’s got another one too. Ok, Ssee ya in a week!
Taylor Swift – Speak Now
Swedish House Mafia – Until One
Bryan Ferry – Olympia
Dixie Chicks – Essential
Jason D. Williams – Killer Instincts
Unruly Child – Worlds Collide
Calle 13 – Entren Los Que Quieran
Warpaint – The Fool
Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger [Sean Lennon's new band] - Acoustic Sessions
Juliette Commagere – The Procession
Senses Fail – The Fire
Deluka – You Are The Night
Amorphis – Magic and Mayhem
Firewind – Days of Defiance
Lisa Johnson. Rock Photographer. These two names are rarely spoken apart. Johnson has been taking photos of true rock royalty since she could essentially hold a camera. She is out nearly 7 nights a week honing her craft. Everyone in the rock world knows and adores her. She’s kind of a big deal. Last month she took part in the first Art Walk in Fullerton by showing a collection of her fine art rock photographs. Catch her and her extensive amazing photos at the next Fullerton Art Walk, this coming November 5th.
ChinaShop is tickled pink to be able to welcome Lisa to our collection of contributors. Look for more of her fabulous photos and witty words to keep your rock cred legit.