In case you haven't noticed, men's fashion is taking a turn toward the dapper. Don't believe me? Well, you could just take a look around the next time you're walking down the street. Or, you could read these excerpts from the NY Times style-section article This Just in From the 1890s. Personally, I love the look!
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Drawing the line between polish and pretension is trickier, especially when last year’s costume can be this year’s classic, and next year’s yawn. Just consider the steady infiltration of 19th-century haberdashery into the 21st-century wardrobe. Garment after garment has arrived on the scene that one might think more Gilbert and Sullivan than Bergdorf and Goodman, only to be taken up by the young beards.
Not long ago, big brass-buttoned military coats looked a bit extreme. So did high-button, high-lapel vests and slim tweed trousers. And so did guys who tucked said trousers into high, old-fashioned hunting boots. Now these clothes (along with those ever-present beards and mustaches) look like downtown defaults compared with fall runway looks like cardinal-red tailcoats at Ralph Lauren, capes and bowlers at Alexander McQueen and knee breeches at Robert Geller.
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The antiquarian aesthetic is far-reaching, with tendrils in the worlds of art (as in the work of the fashionable painter Walton Ford, opening Thursday night at the Paul Kasmin Gallery in Chelsea) and film (as in “There Will Be Blood,” “The Prestige” and, next month, “Sherlock Holmes”). But it has made its deepest inroads in interior design and men’s fashion. Just as in the late 1990s, when mid-century Modernism seemingly infiltrated every apartment, men’s wear shop and restaurant, this messier, cozier and more idiosyncratic Victorian dandyism is now reaching into all sorts of fashionable spots.
It decks the dark wood-paneled walls of the trendy Jane Hotel and the Bowery Hotel and A-list-y restaurants like the Spotted Pig and the Breslin. Somehow the look seems even more sincere in Brooklyn eateries like Vinegar Hill House and Marlow & Sons and in antique shops like Obscura Antiques & Oddities in the East Village and Luddite in Williamsburg.
Similarly, the look’s most popular components — tweedy vests, woolen trousers, henley undershirts, dark wool ties, scratchy cotton shirts — appear to have an added dose of authenticity when unearthed in tucked-away shops like Amoskeag XX and Against Nature on the Lower East Side, or Hollander & Lexer in Brooklyn. Often they are made in New York by small labels like Engineered Garments and Freemans Sporting Club, Mr. Somer’s line.
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Part of the appeal, in fact, is in how the clothes relate not to the runways or the estates of Europe, but to America’s heartland in ways that few fashions do. Country and city men alike have rediscovered old-school American brands like Filson, Orvis, L. L. Bean and Duluth Pack. Obsolete hobbies like wet-plate photography are finding new enthusiasts; long-outmoded farming practices are being revived. Even deer hunting with old-fashioned muzzleloaded rifles, which have to be loaded with gunpowder, a musket ball and a ramrod, has come back in force in some states.
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This flamboyance is part of a curious new movement called Tweed Rides, informal gatherings of spiffily dressed ladies and gents cycling leisurely through town and disdaining finish lines. Tweed Rides began in London earlier this year and have spread this fall to Boston, San Francisco and Chicago. As the directions for this weekend’s Tweed Ride in Washington, D.C., put it: “Leave the fleece, Lycra and outer shell at home. This ride is for the dandy.”
Eric Brewer, a gallery owner who founded Dandies and Quaintrelles, the group that is organizing the Washington ride, said that the idea was not to come out in costume. “There are all kinds of societies that are about dressing up in period costume and then going back to your oversize jeans the next day,” he said. “This is about style as a way of being.” (You can’t help imagining a kind of upside-down remake of “The Wild Ones,” in which a gang of elegant men in knee breeches riding old Raleigh three-speeds descend on an unsuspecting town and freak everyone out with their impeccable manners.)
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As always, the look works only if you don’t go too far. In “Sherlock Holmes,” set in 1880s London, the detective, played by Robert Downey Jr., has a penchant for over-the-top disguise. But Guy Ritchie, the film’s director, so admired the more dignified three-piece tweed suits created for Holmes’s sober sidekick, Watson (played by a mustachioed Jude Law), that he asked the costume designer Jenny Beavan for some of the fabric so he could have his own made.
