Trevor Andrew (aka Trev Hollywood, Trza, and most appropriately, Trouble) has about as many nicknames as he does professions. Homegrown in Whistler, British Columbia, this professional snowboarder – a member of the Men's Burton Global Team who competed twice in the Olympics and designs exclusive boarder threads and gear – has most recently been rocking the stage with his latest project, Trouble Andrew.

For a high-school drop out who could’ve been getting himself into a lot of real trouble, he’s instead gone on to become one of the highest-ranked snowboarders – gracing covers of Future Snowboarding and Snowboarder Magazine as well as receiving sponsorship from the likes of Analog and Oakley. But, with a recent push, and some help from girlfriend and Brooklyn-based singer Santogold (who guests on the track "Bang Bang"), Trouble made his way into the music game last year, recording tracks in his apartment and playing gigs in Whistler, Joe's Pub and Avalon in the US, and across the sea in Paris and Tokyo.

PsychoPEDIA caught up with Trouble Andrew in the midst of his tour to find out more about the city where he learned his skills (which he still credits as his favorite spot to shred the slopes). Here, Trevor Andrew takes us for a spin around his hometown, Trouble-style:

You have so many nicknames. Do you have multiple sides to your personality?
I think so.

How would you describe your music?
Punk rock in the eighties, or southern hip-hop from the nineties. Crunk rock.

Would you say that sound or your style evolved out of skateboarding culture?
Yes, skateboarding taught me everything– music, snowboarding, fashion.

How would you describe the scene in Whistler?
Too many people. I remember when there was no real scene. I don’t really hang too much in the "scene." I go snowboarding then go home and make music. I really only go out to party for my shows.

Are snowboarders possessive of the slopes?
Everyone gets territorial, especially when your goldmine gets discovered by the world. It's hard to even get fresh trax even if you’re up at 6 am. But if you get it, it might be the best you ever had.

How is Whistler different from Aspen or Utah?
Think it’s getting pretty "cool" for the celeb types. The Village is a circus, so I don’t really go hang there. I live here for the mountains.

What are the most amazing slopes to hit up in Whistler?
Whistler backcountry by heli[copter] or snowmobile access.

The most dangerous, or the last place you’ve been seriously hurt?
In Kamloops B.C in January. I busted four ribs and tore my lower stomach and back muscles. I'm still feeling it.

Where would you go to kick back or get a relaxing massage after you’ve been boarding all day?
At Highlands Sport & Spine Physiotherapy [in Squamish] or Whistler Physiotherapy in Creekside.

What are your favorite spots to pick up gear or threads for snowboarding?
The Circle snowboard shop.

Where do the rowdiest Trouble-worthy parties happen?
When I do make it to the bar, Buffalo Bills or Garf's is usually my spot. We have had some rowdy ones.

What are the most reliable places snowboarders can pick up snowbunnies?
I think Aprés Ski. Go to the Amsterdam Café or Citta's Bistro for an after-shred drink and make a move before they jump into the night. Trouble shows are always good for it, too. We bring the sexy out of people.

The 2010 Winter Olympics are coming to Whistler. What kinds of crazy stuff do you think will go down when it hits?
It's already been crazy! They’ve been building so much up here! My house value went through the roof, so I ain’t complaining.

And where are all those people going to sleep?
I'm renting out my crib, so holla at'cher boy!

You’re darting a lot between NYC and Canada to work on music. What’s one thing you can’t get in NYC that you have to get at home?
Sleep.

Who or what else should we be on the lookout for coming out of Whistler?
Look out for my dude, Mikey Renze. He's one of the dopest shreds to come out of Whistler area in a while. We are gonna be riding together all season, filming for our parts in the new Burton movie.

How about upcoming projects?
The new Trouble Andrew album is coming early ‘08 plus The Trouble Mixtape. I'm working on the new 7 board graphic and shape for Burton and a signature line of threads with Analog. Look out for the Oakley signature Trouble glasses, and the Trouble world tour. Got a lot of ish poppin at the moment!

~Leann Peterson


*If there's no vacancy at Trevor Andrew's place, check out Whistler Accommodation for other lodging.

Second photo by Nick Morss via Flickr
Third photo by Jeff Curtes
Eighth photo by Nimeck via Flickr
Ninth photo by Tania Edwards

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During winter there are a number of things your body will cry out for (a cashmere onesie and an endless stream of hot toddies, for starters). Constant exposure to cold temperatures can be rough, especially doing damage to one’s skin. Feeling flaky? There literally couldn’t be a better time to sweat, exfoliate and repeat.

While they may not serve steaming hot alcohol (more like vodka shots followed by caviar), Manhattan’s Okeanos Club Spa Banya has got you covered. Just this past March New York Magazine named the spot – a favorite with Russian hockey players, ballet dancers and lawyers alike – as housing the city’s best coed sauna. And, if their Russian steam baths don’t pique your interest, perhaps their Platza treatments (rigorous massage involving birch branches) will. Eager for the inside scoop, psychoPEDIA sent writer Tracy Marx to the front lines (a.k.a.: 51st Street), to report back on the gem:

Legend has it that my great, great, great, great Russian Uncle Igor would down a shot of vodka then take a bite out of the glass. Could my wimpy Americanized self be half so tough? Doubtful, but I knew I could handle a spa treatment.

