2010 was a great year! A plethora of music, festivals, exotic art, discovering new bands, overcoming hatred of public transit, behind-the-scenes tours of freak shows and hanging out with 3-legged creatures, and meeting lots of great folks along the way. Check out the year’s highlights as seen by ChinaShop contributor Nicole Pajer after the jump.
For many young Chicagoans, Richard M. Daley is the only mayor they have ever known. In office since 1989, only his father, Richard J. Daley, has held the mayoral office in Chicago longer. And like his father, Daley has been best known for boisterous change, not waiting for mass approval of many of his controversial decisions. Who else but a Daley would secretly bulldoze the runways of an airport he wanted closed in the middle of the night? But while often brash, arguably, Richard M. Daley got things done in his city.
TERESA JUSINO’S GEEK IN A CHINASHOP TOP 5
Best TV Show: Caprica
Caprica was one of the exceptional shows on television this year. A well-written, flawlessly acted, thought-provoking show that provided a showcase for social and ethnic minorities in a way that isn’t common in Hollywood. Sadly, Caprica was canceled before its first season even finished airing. But don’t fret! Those of you who haven’t been watching can already get the first half of Season 1 on DVD, and Season 1.5, which contains the rest of the season, including the five as-yet unaired episodes, was released December 20th! Just in time for a last minute gift purchase for the sci-fi fans in your life! The final five Caprica episodes will air in a marathon on SyFy January 4th at 6PM ET.
From stylish shoes and accessories to The Sexual Politics of Meat, vegan haven MooShoes has a little something for everyone.
Hey, all you vegans out there – have a hard time finding 100% cruelty-free motorcycle boots? Or party-appropriate heels that consist of absolutely no animal products whatsoever? Then let us introduce you to MooShoes.
Started by sisters Erica and Sara Kubersky in 2001, the online and brick-and-mortar store in NYC will not only hook you up with handpicked vegan lines (including their own called Novacas – Spanish for “no cows”), but also with handbags, wallets, belts, tees, and faux leather jackets that look as good as the real thing. They even carry books with provocative titles like The Sexual Politics of Meat, along with vegan cookbooks so you can whip up the best dairy-free, gluten-free cupcake ever.
We sat down with co-founder Erica Kubersky for a little Q&A. Read on to find out about factory farms’ symbiotic relationship with the leather industry, those crap Davy Crockett-style hats, and advice on going vegan (if you aren’t already). Make sure to check out the image gallery for Erica’s holiday gift suggestions from the store!
The best of the new (Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend), a bit of the old (Killing Joke, Faith No More)…2010 was more than anything a return to form for artists of yore. Here’s the top 10 groundbreaking artists of the past year (or so)… as seen by ChinaShop Contributor Jeff Nau.
The fire’s a blazing here at Boyd Manor and my whisky is a waiting, so let’s get right into this week’s magical music, shall we?
Iron & Wine are giving away “Tree By The River,” a track off their upcoming album Kiss Each Other Clean which you can grab here. It’s your standard Iron & Wine tune, by which I mean it’s completely gorgeous and I’m totally in love with it. Kiss Each Other Clean is out January 25th; really looking forward to checking out the rest of this sure-to-be gem.
The two gentlemen you see before you are Graham Funke and StoneRokk. Like Mixmaster and Long Haul (of the infamous Constructicons posse), they are strong and capable individuals known to shake the floor and break ground. And like their transforming robot counterparts, they form a devastating mix of talent and dexterity when joined together. They are The Captains of Industry, silver-tongued mixologists whose reverence for party rocking and true school DJ skills may only be matched by their love of irony, eyewear and well groomed facial hair. In 2010, they brought you some of the illest DJ mixes on the planet: Ditch Fridays and Trabajo, both of which can be downloaded here. In 2011, they will bless you with a whole lot more.
The venerable Captains took some time out of their busy yule-logging and egg-nogging schedules to chat with us about Money Shots, $6,000 coats, and what it takes to put fickle Vegas and LA crowds in the palm of your hand. Read on, my friends. Read on.
Flight attendants going postal, black holes in space, dogs with a penchant for rioting?! Yeah, 2010 was definitely the “Year in Weird,” which is why ChinaShop photographer Dustin Downing had such a blast these last 357 days. Take a lil’ nibble out of his eclectic year in review after the jump!
On Saturday night, as Los Angeles was getting pummeled with a third straight day of record rainfall, one of the city’s most beloved groups was warming up Club Nokia with good vibes, good music and a thousand of their closest friends. Ozomatli celebrated their 15th musical year by throwing a quinceañera party that featured special appearances by the USC Trojan Marching Band and the Crenshaw High School Elite Gospel Choir, as well as past Ozo members like Cut Chemist, Chali 2na, Kid.W.I.K. and Jabu.
“For a lot of us, if you grew up in LA you’ve been to a quinceañera,” says saxophonist and vocalist Ulises Bella before the show, perhaps recalling some not-so-fond memories. “But we’re gonna make it a good one this year.”
2010 was a banner year for music in general, and it’s now clear that the doomsayer rumors about the inevitable implosion of the industry were greatly exaggerated. Being a dedicated devotee to the mid-’90s, true-school era of hip-hop, it was great to see that the resurgence of supreme lyrics and raw beats started by Raekwon’s excellent OB4CL2 continued all the way through 2010. Overall, it seems a taste level and “hunger for more” has crept back into the music game, and as you’ll see in my Best Of list, I give massive props to quite a few deserving overachievers. It’s fun being a music fan again and let’s hope this trend continues into the new year. What are you waiting for? Pop the lid below to see who rocked my eardrums the hardest this year.