It is worth noting, too, how well 19th-century elements fit into the modern wardrobe, especially since many of them — peacoats, vests, fedoras — had a revival or two in the 20th century. And as formal or old-fashioned as some of the attire may seem, most of it goes surprisingly well with the 19th century’s most enduring fashion legacy, a special kind of trousers invented in California by a man named Levi Strauss.
Maybe you’ve heard of them?
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11/11/09 Oberlin College IL
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11/12/09 North Star Bar Phila, PA 11/13/09 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY 11/14/09 Ottobar Baltimore, MD 11/15/09 Bowery Ballroom NY 12/08/09 Mono Pescara 12/09/09 Circolo degli Artisti Rome 12/10/09 Live Forum Milan 12/11/09 Spazio 211 Turin 12/12/09 Bronson Ravenna |
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Eddie looks like a guy that doesn't take himself too seriously. He seems to like to drink a lot and talk a lot (but with his thick British accent, it's not like we could understand half what was said). He seems to swagger on stage a lot, often using his left arm to illustrate the songs.
There wasn't enough room on stage for Argos to do his infamous microphone skip, but he did manage to sing half of "DC Comics" by the bar section. Speaking of which, I think it's cool that Argos is a huge DC fan - since UK comics are usually, you know, 2000 AD/Judge Dredd sort. During the song, Argos spouted out what I hear as "Christian Bale", "Booster Gold" (if I can remember, I think he was basically a janitor from the future with future tech and a Legionaires flight ring), and something about "Metropolis".
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The thing about "The Passenger", from their latest album Art Brut vs Satan, is that it got this great introduction. Eddie explained how he thought the Iggy Pop song was about taking the subway, "Iggy doesn't seem to me to be the driving sort." It wasn't until later did he discovered that Iggy's song was about taking heroin in back of a limo with David Bowie. Too funny.
Oh the other thing, the way Eddie sings, if you can call it singing, is quite interesting. It's more like rambling, it definitely feels at time like The Fall - only with a lot heavier backing band.
The band left and came back with three encores. I thought I heard Eddie saying "we don't normally do this", which may have been said in an ironic kind of way. I really couldn't tell, all I know is that the encores were met by the fans' demands.
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11/11/2009 00:00:22 ♥ vu (
) ♥ artbrut.org.uk ♥ myspace.com/artbrut
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Suburban Noize Records have been around since the mid-90s, catering to a very certain market of young hip hop, herb culture, and punk fans. We have a few items from them for review.
For starter, SubNoize Souljaz (myspace) is like the all-star supergroup, consisting of 15 or so Suburban Noize artists, including members of Kottonmouth King, Big B, and Jared Gomes (singer of Hed PE).
Their third album, Blast From The Past, just dropped late last August. While I am unfamiliar with some of these titles, I almost knew all the cover songs from hearing them on the radio. Except this album are all done in the style of that only Subnoize can deliver. With the variety of rappers and lead singers - the music is somewhat uneven, but at least the vocals stands out from each other. Particularly, I was impressed with Judge D's cover of LL's "Mama Said Knock You Out" and a funky The Dirtball's cover of RATM's "Microphone Fiend" (the bass is really good on this song) and Slick Rick's "Children's Story" by Daddy X.
It's evident that these guys owe a lot to influential bands that came before them (NWA, 2Pac, Snoop, Dre), so this album is a tribute to them. If you like old-school rap, particularly Death Row Records, as much as anyone that grew up in the 90s, you will definitely do yourself a favor and check out Blast From The Past.
 Tour Dates
11/15/09 El Corazon Seattle, WA
11/16/09 Satyricon Portland, OR 11/17/09 DNA Lounge SF, CA 11/18/09 Boardwalk Orangevale, CA 11/20/09 Starline Fresno, CA 11/21/09 Modesto Virtual Modesto, CA 11/22/09 Chain Reaction Anahiem, CA 11/23/09 Karma Victorville, CA 11/24/09 Roxy Los Angeles, CA |
Anyway, Brokencyde is a "crunk"-core band (apparently this genre is a fusion of hip hop and electro, and possibly other genres like punk and rock). The band embrace the brand, and even have a song called "Get Crunk!".
