I firmly believe we have survived as a species due to our ability to create art. We live for feelings we cannot name, feelings that occupy the empty spaces in our mouths. We live for images that reverberate against the walls of our thoughts, informing our way of being in the world as we age. The art of local painter Justin Olerud illuminates the need for art in the life of a human.
With an array of critically acclaimed albums under their belt, The Sounds were ready for a new challenge. When the Swedish rock quartet stepped into the studio to undertake their fourth full-length album, “Something To Die For,” they decided to tackle things on their own. The disc, which is said to be the band’s best endeavor yet, was not only produced entirely by The Sounds, but also written and recorded in their personal studio.
Since it’s April 2011 release, catching The Sounds live has been on the top of everyone’s ‘To Do’ list. It’s been 2 years since the band’s last United States tour and Americans couldn’t be happier with the newest material.
Prior to The Sound’s recent show in Los Angeles, ChinaShop caught up with Felix Rodriguez to discuss taking the plunge and recording on their own, international surfing, and drinking crappy coffee in American diners.
Ximena Sariñana is no stranger to the spotlight. The twenty five year old daughter of a screenwriting mother and director/producer father became a household name in Mexico after appearing in prominent films and telenovelas. After a successful childhood acting career, Sariñana set off to pursue her true passion of writing and performing songs. Her Latin music career quickly catalyzed, earning her placement on the Billboard Latin Album Chart and three Latin Grammy Nominations for Best New Artist, Best Alternative Song, and Producer of the Year. She was also the only Latin artist to appear on the iTunes Best 10 Albums of 2008 Chart.
Sariñana’s latest endeavor is her self-titled English solo debut, a record that has earned her the title of VH1’s “Latest You Oughta Know Artist.” SPIN Magazine included her in their list of “Best Albums of 2011…So Far,” and she’s been nominated for MTV Iggy’s 2011 Best New “Bands in The World Award.”
ChinaShop sat down with Sariñana prior to her Culture Collide Festival performance to discuss how badly Americans have been butchering the pronunciation of her name (Her official bio provides a vowel by vowel description: hi-MEN-a sa-rin-YAH-na). We also talked about her first band being called “Happy Un Birthday” as well as how her latest adventures in cooking have left her with several battle wounds.
According to Zak St. John, of The Lonely Drunks Club Band, putting together the lineup for each of his band’s shows is a very scientific process. “It’s kind of like a math problem each week. We have a spreadsheet I created called “The Grid. This grid has all of our songs listed on it that correlates with each instrument and who is singing. I then email and call everybody and see who is available for each week and fill in the blanks.”
Composed of some of the best musicians from the local LA scene, The Lonely Drunks Club Band is known for bestowing their rowdy rock cover songs upon The Sunset Strip. The band stands to prove that when you fill a stage with top-notch players, the evening is far from dull. Past Lonely Drunks Club shows have included guest appearances from A-list musicians including members of Alice and Chains and Alice Cooper’s band.
If you haven’t had a chance to see these guys in action, make sure to check them out at Friday’s ChinaShop Presents: Rock at the Viper Room.
See our recent interview with Zak St. John from The Lonely Drunks Club Band below:
Every now and again an idea comes along that is so outstanding that you have to say to yourself… OF COURSE that’s BRILLIANT! We have had such an idea…
ChinaShop presents ROCK at The Viper Room this coming Friday Nov 18th. We have partnered with the infamous establishment to host a variety of seriously good rock bands. Every other month in 2012 we are going to take over a night and have our way with it. And Friday is NOT to be missed…
dublab is the NPR of DJ’s. This non-profit Los Angeles based internet radio collective has transcended your typical playlist of listening pleasure by fostering 12 years of growth in positive music, culture and modern art channeled through a roster of talented and eclectic music maestros.
Those skills shined brightly at their recent anniversary party up at the Atwater Crossing & Innovation Complex. It was a fair-ish event with food trucks, the requisite photo booth live-screen painting by local shirt shop Hit+Run, and a bike valet. Local dublab DJ’s spun to the outdoor crowd while names like Take aka Sweatson Klank, Julia Holter, Gaslamp Killer, & Daedelus kept the hipster crowd’s moccasin covered toes a tapping.. A mini-film fest and a #hellofanidea popcorn booth tied for second on the billing. Kutmah was to be beamed in live from the NTS Radio Studio in London but somebody forgot to set their alarm.
Founded in 2007, Dirtee Hollywood came on the scene and needed only one take. Founder, David Long’s vision is to redefine Hollywood culture as a global lifestyle that promotes individuality. “We are very proud of our aesthetic, and it shows in the constant references we make. Our focus is to set the trends that others will follow. To do this, we’ve created new fabrications and wash techniques that have never been seen in the marketplace. And of course, our topical wit has been one of our biggest strengths and one of the reasons the cool kids love and support our brand. To inspire brand loyalty with such a vibrant and trendsetting demographic is a testament to our team’s creativity and long-term vision.”
How do you make timeless music in a time when trends come and go faster than artists can keep up? It’s a question sparked on the title track of Stones Throw artist M.E.D.’s latest album. To find the answer, just check the line from his opening track, “Int’l”: “I write rhymes like I might not live to see the next line.” Fitting words for an album that definitely lives up to its name: Classic.
During our conversation, I asked the Oxnard, California MC about some of his favorite LPs that carry the same everlasting quality found in his album. He mentions some of the greats: Boogie Down Production’s By Any Means Necessary, N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton, Lootpack’s Soundpieces, and Gang Starr’s Moment of Truth. Talking about the latter, he candidly recalls getting shot as a teenager, and how it was Gang Starr’s album that helped him cool down and put his life into perspective. What follows are M.ED.’s words on how hip-hop helped turn his life around, and what led him to create his long overdue sophomore album—his first in over six years.
Spring is coming, faster than you think. And earlier this month ChinaShop got an insight into what lies on the spring fashion horizon. As we stepped inside Coer, we were instantly surrounded by all sorts of trendy goodies including women’s fashion accessories, gifts, handbags, shoes, and more.
According to the show’s co-founder, Henri Myers, who helped to hand pick the brands in the showroom, COEUR is about evoking freshness in the LA market. “Pretty much all the designers here are brands that we find needed a bit of some type of visibility in LA here specifically. A lot of brands included in the show are from New York or elsewhere. They didn’t have showrooms or showroom reps or agents and we’re really providing a space that they can all be under one roof.” Myers explains that the name of the show, COEUR, means “heart” in French. “It’s about all the things that we love and introducing the things that we love to everyone else.”
Gang Gang Dance didn’t so much play individual songs for their set closing down Filter’s Culture Collide festival… They just sort of started with a breathy rolling feedback infused with lead singer Liz Bougatsos tubthumping a Native American hand drum intro to “Glass Jar.” Which is not only the opening track from their most recent pop/world album, Eye Contact, but a tribute to their late vocalist who was struck and killed by lightning a few years back. Liz then began to fill that void with an airy but piercing voice that sounded as if it were being piped in from a hash shop easily within range of a NATO drone strike. Synth after layer of ghostly white synth soon began to pile on top of an ever funkier pulsating drum beat. A drum whose passport sounded like it must have stamps from far away destinations the likes of Ivory Coast, Bangalore and Japan, via connecting flights from DUMBO. This melodic Tower of Babel built until the very last crash of a triumphant high hat scattered it abroad upon the face of the parking lot confounding the wrap-up Tweets of all in attendance. Yo tambien.
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