Entering Okeanos on an icy November day, its promise of steamy warmth was a dream come true. As the dashing Andre [the spa’s manager] explained that I would be receiving the traditional Russian treatment known as Platza, I anticipated being enveloped in a comforting fog of warm clouds, the aches and pains melting away like popsicles in front of a fireplace. But, as Andre described sauna temperatures, well above 100 degrees, and freezing cold shower temperatures, well below -- not to mention the bundles of birch leaves with which I would be thrashed -- I became uneasy. Could I take the heat? And if not, here below street level, would anyone hear my screams?

My fears were soon appeased by the lovely young Russian woman who showed me to the locker room – "I grew up with this," she assured me. "It's so good for you. You'll feel so good later." I looked at her dewy complexion and bright eyes. Alright, I'll have me some of that, I thought. After all, so far in my life I'd been waxed, tweezed, bleached, exfoliated, Rolfed, and corseted. Why not add steamed, baked, frozen, and lashed to the list?

In the entryway to the Banya [sauna], a pitcher of water with orange slices awaited. After a refreshing drink to prepare for the coming heat, I was ready to let the games begin.

It's important to mention that Okeanos is co-ed. As I shuttled myself back and forth from the moist sauna to the dry heat room, trying to decide which was more bearable, I glimpsed a male torso somewhere in the fog. Meanwhile, the Platza Master made his preparations, dunking bundled stalks in vats of water, and appeared to be raking hot coals in what looked like a pizza oven. In retrospect I believe it had something to do with heating the oil and leaves I would be smattered and smacked with. But, since he spoke only Russian, he couldn't explain. All I knew was that sizzling sounds seemed to follow him everywhere he went.

Soon, it was time. Like a tenderized lamb being led to slaughter, I followed the Master into the dry heat room. I was instructed to lie on my stomach. My head was swaddled in a cool, wet towel, and so began what I remember as a three-part cycle of oiling, thrashing, and drenching under a cold shower. It was not entirely unpleasant. But, by round three I took on the attitude of a survivor. I will get through this. There are people back home who need me.

At the very least, I emerged from the Banya with a feeling of accomplishment. Great, great, great, great Uncle Igor would be proud. Plus, I looked pretty good.

"You look great!" my freshly massaged friend Laura said as she joined me in the lounge. Anticipating that I would feel a bit lightheaded, which I did, the young Russian woman advised me to put my feet up and said, "I'd love to bring you a vodka." I'm not a drinker, but I complied. Laura and I were then brought a feast of Russian blini with caviar and jam. As Andre said, the philosophy of Okeanos is that every 1-hour treatment should last 3 hours. The Tsars had the right idea.


First photo by Miscelena via Flickr
Third photo by David Alee for New York Magazine
Fourth photo by Natasha Singer for The New York Times

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It’s common knowledge -- especially in cities -- that cute dogs beget cute girls. Single? Male? Looking for love? Get a puppy, and the odds are suddenly in your favor. But, then of course, there’s the exception to the rule. Specifically NYC-based Sprinkle Brigade, whose three male members, despite not owning dogs, have been landing girls’ digits thanks to some doggy doo-doo handiwork… literally. To put it simply, they turn dog poo into… well, decorated dog poo.

Call it what you wil l–- on their namesake blog they offer a top 10 list of options that include: “The Fabergé of Feces,” or “Take a chance on a kid” -- Sprinkle Brigade’s work has created quite a following. Now, nearly two years after its inception, there’s a T-shirt, gallery exhibit (their first in NYC opens tomorrow at the Riviera Gallery in Brooklyn) and book release for Sprinkle Brigade Vol: 1, NY State of Mind, which they’ll be signing at Thursday’s opening. But, what’s the motive behind the madness? While the three co-conspirators, who simply call themselves #1, #2 and #3, refuse to reveal much personal information-- save for the fact that their day jobs entail roofing, product designing and art history, respectively-- they were more than happy to talk about their ‘art.’ In #3’s own words:

On your website it says that you started this endeavor in part to meet girls. Has it worked?
Yeah. One of our higher profile pieces was Risotto Negro; it was shot on Houston and Thompson on a Sunday afternoon. Needless to say we had quite an audience. I got 3 digits that day.

Aside from the girls, what possessed you to do this in the first place?
The three of us have been creating art since we can remember, and this is our latest effort – the New York City Urban Beautification effort.

Where does your inspiration come from?
It's safe to say we're totally stealing from everyone and everything – from Doug Webb to Carrot Top. As far as prop selection goes, it’s too easy to comb dollhouse websites and the small-scale-figure section at the hobby store. We recognize the small action figure thing is a pitfall, so we’re mindful of it and try and keep the new pieces always evolving and fresh. Sometimes we’re out, having a couple bottles of beer and working up ideas on bar napkins; then we go search out how to finish them. It really just depends.

What was the response like at the gallery show in Lyon last year?
Europe loves us. The French are much more open to what we do. They are so grossed out by poo, but only stare at the problem, rather than give a solution. So they hug us and give us their first-born.

Have people actually purchased works?
Yes, we've sold several prints of our work in France, at the gallery show there. Also, a lot of people from all over Europe buy books and shirts from our website. I just shipped shirts to Germany, Australia and the Gabon Republic, last week. That's insane!