The album actually did chart on the Billboard 200 at #86, which kind of impressed me, considering that many of the artists I hear about, they never chart. I think the high debut might possibly be due to their presence on this year's US Warped Tour. However, despite the success, the album was critically condemned. My favorite is (name redacted) review from NME: "even if I caught Prince Harry and Gary Glitter adorned in Nazi regalia defecating through my grandmother’s letterbox I would still consider making them listen to this album too severe a punishment." Critics who hates them, I don't think they understand that the album was meant for them... certainly the album is not meant for me. I am curious what the band will sound like when they've matured a bit. Although, I will have to confess that I did smile a bit when I heard "pee pee" sung on "Sex Toys" and "let's get retarded" on "Rockstar".
They look and sound very young (hey, FYI, their singer is called Se7en), which makes their debut album I'm Not a Fan... But the Kids Like It even more-so ironic. I did feel that despite their youngness, that
Stronger songs on the album are: "Freaxxx" (with the catchy "let's get freaky" lyrics), and "Yellow Bus" (boasting about sex with groupies like Miley Cyrus??? WTF!).
If you don't mind the naughty messages, some autotune, some screamo, some electronica, check out I'm Not a Fan... But the Kids Like It at amazon.
 Tour Dates
11/13/09 Budweiser Event Center* CO
11/14/09 Mid America Center*, IA 11/15/09 Uptown Theater* Kansas City, MO 11/17/09 Val Air Ballroom Des Moines, IA 11/18/09 Aragon Ballroom* Chicago, IL 11/19/09 The Fillmore* Detroit, MI 11/26/09 Grove of Anaheim, CA * with 311 |
Their latest release is Hidden Stash 420, an epic 2-disc album. This is basically a collection of unreleased tracks, b-sides, remixes, demos. The packaging is also nice, it's a fold-out digipak. Hardcore fans will want to purchase the album directly from Subnoize Store or Best Buy stores, as that comes with a bonus DVD called The Lost Adventures of the Kottonmouth Kings.
While it's easy to just dismiss the band as pot smokers, that all their songs about weed, and although it's true, I believe they also deceptively paint a vivid picture of what their lifestyle is like. Check out tracks like "Take a Ride", as it describes California and family, all under a catchy chorus of "west coast is the place for me, never know what you'll see". But it's not all serious, there's a goofy song called "Late Night Call" with cultural reference of "me so horny", "facebook" and "myspace".
The collection is mostly older songs, and it's interesting to see some of their experiments. One song, "Tangerine Sky", seems like it's paying tribute to the Beatles LSD song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". "Tangerine Sky" comes off as being more melodic and slower than most of their songs. The other non-conventional KMK is a poppy song "Let the Music Play". I wish I knew the story behind this song, but what I can tell you that it sounds very happy and 60s love. Perhaps Jackson Five?
Anyway, my favorites are usually the faster-constantly rapping songs with a loopy DJ backback, like "Evolution" and "Got It Get It". The later is a new Kingspade (a division of Kottonmouth King's rap duo, Johnny Richter and D-Loc) venture, which may be important for fans, as they haven't released anything under Kingspade in the last two years.
Hidden Stash 420 is out now. A perfect Christmas gift for any stoner in your family.
11/10/2009 18:05:38 ♥ vu () ♥ suburbannoizerecords.com ♥ suburbannoizejapan.com
It's people like this guy, Dan Pfeiffer (just named White House communications director), who make me wonder what I've been doing with my career-slash-life:
Mr. Pfeiffer, 33, is also a longtime Democratic strategist with experience working for some of the biggest names in the Democratic Party. He served as communications director for Mr. Obama’s presidential campaign, the communications director for Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000 and was an aide to Tom Daschle, the former South Dakota senator who was majority leader. He is married to Sarah Feinberg, a top aide to Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff. - http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/dunn-leaves-white-house-communications-post/?hp
In 2000! He was 24 years old in 2000! Maybe I should start by not posting on my blog at work...
