Tag Archives: Los Angeles

Featured Gallery Music Into the Lab, The dublab

by Dustin Downing
November 9, 2011 - 11:18 am

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.

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Fashion Time to Get Dirtee Hollywood

by Shop Keeper
November 9, 2011 - 11:17 am

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.”

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Music Reintroducing M.E.D.

by Max Herman
November 3, 2011 - 10:20 am

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.

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Fashion Featured Gallery The Heart and Sole of Spring Fashion: COEUR

by Nicole Pajer and Dustin Downing
November 2, 2011 - 11:26 am

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.”

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Featured Gallery Music Gang Gang Dance Makes Contact

by Dustin Downing
October 28, 2011 - 10:52 am

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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Music Peep My Stilo: Gustavo Alfonzo

by Dynast Amir
October 26, 2011 - 10:12 am

When the young ladies first see Gustavo Alfonzo, they are quick to notice his easy going persona with a drop of charm. His smooth good looks win them over as the Venezuelan born heart throb turns most females into adoring fans. With his boyish good looks you would think that he was a Spanish boy model, yet his blend of street salsa and urban hip hop is without question some of the best this reporter has heard in a mighty long time.

Don’t believe me check it out for yourself. his energetic and eccentric music video “Malibu Bash” sets the standard and contains all of the elements that every hetero/metro sexual male who wants to properly throw an epic pool needs to have… bad bitches, fat blunts and cases of brew.

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Featured Music Never Mind The Venue, Here’s Portishead

by Rich Thomas and Catie Laffoon
October 25, 2011 - 8:27 am

When it was announced that Portishead would be playing the massive main stage at Coachella 2008, my reaction was a mix of elation and fear. The former because it would be the iconic band’s first U.S. show in nearly a decade. The latter because that particular spot had been known to swallow up even the most raucous acts, like the Prodigy in 2002. As any rabid concertgoer will tell you, your surroundings can make or break a show, or at the very least tip the scales. So how did the Bristol trio fare in the great wide open? Amazing. Intimate and powerful at the same time. When it was announced that Portishead would be playing two shows at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, I was less concerned. Big, indoor venue, general admission, easy drive. I liked my chances for a repeat experience. Until, of course, I walked inside.

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Gallery Music Tycho: A Deep Dive into Art and Music

by Rich Thomas and Dustin Downing
October 21, 2011 - 8:30 am

When it comes to the melding of music and design, few have cultivated a more intriguing and appealing aesthetic than San Francisco artist Scott Hansen. As Tycho, the songs he composes are lush, deeply emotive pieces that shimmer and buzz with analog warmth; the soundtrack to a long drive up the coast at sunset. As ISO50, his bold, colorful design exudes a simple sophistication that’s both classic and futuristic. See him live—as we were able to this summer, backed by a new band setup—and you’re in for a complete sensory takeover. An unfortunate leak caused Ghostly International to bump up Tycho’s latest LP release by a month, which means Dive is now available for purchase from the label’s online store.

We got Scott on the line to talk about the new album, his artwork, and how both halves paint a picture of who he is at the core. We’re also giving away one of his amazing t-shirts to one lucky ChinaShopper. All you have to do is Like us on Facebook and post your best sunset or sunrise camera phone photo to our Wall, or follow us on Twitter and TwitPic your shot. Just use the hashtag #tychosun so we know to look for you. We’ll be taking submissions until midnight PST on Monday, October 31.

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Music The Glitch Mob Release Free 2011 Mix Tape, More Voltage

by Rich Thomas
October 19, 2011 - 11:51 am

They’re baaaaaaack. Bass bin destroyers The Glitch Mob are about to blast through Europe on a 15-date tour, but to tide you over until show time, they’ve just release another free mix tape. This one’s called More Voltage, and we’re getting goosebumps from the tracklisting alone. Their 2009 mix, Crush Mode, is still in heavy rotation at ChinaShop HQ, but this one is definitely going to get some serious play. Download it for free and check the tracks after the jump, and be prepared to invest in a new set of speakers for your car.

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