What do you call it? Street art?
Call it what you want. We think the most important aspect of our work is that it makes people laugh, and see something they’ve never seen before.

What is the most common reaction from passersby?
It varies. Much like a spooked horse people usually attempt to steal a peak without the desire to engage. But we have been asked a couple times: “What are you doing?” And we say, “We’re beautifying the city that we love.” You can imagine the surprise the onlooker gets when they see one or even three guys surrounding a poop and crafting it like Steven Meisel. You’re fairly sure you gave them a story for the dinner table that night.

How do you find your poo?
Our goal is to find areas that get the most viewing. Tompkins Square Park, West Side Highway and Chelsea are our franchise neighborhoods. But, for the most part we go all over the place – it’s like fishing, we may get skunked or we may come back with something suitable to mount over the fireplace, you just never know.

Did you know that there is currently a fake poo shortage? Do you ever experience a real-poo shortage?
Did not know about the shortage. It's really sad. Makes us wonder what the holiday parties are going to be like. Real poo, on the other hand, is never in jeopardy of extinction. People love dogs. And dogs poo. No one cleans it up. Thus, we are presented with a closed-loop model of sustainability.

~Alisa Gould-Simon

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Be it a birthday or New Year’s Eve, it seems at some point there is always someone planning a party in Manhattan. Most of the time, you want to host a gathering, but just don’t have the space (i.e. your 500-square-foot apartment won’t quite accommodate your guest list). So, you take recommendations from friends by the dozen, and exhaust every restaurant/club/bar listing your city-guide-of-choice has to offer. Then of course there’s the predicament of finding an intimate, cozy space that's as inviting as it is crowd-friendly.

As the endeavor can be daunting psychoPEDIA has taken it upon itself to narrow down the seemingly endless options. From the East Village to the Upper East Side, these six spots should fit the bill for any kind of festivity:

Tia Pol ($250 + $45-$90 Prix Fixe Per Person)
Where: Chelsea
What: In case you haven’t heard, tapas are all the rage. And this diminutive, authentically Spanish eatery was one of the first (recent scions include neighboring El Quinto Pino). The food here is Basque and includes crunchy, creamy croquettes (which change daily), lamb skewers, pyramids of batter-fried shark and endless varieties of cod. Everything is modestly priced and modestly sized – making them perfect for a party (no exorbitant bill, and no unforeseen food comas).
Why: Rent the private back room, which can accommodate up to 25 people ($250/2.5 hours) for an intimate office party, birthday or celebration of any kind. For $45-$65, 10-15 of your guests can enjoy a comfortable, seated dinner. Expecting a few more? Opt for the standing cocktail service ($45-$90), which can accommodate up to 25 guests, and includes a selection of Tia Pol’s tapas plates, as well as beer, wine or sangria.

New York City Fire Museum ($3,300/8 hours or $412.50 per hour)
Where: Soho
What: If you’re looking for a venue that is especially unique, be sure to check out the NYC Fire Museum. This renovated, turn-of-the-century firehouse is located on the West side – Spring Street and Hudson to be exact. The third-floor rental loft is over 3,000 square feet and boasts hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and soaring 13-foot-high ceilings.
Why: Unlike most venues, you are permitted to bring your own catering and beverages (one great way to save money). The rental fee includes basic tables and chairs, as well as a security officer. After 5:00pm the entire museum is available to you and your guests. And, the icing on the cake: all proceeds from your party will go to the NY Fire Department.

Winnie’s ($35/person/hour for open bar, including karaoke)
Where: Chinatown
What: This dive of a Karaoke joint is a favorite of artists and fashion alum alike. Rock music (at a recent after-party for artist Gardar Eide Einarsson there was plenty of Rolling Stones) and booze abound. It’s the perfect makings for a late, intimate night with your closest friends – that is, up to 70 of them. The staff will also make you feel at home, offering you the house’s famous “Hawaiian Punch” – a lethal concoction served in shot form. Just beware of the locals who may Bogart the microphone with ballads and Mandarin pop songs; thus, the more partygoers, the better.
Why: Karaoke proves the perfect party accoutrement. Either your guests love to sing, or they’ll love to watch others make spectacles of themselves. Besides, nothing mixes as well as an open bar and a karaoke machine (complete with a golden microphone to boot).
104 Bayard Street, NYC, (212) 732-2384

Soho House ($150+)
Where: Meatpacking District
What: Established across the pond, the Soho House was imported to NYC in 2003. Tasteful, but not as snobbish as one might think, don’t assume the private club is pretentious just because it’s exclusive. The décor is eclectic, yet refined – a smart mix of raw architectural elements and Eames-era furnishings.
Why: A great choice for an impressive client soiree, wedding reception or blowout birthday party. The club offers four rooms for private hire, which include the Library, White Room, Screening Room and Private Dining Room. The Library is the most impressive room available at the Soho House – it’s a cozy faux study that is suitable for cocktails, business presentations, exhibitions or sit-down dinners. Rent it for $500/half-day, $1,000/day and $1,500/evening. The White Room is a small modern cocktail room suitable for intimate gatherings for up to 45 guests. Rent it for $350/half-day, $700/day and $1,000/evening. The Screening Room would be ideal for a directorial debut, or a high-end kid’s birthday. Rent it for $200/hr. The Private Dining Room is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a maximum of 12 people. Rent it for $500/day or $150 a person for dinner. The Soho House may be costly, but they are straightforward about all expenses. They also provide several menus and drink packages.
**The catch: it’s a members-only club, so you’ll either need to be a member (Annual Fee: $1,400, Registration Fee: $200), or just book the event under the name of a Soho House-card-carrying friend who’ll be attending.