I love this slouchy, relaxed yet hip look from Lucky Magazine's Look of the Day from September 30th.
In case anybody missed the article in the NY Times on Sunday, Rent the Runway details a fantastic new business: renting high-end dresses, all done via the web and your mailbox. This invitation-only service was started by two recent Harvard Business School grads, Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Carter Fleiss. See for yourself!
The rentals run $50 to $200 for a four-night loan and are shipped directly to the customer’s doorstep. After wearing the dress, she puts it into a prepaid envelope and drops it in the mail. Dry cleaning is included in the price, but damage insurance costs $5, and in the case of outright destruction of the dress, the renter is responsible for the full retail price.
Rent the Runway is a recession-era twist on the Internet rent-by-mail model, which has been used for things like textbooks and video games in addition to movies. Unlike those utilitarian items, however, the dresses offer a touch of Cinderella — on a budget.
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Ms. Hyman and Ms. Carter Fleiss said they had taken several steps to guard against service fiascos. For starters, they use a reservation system to ensure that a customer can get a specific dress for the night she needs it.
To assist with fitting, they have on-call stylists who can advise customers on how certain materials feel and how a particular dress might hang on various body types. In addition, the site offers returns within 24 hours for any reason and will include an extra size of a first dress at no additional cost.
Customers who want to be extra-safe can choose a second style as a backup, for an additional $25. And all dresses come with a custom garment bag and a “fit kit,” which includes double-sided tape, bra strap adjusters and deodorant stain removers.
This sounds like a cross between Netflix and Bag, Borrow or Steal. Could be very cool.
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11/11/09 Phoenix Theatre* Toronto
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11/12/09 Metro* Chicago, IL 11/13/09 Gargoyle Club* St. Louis, MO 11/14/09 House of Blues* Dallas, TX 11/15/09 La Zona Rosa* Austin, TX 11/17/09 Rialto Theater* Tucson, AZ 11/18/09 House of Blues* San Diego, CA 11/19/09 Great American Music Hall* SF, CA 11/20/09 Great American Music Hall* SF, CA 11/21/09 Club Nokia* LA, CA with El Perro Del Mar |
 PB&J and El Perro del Mar ♥ photograph by Michelle |
But last night the VIP balcony was the place to be since it was the location of a historic fist bump between me and Andrew W.K.
I already knew he was set to make a cameo during PB&J’s set, along with a slew of others, but I did not expect our paths to cross. I don’t know what compelled me to lamely offer him my fist the moment I saw him, but all that matters is that he returned it and all was right in the world. Then he left, and I immediately texted my 13 year-old brother, who soon lapsed into an envy-induced coma.
Swede-fest ’09 continued with PB&J, who announced that this was their 10th anniversary tour. It was easy to distinguish who was who, as Peter was the one in the pink shirt, Bjorn was the one not in the pink shirt, and John was the drummer. It only got slightly confusing during the smorgasbord of cameos that took place throughout their set. Some made perfect sense (El Perro del Mar on “Young Folks,”), some not so much (an L.A. rap duo who remixed an unrecognizable song off of Living Thing). The final cameo was Spank Rock, who seemed like a solid addition to “Nothing to Worry About” but his appearance was much too brief and almost abrupt.
Obviously the most dramatic cameo of the night was Andrew W.K.’s “interpretive” dancing during “It Don’t Move Me.” He didn’t utter a single word the whole time, yet he left the audience virtually speechless. It was spastic and random but ultimately the best moment of the night.
As for the band themselves, they were in top form as usual. Since the last time I saw them in March, people have warmed up considerably towards their newer material and seemed to enjoy it equally as much as anything off Writer’s Block. The band eschewed slower stand-bys for faster, upbeat songs from their first two albums, and they ended the night with the infectious “Objects of My Affection.” I was kind of hoping they’d play the slow burning track, “Up Against the Wall,” but my friend told me not to be greedy. After all, one paradigm-shifting fist bump was good enough for one night.
