The Gym Class Heroes are sharper than ever. After spending nearly the past two years pursuing other musical side projects, the hip-hop rock quartet returns in full force with their forthcoming album “The Papercut Chronicles II” and they couldn’t be any more excited.
Another year, another batch of albums and singles, another 5 pounds on the old waistline. As we do every year around this time, writers like myself like to put an exclamation point on the last 365 days with painstakingly authored documents that seek to validate our roles as impartial curators of music…when in actuality we’re just amassing a list of songs that resonated with our own self-interests. (Hooray for music we like!) That being said, I’ll put the 11 selections below—and the 12 singles at the end—up against anyone else’s material. These are strong bodies of work, and even though the album as we know it is turning into a bit of a lost art form, you won’t need to cherry-pick through iTunes to get the good bits.
WARNING: There is no mention of M83, Odd Future or “Pumped Up Kicks” anywhere on this list, and there is only one item remotely resembling dubstep. If you’re not put off by this, please read on.
West Hollywood, California’s The Sunset Strip: the incomparable mix of its history, glamour, cutting-edge style, pure entertainment and exciting nightlife makes it the favored destination for travelers, locals, rockers and everyone in between. As 2012 approaches, The Strip invites you to ring in the New Year with special fare planned by its top restaurants–which include Asia De Cuba, Eveleigh, Nonna of Italy and Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood–or with music and comedy events at the Viper Room, The Roxy, Whisky A Go-Go, The Comedy Store, House of Blues and The Standard. The range of events and options fit a range of budgets and reveling plans. Also, the City of West Hollywood has announced it will launch a “holiday shuttle” during the NYE weekend (Dec. 29 –31). It will run in a continuous loop throughout West Hollywood from 8 p.m. – 3 a.m. on these nights. Log in here for more information.
This past Thursday, December 22 was a sneak peak of “Art Show 2011,” the follow up by infamous street artist Thierry Guetta (AKA “Mr. Brainwash”) to his 2008 art show, “Life Is Beautiful.” Guetta is most known for his controversial role in the 2011 Oscar-nominated docudrama, “Exit Through The Gift Shop,” directed by renowned street artist, Banksy.
When I was fifteen years old, I stood in front of the Mona Lisa. I stood there— hands in the pockets of my jeans, my head cocked slightly to the side—and I looked; I looked and I waited. I wanted to be changed by it. I waited for some sort of enlightenment. But, for me, it remained empty. I waited for about five minutes; then I walked away.
What makes a piece of art worthy of consideration? What makes it of value? What draws us in? Often, it is a sense of resonance; resonance with elementary emotional images deeply ingrained within us.
School is back in session. Today, ChinaShop features Mike Stone (a.k.a. DJ StoneRokk), the fourth artist in our six-part series highlighting former students of LA’s Pilgrim High School who have become integral parts of West Coast hip-hop and DJ culture. Last month we featured Project Blowed co-founder Abstract Rude, Brooklyn’s DJ Icewater, and international hip-hop star Roscoe Umali. Still to come: J*Davey’s Brook D’Leau and Busdriver.
There has been much recent probing into the lost psyche of the 1950’s American housewife, even by mainstream media (i.e. the television series “Mad Men”). The study of psychological torture actually owes much of its progress to discoveries made in the 1950’s in the U.S. and Canada, especially those resulting from certain abusive experiments involving female patients in psychiatric hospitals. Photographer Barbara Pickles uses photography as a medium to address what it means to be a woman—what it meant, what it means now, and what it may come to mean for future generations of women.
Photography has as many aims as it has photographers. Some use the medium in order to recreate a subject in an especially raw, candid light, capturing a moment, which would have otherwise remained silent. Others use the lens as a tool to disorient an audience’s view of normalcy by dressing the mundane in garb of the absurd. Up and coming photographer Jennifer Popperl uses her lens to allow for multiple, seemingly incompatible moments, to exist simultaneously.
Two highly successful New Jersey based rock bands are returning to their home state to celebrate its role in making them who they are today. This holiday season, Senses Fail and Saves the Day return to New Jersey’s famous Starland Ballroom located in Sayreville for not only one of their stellar performances but for a chance to give back to the local music community as part of Red Bull Noise Complaint. A dollar from each ticket sold to the December 23rd show will be donated to the upkeep of the famed Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ. The small no-frills venue, open for nearly 30 years, has hosted rock and alternative acts such as Pavement, Ween, The Flaming Lips, Gaslight Anthem, The Bouncing Souls and Lifetime. The Court also provides a stage for up-and-coming local acts and offers regular free shows for the strapped-for-cash student looking to catch some live music.
To pass along the torch, a local up-and-coming New Jersey band was chosen to open for Senses Fail and Saves the Day at Starland. That group, Banquets was selected at a Red Bull Noise Complaint showcase at Court Tavern on Friday, November 18th.
Tiësto, the world’s biggest DJ and producer, to launch the first-ever line of clothing inspired by electronic dance music
Global sensation Tiësto has revolutionized the world of electronic dance music with his incredible live shows and timeless productions. Now he’s poised to explode onto the fashion scene with his new clothing line CLVB LIFE, released on December 8th at Kitson (Los Angeles)and Atrium (New York and Miami).