Eat Drink & Be Merry ($1,000-$3,500, open bar $35-$40 per person)
Where: Uptown
What: Sick of having all the party planning responsibilities fall on your shoulders? Eat Drink & Be Merry is a party planning service that’ll take the load off. They can help you organize anything from a Bat Mitzvah to a New Year’s Celebration.
Why: They offer super cozy locations like Jake’s Dilemma, The Gin Mill and Off the Wagon, as well as theme rooms like the Havana Room and the Speakeasy Room that are ideal for any winter affair. Most of their locations have two rental time slots (7:00pm-10:00pm and 10:30-1:30am). There is no fee for their services or a room charge for the location, you’re just required to spend a minimum on food and beverages (subject to change depending on venue, time and date).

Office Party ($400 per party)
Where: East Village
What: From the guys at Grand Opening, who brought you PONG and Manhattan’s first and only Drive In movie theatre, DRV-IN, comes Office Party, open December 3rd through December 21st. Housed in a former East Village social club, the space boasts all the office aspects one might formerly have chosen to avoid after-hours – namely boxy beige computers, cubicles, a PowerPoint projection system, and plenty of cut-rate decorations.
Why: A quirky, incredibly charming alternative to traditional restaurant or bar du jour office parties, this venue will fuel water cooler gossip for weeks. Looking for offbeat party favors? Office Party has you covered with motivational speakers, a tuba quartet and mystery gifts for rent (or, in the case of the latter, for purchase). Don’t have a big enough office? Pool your friends together and throw a themed party or an unforgettably bizarre birthday party. It’s guaranteed to be a night you won’t forget.
**Reserve now as space is limited (max capacity is 30 people).

~Joanna Kunze

First photo by Jae Jong Kwok via Flickr
Fourth photo by Quoo via Flickr

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The writer’s strike continues. And, unless you’re content watching Ellen play the name game, prime-time television pickings are looking pretty slim. But, while Letterman and the like rely on re-runs, original comedy and drama series are garnering attention thanks to an entirely different sort of platform – the Web.

Online entertainment is growing at unprecedented speed. From Oprah hitting YouTube, to MySpace launching its own online television network (simply named MySpaceTV), there’s plenty in the digital world to choose from. Navigating this labyrinth, however, can be significantly more difficult than scanning Time Warner cable, or programming your TiVo. So, whether you’re a seasoned web-series watcher, or can’t imagine seeing your favorite sitcom solely via a dot-com, here are a few reasons to tune in online. From newbie webseries that shouldn’t be missed, to a few that are well worth revisiting, here are psychoPEDIA’s favorite forms of online television:

Quarterlife
If the names Angela Chase or Jordan Catalano mean anything to you, then you won’t want to miss this new series, which debuted on MySpaceTV’s site less than two weeks ago. From Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick (creators of both My So-Called Life and Thirtysomething) comes a coming-of-age story that follows twenty-something creatives as they navigate uncharted terrain with regard to jobs, relationships, and life in general. One-of-a-kind in terms of quality (it’s the first film-quality series to hit the web), it is bound to be highly addictive.

Roommates
“When college ends, the real party begins,” or so the slogan behind this MySpaceTV original series reads. Think The Hills (minus the designer clothing and plastic surgery) meets The Real World. Except here it’s four females living in a house together in Los Angeles. While the premise may leave something to be desired, considering Roommates currently accounts for the most plays of any MySpaceTV series (well over 4 million), it’s nothing to scoff at. Trash TV 2.0, this online series is now available complete with character-specific MySpace profiles and vlogs.

Afterworld
Imagine if tomorrow the entire world experienced the loss of technology and the disappearance of 99% of its population, and you’ll have a glimpse of the world that is Afterworld. One of the first web-based shows to hit YouTube, this animated sci-fi series has since been picked up for syndication by MySpace. With its $3 million budget, it’s the most expensive to have run on the social-networking site. Written and produced by Brent V. Friedman (veteran producer of various horror/sci-fi feature film thrillers), the series follows Russell Shoemaker from NYC as he travels across a post-apocalyptic America in hopes of returning to his family in Seattle.

Clark and Michael
This CBS mockumentary series, which premiered earlier this year, follows Clark Duke and Michael Cera (of Arrested Development and Superbad fame) as they attempt to sell an idea for a film in Hollywood. Despite being a low-budget affair, it lacks nothing by way of talent or laughs. Guest stars include David Cross, Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz and Jonah Hill. It’s perfect for keeping your Cera cravings satiated until the much-anticipated Juno comes out December 14th.

Prom Queen
From former Disney CEO Michael Eisner comes Prom Queen – a high school drama that promises: “love, betrayal, sex, gossip, deception -- [all] before third period.” What debuted early in 2007 soon became a 15-long episode spin off series – Prom Queen: Summer Heat. While it’s unknown whether or not new episodes are in the works, the back-log of 90-second-long episodes are well worth visiting. Viewed by over 15 million people during its original run, the show was recently picked up for international distribution (specifically translations into French and Japanese).