PB&J ♥ photograph by Michelle
Peter ♥ photograph by Michelle
Andrew W.K. ♥ photograph by Michelle
PB&J ♥ photograph by Michelle
11/10/2009 02:13:56 ♥ kateg (
)
♥ peterbjornandjohn.com
♥ myspace.com/peterbjornandjohn
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11/10/09 Pike Room Pontiac, MI
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11/11/09 Horseshoe* Toronto, ON 11/12/09 Motore* Montreal, QC 11/13/09 Space* Portland, ME 11/15/09 Middle East* Cambridge, MA 11/16/09 Bell House Brooklyn, NY 11/17/09 First Unitarian* Phila, PA 11/18/09 9:30 Club* Washington, DC 11/19/09 UVA Chapel Charlottesville, VA 11/20/09 Grey Eagle* Asheville, NC 11/21/09 Earl* Atlanta, GA 11/23/09 Bottletree* Birmingham, AL 11/24/09 One Eyed Jacks NOrleans, LA 11/26/09 Walter’s* Houston, TX 11/27/09 Mohawk* Austin, TX 11/30/09 Modified Phoenix, AZ 12/01/09 Casbah San Diego, CA 12/02/09 Troubadour* Los Angeles, CA 12/04/09 Great American Music* SF, CA 12/11/09 "The Crocodile"* Seattle, WA 12/12/09 Mississippi Studios, OR with PGM |
+ abridged album review
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J Tillman ♥ Music Box |
Year in the Kingdom remembers a simpler era that Tillman was not alive to experience. Softer tracks cite 60s folk influences like Joni Mitchell, had Mitchell penned her songs in a humble log cabin, without basic comforts save for canned beans and a faithful canine companion. The sparse “Age of Man” is a few twangs/few stringed instruments short of Americana territory, while “Though I Have Wronged You” reminds us that Tillman isn’t seriously concerned by FF comparisons. At times matter-of-factly somber (“There is No Good in Me”), the album lulls its listeners into a false feeling of peace (albeit reflective, disquieting peace) that does not prepare the ears for the sheer force of Tillman’s live rocking.
Kingdom-the-album clashed awesomely with Friday night’s show at the Music Box Theatre in Minneapolis. I now have a physical point of reference for the expression “it blew my mind,” as I’m pretty sure I lost a piece of my skull when Tillman blew my mind. Similar to the structure of the studio tracks—gentle start, build-up, full instrumental progression—the show began as one would expect had they listened to Kingdom: Tillman + band = traditional 3-dimensional engagement. Then, maybe a third of the way into the set, all hell broke loose. Cue roar of full instrumental capacity, skin-tingling whine of amped slide guitar, psychedelic transformation, and crazy apeshit thrashing. On top of everything unholy, we, the audience, bore witness to grown men playing plastic recorders and finger cymbals. Surely I wasn’t the only one to lose some head mass by the end of the night.
Cerebral hemorrhage notwithstanding, strong tracks like “Though I Have Wronged You” sounded ridiculously swollen with intensity and deliberate flair. Not showy, per se; rather, phrenic but perverted by foggy invention. It was like walking into the Louvre for the first time—extraordinary but strangely unfocused, as if the senses were forced into overdrive. Had I lapped a taste of Tillman’s sweat*, the experience would’ve been complete. Unfortunately, there was no exchange of bodily fluids; there wasn’t even an encore (a mumbled “thanks” and the musicians made their hasty exit). It didn’t matter. How do you follow an act like yourself?
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J. Tillman is currently on tour in support of Year in the Kingdom. Upcoming shows include stops in Chicago and New York. For more information or to listen to select tracks, visit his Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/jtillman.
* I’m not a creeper, promise.
11/09/2009 03:26:24 ♥ lara (
/lara206.vox.com)
♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ myspace.com/jtillman
Werewolf vs Freddy ♥ Sheraton Hotel, Minneapolis (11/07/09)
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This year, the merchandise room was reduced to a size of a
large bedroom, so you walk in and out in about a minute. I did manage
to pick up some stuff, but they weren't cheap. Celebrities prints are
costs anywhere from $20-40, we weren't allowed to take pictures (if you
did purchase a print, then taking pictures would cost an extra $5).
