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Art Artstar: Paige Pumphrey

December 7, 2011 - 10:10 am

Paige Pumphrey is an artist based in New York City.

You seem very influenced by scenes like roller derby, burlesque, and rockabilly. How does subculture influence your art?

Paige: Growing up in the suburbs of Maryland in that dark time before the internet, I desperately wanted to be cool. I’ve always skipped around subcultures dipping my toe in various scenes all through adolescence in an attempt to find myself. But I’ve always been first and foremost a big ol’ nerd with a wicked case of OCD when it comes to my obsessions, so I always treated each different subculture that I monkey-barred to and from as almost like a costume of different characters I was trying to be.

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Music Drop The Lime: Rockabilly Meets Drum and Bass

by Barbie Brady

July 18, 2011 - 2:08 pm

Imagine hitting a massive dance club in the heart of Hollywood on a weekend night. The 19 and up crowd consisting of girls in tight and tiny skirts and fellas rocking your basic t-shirt and jeans…and pompadours? For every 5 club kids, there was at least one rockabilly kid in the mix. A strange equation for a regular weekend night, unless of course you were at a Drop the Lime show.

Drop The Lime (born Luca Venezia in NYC) is not only an electronic producer and DJ, but he found the dance label Trouble & Bass. He unleashed his unique brand of dance/rockabilly onto a fevered crowd this past Friday night at Avalon in Hollywood. Deep resounding bass bombs forced your attention and moved your feet. DTL’s refreshing blend of the classic rock n roll standards with an electronic rhythm that leads you resoundingly into the night.

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Gallery Music Social Distortion @ the Music Box : Prohibition-Era Punk Rock

by Jeff Nau and E.M.S.

April 26, 2011 - 10:22 am

There’s a lot of you out there (you know who you are) who long ago consigned yourself to the age-old credo “punk is dead.” You’d probably be hard-pressed to believe that even Social Distortion‘s recent Music Box performance could be the best argument in years to such a hastily-conceived notion. In addition to the debut of their newest and most raucous album in years, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, the boys really raised that punk bar a bit more: it wasn’t just a great concert with a tight band, it was a glorious punk rock/rockabilly/cinematic spectacle.

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Music Supersuckers, and I ain’t talking ’bout Lollipops!

by Curious Josh and SailorBeware

July 13, 2009 - 2:41 pm

If you have no idea who the Supersuckers are, then I feel sorry for you. Sorry because you have not yet experienced the (self-proclaimed) greatest rock-n-roll band in the world! If you have heard of them then, I’m jealous of you. Jealous because…well, let’s just say if the Supersuckers had a spread in Tiger Beat, they’d be plastered all over my bedroom wall.

The Supersuckers have almost a cult following of die-hard fans. You just don’t kinda sorta like the Supersuckers…you fucking LOVE the Supersuckers. Their sound is honest-to-goodness American rock-n-roll: unpretentious, tongue-in-cheek and sacrilegious. Their songs have an anthem-like quality to them, with raking guitar intros that make you jump up and down waiting for the rest of the band to kick in. Their songs are about fucked-up relationships, getting fucked up and not giving a fuck. They draw upon an archetypal rock sound to make their music: from the Ramones to Thin Lizzy to Social Distortion.

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Music Horrorpops, Hell Yeah!

by Curious Josh and SailorBeware

July 10, 2009 - 2:57 pm

I have a secret to admit…I don’t like the Horrorpops. When given the task of reviewing their set at the Hootenanny, I did my best impersonation of a 4 year old boy forced to go clothes shopping with mom. But, I have to qualify my statement. On the road trip down to the ‘nanny, I listened to a few tracks, just to get primed. Heavy upright slap bass, poppy drums, ska influences, and a strong but youthful vibrato, occasionally dropping to a whisper or rising to command. Then it hit me: Patricia Day is the psychobilly Gwen Stefani!

I like Gwen Stefani. I like rockabilly. I used to be way-goth. I like girl-fronted bands. Therefore, I *have* to like the Horrorpops. And, according to the Horrorpops’ rules, my only answer must be, “Hell YEAH!”

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Music The Good Reverend Horton Heat

by Curious Josh

July 10, 2009 - 2:57 pm

Undeniably, The Reverend Horton Heat, aka Jim Heath, is the biggest, baddest, grittiest, greasiest, greatest rocker that ever piled his hair up and pounded the drinks down. Without question, for all of his outlandish antics, blistering stage performances and legendary musical prowess, the one thing The Rev always gets asked about is the story behind his unusual and rather clerical moniker. “Well, there used to be this guy who ran this place in Deep Ellum, Texas who used to call me Horton- my last name is Heath,” says The Rev. “Anyway, this guy hired me and right before the show he goes, ‘Your stage name should be Reverend Horton Heat! Your music is like gospel’… and I thought it was pretty ridiculous. So I’m up there playing and after the first few songs, people are saying, ‘Yeah, Reverend!’ What’s really funny is that this guy gave up the bar business, and actually became a preacher! Now he comes to our shows and says, ‘Jim, you really should drop this whole Reverend thing.’”- (taken from their website).

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Event Hootenanny 2009

by Curious Josh and SailorBeware

July 9, 2009 - 3:21 pm

Anybody steeped in a certain subculture has to endure time when they are not among others of their own species. “Civilians”, I call them. Be it punk, goth, rockabilly, psychobilly, emo, or electro-whatever. This time spent in the midst of civilians can be exhilarating. The dissonance your individuality causes can be something that defines your boundaries with the rest of the world. Saying what you aren’t can define what you are. But, time spent among your kind is a whole other kind of experience entirely.

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Art/Design Gallery Bettie Page: Heaven Bound

by Zoetica Ebb

May 6, 2009 - 10:26 am

Saturday night marked the opening of Bettie Page: Heaven Bound – an all-star art extravaganza curated by Lenora Claire held at the World of Wonder Gallery in Hollywood. This exhibit, dedicated to the late pinup legend, features iconic portraits of Bettie by Olivia and tribute photos by Austin Young among others. The carefree smile and electric attitude that left an impact on an entire generation grace the gallery walls, captured in a variety of mediums from watercolor to acrylic sculpture. In usual World of Wonder reception style, the party drew a colorful crowd – drag queens, fashion butterflies, booze enthusiasts and Hollywood culture favorites were out on full force to salute the unforgettable, the one and only – Bettie Page.

Words and Photos by Zoetica Ebb

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Event Gallery I Shot Jesse James

by Dustin Downing

April 21, 2009 - 10:39 pm

Every year Jesse James has a birthday, just like you and me. Except he gets to be married to Sandra Bullock and party like a rock star with the likes of the good Reverend Horton Heat and some of the sickest toys you can create. Lucky Bastard. Check out the birthday event below with about 1,000 Rockabilly Cats and Kittens through the door and classic Rat Rods out the ying-yang!

Photos by Dustin Downing

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Urban Exploration Dunt Nuh Nuh Nuh Nuh, $40 bits….

by Dustin Downing

March 16, 2009 - 4:52 pm

This line of work sometimes has its perks. Example, this little ditty offered me the chance for a free hair cut and sparkly shoe shine. Saaaweet!, except for the matter of me being mostly bald and wearing flip flops the majority of the time. Let’s just say this anecdotist hasn’t been bought. But, I digress.

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