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Believe it or not, Long Island has been home to a handful of hip-hop’s heavyweights. From the quick-fire Busta Rhymes to the soulful Rakim and comical Flavor Flav, Long Island can also lay claim to being the original stomping grounds of the lightweight ladies of Northern State. Comprised of three feisty feminists– Hesta Prynn, Sprout, and Spero– who spit clever and socially-conscious rhymes like “The country’s getting ugly and there’s more in store, but don’t blame me ‘cuz I voted for Gore,” Northern State is truly one-of-a-kind. Its members, all educated at liberal-arts colleges (via Vassar, Oberlin, and NYU), blend their witty lyrics over rock-infused beats mixed with throwbacks to a classic hip-hop sound.

Previously signed to major record label Columbia, Northern State chose to keep it small this time around with their recently released fourth and newest album Can I Keep This Pen? on indie label Ipecac. To find out more about why the ladies keep it real and where they picked up their unique style, psychoPEDIA tracked down the trio themselves. And for a group named after the Island’s Northern State Parkway, who better to show us around the block than Long Island's own Spero:

Can you spit a quick rhyme to sum up Long Island?
How about a haiku instead– Oh long island I/ have been gone so long but I/ still miss the pizza.

In a song from your new album, you reference someone in a "sweatsuit dripping with diamonds" being like a "mom from Long Island." Was that your environment?
That line sums up some aspects of our upbringing, but my mom never wore diamonds or sweatsuits. I think what Hesta Prynn was getting at is how funny it is that rappers and moms from Long Island dress in identical uniforms. What's up with that?

You’re in good company in LI– with Public Enemy and De La Soul– to mention a few homegrown hip-hoppers. Did these groups inspire you?
Both of them are huge influences on us. We have actually struck up a friendship with Chuck D [of Public Enemy] in the last few years. He wrote some very complimentary things about us in his column in Elemental Magazine, and we got in touch with them after that. He’s been so supportive of us, and he's all about women being the future of hip-hop.

Are there any other creative characters coming up out of LI that you respect?
I kinda live under a rock, but Hesta Prynn said to mention the band Bayside!

What's your favorite thing to make fun of from LI?
Sprout and I went to bartending school in Huntington, and we had a particular bartending teacher that we still quote and make fun of to this day. She told us that when we work the bar, we need to look hot but not slutty, because there is a difference. Then she offered up the example of 'a cat suit, but with a blazer, cuz its hot but not slutty.' Got it?

Where was the late night hang-out spot for you guys in high school?
Dix Hills Diner. What!

Do much partying in the Hamptons or Fire Island?
We are NYC girls for the past ten years, and we don’t take much time off or vacations. But if we did, I doubt we'd go to the Hamptons. We’ve spent a lot of time in Vermont, Northampton and Virginia Beach– that's more our scene. But I did spend a week or so on Fire Island the summer before I went into high school. We hung out with some boys who smoked pot and I could not believe that people actually did that. I thought it was something you just saw on after school specials…

People flock to LI on the weekends just to get away from the city. What’s the best place to kick back and relax?
Sprout's parents' pool!

Long Island has lots of vineyards and wineries. Which are the best to go and booze up?
I so wish I knew. But I can assure you that the ladies of Northern State do enjoy a glass of wine.

What’s the place that serves it up closest to your mom's home cooking, or your fave spots to chow down?
La Scala in Commack in a shopping center. I used to go there with my family as a kid. When I became friends with Sprout and Hesta Prynn, I found out they were also really into it, because it's close to their neighborhood. My family had to travel for it, but it was worth it– reasonably priced, delicious Italian food and pizza.

Any other not-to-be-missed grub?
The best sushi ever is at Kurofune in Commack. Mims in Syosset, Nicky's Clam Bar in Bayshore, and Jolly Fisherman in Roslyn are good, too.

Long Island's no Salem, but it is where a handful of witch hunts happened. Think there are still witches in the area?
Not sure about witches, but there are DEFINITELY some bitches.

No witches? Then, are there any spots in LI that you think are haunted?
My dad used to live very close to the Amityville Horror House, and he was a reporter for NBC, the Long Island correspondent, when I was growing up. He thought it was all a scam, but it still scared the you-know-what out of me!

Say when you're 40/50 and you stop touring and recording, how would you feel about settling down as LI housewives?
I don’t think we necessarily have to stop just because we are 40 or 50. There are some great bands still doing it at that age. Who knows what we'll be doing by then, but I'm pretty sure that the LI life is not for me. If I ever get out of NYC, I would like to land somewhere more rural. But that’s just me.

Now that you're all out spread out in NYC’s boroughs now, what’s the thing you miss most about the ‘burbs?
Sprout's parents' pool!!

-Leann Peterson


Go There:
Dix Hills Diner, 1800 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington. (631) 499-5899
La Scala, 34 Vanderbilt Motor Pkwy, Commack. (631) 499-6049
Kurofune, 77 Commack Rd, Commack. (631) 499-1075
Amityville Horror House, 112 Ocean Drive, Amityville.