Last year, most of the nicer stars let us take pictures for free.
As for merch, the usual bootlegs, toys, horror t-shirts were
there, but because of the smaller room - it feels like there weren't a
lot of choices. Some commonly seen t-shirts were Nightbreed and
Hellraiser, which I thought were cool, since I have always thought
Clive Barker is genius.
Also, this year they had music as part of the show. The person that was supposed to give me a pass to the music area was not at the ticketbooth and I didn't feel like paying extra to see music. Besides, all of the bands seems to be either punk or metal, not really my cup of tea, so I didn't bother to make much effort in getting the pass.
With the disappointing cancellation, incorrect/false information (is
updating a website too much to ask?), the smaller space, and
expensive admission ($30 at the door) - this will be the last year that
my group will attend. 11/08/2009 02:54:28 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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11/08/09 Aquarium* Fargo, ND
11/09/09 Waiting Room* Omaha, NE 11/11/09 Brick Kansas City, MO 11/29/09 Oxford O2 Academy 3, UK 11/30/09 Relentless Garage London 12/01/09 Thekla Bristol, UK 12/02/09 Wedgewood Portsmouth, UK 12/03/09 Cabaret Voltaire Edinburgh 12/04/09 Bodega Nottingham, UK 12/05/09 Brickyard Carlisle, UK 12/06/09 King Tut’s Wah Wah Glasgow 12/07/09 Ruby Lounge Manchester, UK 12/08/09 Plug Sheffield, UK 12/09/09 Academy 2 Dublin, Ireland 12/10/09 Stiff Kitten Belfast, Ireland 12/12/09 Concorde 2 Brighton, UK 12/13/09 Barfly Cardiff, UK * with Bang Bang Eche Read More |
Opening up for Har Mar Superstar are three very different genre and acts. Starting with Koo Koo Kangeroo (official / myspace), whose music styling is that of hip hop - for toddlers. Their songs are dead simple, like "AOA" (sample lyrics: "aye oh aye oh aye") and "Cheh Cheh Chi" and "LMNOP", but they're catchy and easy to sing along. The highlight of their set was when they threw down a white tarp-like covering and the audience was dancing under it like a party fort.
Wow, Bang Bang Eche (myspace) are young. Someone told me that they're about 18 years old, but they certainly look much younger. Their music is very punk high-energy and reminds me a bit of Arctic Monkeys influenced. My easily favorite song from their set is "Fist Full of Dollars", perhaps a reference to Sergio Leone classic film? They ended their setlist with "Die Hippy Scum". Oh, also, it's worth noting that bassist T'Nealle sported a three keyboard cat moon t-shirt. Adorable.
The odd group on the bill was two-person group, Lookbook (myspace). The band is basically guitarist Grant Cutler, who plays guitars and handles the pre-recordings, with vocalist Maggie Morrison. Their music sounds like 80s pop, not exactly the "body-moving" type of music that you'd think Har Mar's audience would demand. Not really much to say, except I think Maggie looks really cute and I will be talking about them in further detail on my "book"-theme news on Sunday.
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Har Mar Superstar ♥ Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (11/06/09) |
After the first song, he took off his hat. After "DUI", he took off the overall to reveal a Prince "Purple Rain" shirt. He kept taking off articles of clothing as the night went on. From "EZ Pass", to "Girls Only", to "Creative Juices"... the audience was loving it all.
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Har Mar and Melinda Park singing "Powerline"
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The very last song, Har Mar sang an a cappella version of Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday". He would pretend the song ended and everyone would clap... only he would continue to sing the refrain. After the third false ending and after he said "goodnight", he came back and sang some more.
Har Mar's latest album is Dark Touches, available from Dilettante Recordings. Read Andrew's review of the album, pick up a copy at amazon
11/07/2009 04:22:06 ♥ vu ()
♥
harmarsuperstar.com
♥ myspace.com/harmarsuperstar
♥ twitter.com