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In an attempt to tighten its already-taut grip over the vodka-buying American public, Swedish brand Absolut (which currently accounts for 40% of all US vodka sales) has released yet another variety of its well-known liquor. This time it’s luxury vodka aimed at those with a penchant for something classier… and more potent. Specifically, it’s of the 100-proof variety (hence its moniker: Absolut 100) and has been marketed as the perfect accessory to a 1920s-speakeasy-themed cocktail party.

Judging by Absolut’s product placement in 50 Cent's video for "Ayo Technology," and a recent promotional blowout bash in Manhattan, the company’s marketing team is hard at work. But, will all their efforts amount to anything? psychoPEDIA supplanted a smooth black bottle of the vodka in question into the hands of Ilirjana Alushaj, who not only hails from a vodka-drinking nation (the former Yugoslavia) but is also prime fodder for marketers – a hip, forward-thinking twenty-something living in Williamsburg – to find out.

After stints in Serbia, Montenegro and Australia, Alushaj made her way to NYC. She soon co-founded the online zine, The Pop Manifesto, with pal Karl Maier, formed (and fronts) the dark and brooding Apache Beat, and has since lent her vocal skills to the likes of The Rapture and The Filthy Dukes. She's also no stranger to marketing (i.e. she’s been paid by companies to use their products around her friends in order to spark word-of-mouth advertising). So, she set up shop with a few of her friends: Cameron Cook, Editor-in-Chief of Sup Magazine and Blair Carswell, DJ and face behind the blog Music For Robots. Here, after an Absolut 100-fueled weekend of shows, debauchery and illness, Alushaj gives us the full report:

So how was your weekend with Absolut 100?
Lame, I got ill. Not the vodka’s fault though, just New York weather.

Do you drink vodka often?
Yes I do. My Slavic background means I have to by default.

What about during shows?
Not really. Well, at least no more than a few before we play. I have a fear of falling off stage or something equally embarrassing.

What is your favorite alcoholic beverage?
My favorite drinks are whisky and coke as well as vodka and cranberry. Those are in my book as default good drinks.

What is your tolerance like? Is it higher than your friends thanks to your Slavic background?
I have a high tolerance. It used to be higher, but I didn't drink for ages, and sadly it is not as impressive as it once was. I am working on it though.

So, what were your friends’ impressions of the Absolut 100? Did they like the packaging?
Yeah they were pretty impressed; they thought I’d spent a load of money on them. So, I guess that means it looks expensive.

How did they like the taste, did anyone try it with a mixer?
Cameron had it with cranberry juice.

Sounds very seasonal…
Yeah, they actually thought it was smoother than the regular version, exactly like it says on the bottle. Blair preferred his straight and actually noticed the bottle from the 50 Cent video.

So you’ve seen the music video and promotional video?
Yeah. The music video was cool, but I've seen better from both 50 Cent and Timberlake. The Absolut 100 promo was ok; they used word associations, which was kinda funny. Do people still use the word 'fierce'?

Would you ever sell a song for an advertising campaign or let them place a product in one of your videos?
Never sell, but we would let them use one. I mean if it isn't a bad product, I don't see why not, right? Product placement is a harder one though. Not sure if we would be totally into that. And, when I think about it, what type of product would want to be in our video?

Do you think they did the right thing with placing Absolut 100 in 50’s video?
That will help if they want to get the 50 Cent crowd. The design would help too, making it look sleek and giving the appearance of it being more expensive and exclusive to the Cristal-drinking audience.

Absolut 100 is being promoted as having a roaring-'20s twist. Are you getting this from the drink? The bottle?
No. Yes. No.

Were you a big Bugsy Malone fan as a kid?
Who?

You’ve never seen Bugsy Malone?
No. I didn’t speak English until I was 5. I had better things to do than watch rubbish-named movies.

Do you think it's going to set a new generation of kids doing the Charleston all the way to their nearest cocktail bar?
In a word: no.

~Kevin Soar


First photo by Justin Lin

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When Thanksgiving and the ensuing holiday season roll around each year, it usually translates to an overdose of talkative family and the consumption of comatose-inducing amounts of food. However, at the same time we're coming together to stuff our faces and give thanks for everything we have, why not also stop to consider less fortunate families and individuals?

With approximately 3.5 million homeless currently living in the US – about 40,000 of those in New York City alone (second only to Los Angeles’ 80,000) – there are luckily countless local organizations fighting hunger and providing food and assistance for the under-privileged during the holidays and all throughout the year. So, whether you choose to donate your funds or your time, psychoPEDIA has gathered a list of food banks and hunger-relief centers in every borough of the city that make giving back this Thanksgiving easy as pie:

Neighbors Together
Based in Brooklyn, this community center serves around 300 people daily with emergency hunger relief. Focusing on one of the most poverty-stricken areas of Brooklyn – Ocean Hill/Brownsville/Bedford-Stuyvesant – Neighbors Together not only provides nutritious meals for lunch and dinner in their daily soup kitchen, but also individual counseling for those with insufficient health care, drug addictions, and unemployment, all towards the eventual goal of self-sufficiency. While those looking to volunteer time are welcome to contact Executive Director Ed Fowler (edfowler@neighborstogether.org), financial donations are key to helping this six-day-a-week operation provide hot meals to the hungry.

Part of the Solution
Responding to a number of hunger-related issues, Part of the Solution (POTS) offers a variety of programs that aid those in all stages of poverty re-stabilitation. This Bronx-based soup kitchen’s main program, however, is a diner-style experience called The Community Dining Room, where families and strangers can eat together and participate in friendly conversation. In addition to the approximate 280 meals per day served on site, POTS also provides a Pantry Service of food to 450 families each month. So with a myriad of volunteer positions from “Maitre D,” to “Plate Runner,” to “Juicer”– all essential to POTS’ daily operation– you can have some fun while you give something back.

Project Hospitality
Providing extensive services in the Staten Island area to people in need of a meal, clothing, and shelter, Project Hospitality is an interfaith organization that also offers special programs – including everything from education, treatment, counseling and transportation – to those with HIV/AIDS. With upcoming events including a Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Cargo Café (11/22) and the World AIDS Day Interfaith Observance (11/29), and day-to-day services all made possible through the contributions of others, Project Hospitality welcomes everything from canned food, furniture, and holiday supply donations, as well as volunteers of all ages in areas from the soup kitchen to tutoring and event planning.

Yorkville Common Pantry
Founded in 1981 and sponsored by an array of local multi-denominational churches and synagogues, the YCP has been serving the Upper East Side/East Harlem area to become one of the city’s largest providers of meal assistance. Supplying over a million meals per year to the hungry, the YCP also is home to the city’s only emergency food pantry (open 24 hours, 7 days a week). Other on-site services include health care, laundry and shower facilities, and psychiatric assessments. Accepting volunteers everyday for their Pantry Program, Project Dignity, and office administration, people can also serve in the three-day MLK Serve-a-Thon events in January ’08, held at the YCP to raise awareness for all soup kitchens citywide.

St. John's Bread and Life
Serving breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday in their main soup kitchen, Bread and Life primarily aims to fight hunger in the Brooklyn and Queens areas. However, thanks to unique mobile soup kitchens, B&L can travel (by way of an RV with built-in kitchen and office spaces) from areas like Jackson Heights to Williamsburg and Coney Island, bringing hot meals and social services to those who cannot easily reach the center. B&L’s initiative to support nutritional options and locally grown agriculture allows them to provide fresh and healthy produce to guests at the center. With the help of over 1,500 volunteers B&L served over 300,000 meals last year; thus, the organization thrives on assistance in all departments. All interested volunteers have to do is complete a brief and easy online sign-up form.

West Side Campaign Against Hunger
Working in cooperation with families and individuals that come for sustenance at the WSCAH, this Upper West Side-based food pantry functions supermarket-style to assist those in need while concurrently promoting self-reliance. Guests who come once a month for three-day supplies of food can shop just as they would at a grocery store, and choose from a healthy array of foods appropriate for their families and specific needs. Furthermore, functioning with a take-and-give-back mentality, the customers of the WSCAH often also act as volunteers of the store, creating a positive and effective mode of hunger prevention. Those looking to volunteer can contact Rainier Munoz (rmunoz@wscah.org), and for those wanting to make monetary donations, the WSCAH also has a simple PayPal account through which one can offer support.

Virgin Mobile Re-Generation Campaign
While providing food and services to those in need during the holiday season and throughout the year is crucial, raising awareness of homelessness is also critical to eliminating the problem. Particularly important is recognizing that out of the millions of homeless currently in the US, one million are children. For the month of November, Homeless Youth Awareness Month, Virgin Mobile created the Re-Generation Campaign – an online petition aiming for one million signatures to represent the one million children homeless right now. With NYC’s own Children’s Health Fund, a member of the Re-Generation campaign, those looking to help can not only sign the petition but donate funding to help provide much needed pediatric medical and mental health care to homeless and underserved youth throughout the city.

-Leann Peterson


*Interesting in helping right away or need other options?
Food Bank for New York City's offers more information on how to help and to locate a soup kitchen near you.
Citymeals-on-Wheels needs volunteers for the holiday to deliver meals to homebound and immobile elderly.
New York Founding supports abandoned children and preserving families and communities, and welcomes mentor and day-care staff volunteers.

First photo by Sgoralnick via Flickr
Fourth photo by BJ Ashton

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Anyone Manhattan or outer-borough bound these last few weeks has had to adjust to the cold. Temperatures dropped seemingly out of the blue, leaving everyone looking for an out. Be it a beach vacation, or a ski trip filled with raging fires and hot toddies, an escape from the city has never been so tempting.

But, what if you can’t leave NYC? There are still plenty of hidden gems where one can find relief from the cold. Here, psychoPEDIA has selected five standout spots that’ll keep you warm and simultaneously satiated, smooth-skinned and entertained all winter long:

Brandy Library – Brandy
Stocked with a number of rare spirits (including a Pierre Ferrand cognac 1914 and a Springbank 1969 single malt), not to mention a menu of 100 signature and classic cocktails, a visit to the Brandy Library is definitely one way to warm up this winter. While a variety of savory dishes are available, booze is by far the first concern at this Tribeca establishment. In addition to the wide selection of bourbons, brandies and scotches, the library’s warm lighting, wood paneling and buttery leather chairs will help you get cozy as you listen to jazz and sip on a your 70-year-old beverage of choice.

In Spa World – Sauna
While this $20-million Korean spa caused quite a bit of commotion with local College Point, Queens residents when plans for its sprawling 60,000-square-foot, five-floor facilities were first announced, visitors have done anything but complain. For merely a $30 entrance fee (in addition to free valet service for those who don't arrive via the F train), visitors gain access to the brand new, immaculately clean spa. Amenities include a variety of pools and baths – a hot tub, three warm tubs, a cool tub, cold plunge and an outdoor Hinoki bath. But the real standout attraction are the specialty saunas, which range from gold to salt, and jade to Infrared for starters. In addition to the obvious hot sauna and body scrub treatments (the best medicine for fighting winter blues), this spa offers the perfect hideaway. You could easily spend an entire day wandering between different pools and treatments, not to mention snacking at one of In Spa’s handful or restaurants or indoor aqua bar.

Keen's Steakhouse – Fireplace
This midtown chophouse, which dates back to 1885, has been serving up (a meat-eater's idea of) paradise on a plate for quite some time. But, Keen's signature mutton chop isn’t the only thing that’ll attract patrons during upcoming winter months -– their working fireplace is an unbeatable draw in and of itself. So, indulge in the authentic antique décor and unparalleled quality cuts of meat while you warm your feet by the fire. Looking for something slightly more upscale? Check out One If By Land (opened in 1972 and housed in a two-story, brick 18th-century West Village carriage house). Long voted one of NY’s best date spots, this cozy restaurant boasts four working fireplaces with which one can warm up. To boot, there’s often live piano music pouring from the restaurant’s baby grand. Should you prefer not to fork over $75 or more for the nightly dinner prix fixe, try the $20-a-head brunch (which comes with a complementary cocktail and breakfast basket).

The City Bakery – Hot Chocolate
This tried-and-true Flatiron staple has long been a favorite with the fashion and media crowd. But, during especially cold NYC days, it is a must-stop spot… specifically, for a cup of hot chocolate. Served up piping hot with a melt-in-your-mouth, hefty-sized marshmallow floating in the middle, City Bakery’s hot chocolate can’t be beat. Looking for something a little less traditional? Pay the restaurant a visit come February, when the beloved hot chocolate is offered in a variety of oddball flavors. For those looking for a hot chocolate fix downtown, we also recommend MarieBelle’s Cacao Bar, where hot chocolate comes two ways: European (blended with water) and American (with milk).

Mason Dixon – Bull-riding
For just $10 you can hop atop this Lower East Side restaurant’s mechanical bull and raise both your heart rate and your body temperature. That, and, potentially embarrass yourself amongst a crowd of strangers as they cheer, heckle, and chow down on chef Andrew Robertson’s self-proclaimed “genuine Southern” cuisine. The fourth installment from LES-nightlife impresarios Rob and Will Shamlian (who founded Darkroom, before relinquishing ownership and opening Spitzer’s and Fat Baby), the 1,500-square-foot-plus, wood-lined restaurant offers the perfect escape from the cold. Just be sure to get there before midnight, as that’s when the price jumps to $20 a ride. (If you’re uptown, check out Johnny Utah’s instead, a Southern-style restaurant that boasts Manhattan’s first mechanical bull and plenty of the same appeal but with arguably a less-obnoxious crowd.)
133 Essex Street, (212) 260-4100


First photo by Wireful via Flickr
Sixth photo by Weapong via Flickr
Seventh photo by Dextor via Flickr

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For any young band, being handpicked by a music behemoth like Justice (the Ed Banger backed Parisian duo who wrapped the music industry around their little pinky this year and reminded everyone to dance) to be the opening act on their stateside tour is like winning the lottery. This fall, without ever having released an album outside their native Australia, Midnight Juggernauts, a Melbourne-based electro trio fresh off the release of their debut LP Dystopia, did just that.

Over the last few months, Midnight Juggernauts have begun their ascent from obscurity to ubiquity, garnering critical acclaim and a sizeable cult following thanks to singles inspired by outer space (not to mention remixes for the likes of !!! and The Presets). PsychoPEDIA caught up with the band’s lead singer and former filmmaker, Vin Vendetta (who now directs all the band’s videos), after a gig in London to get his take on their ideal opening act, how to get backstage, and what he’d buy with a million bucks:

What is Midnight Juggernauts' idea of dystopia?
Being stuck in a plane with nothing to watch but Miss Congeniality. It happened once.

Explain your fascination with outer space?
We just like that mystery. It's a big black unknown out there, which is fun to explore. And visually it just looks good printed on posters and coffee cups.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from touring with Justice?
If you don't speak French and members of their French crew start speaking to you in their language, don't respond with "Parlez-Vous Français?" because "Do you speak French?" just creates confusion.

If Midnight Juggernauts were headlining their own international tour who would be the opening act?
Maybe Kate Bush. Not that she'd do it. Though, afterwards, we could do some songs together. Maybe write some future classics.

How do American girls compare to Australian girls?
They're equally good.

What’s the funniest/weirdest thing a girl has ever done to get your attention, or to try to get backstage?
The most common technique is for someone to approach you saying they're doing a review of the show. It works until someone else approaches with the same line from the same magazine.

Best experience on tour thus far?
We've had a few. Visiting the Badlands in South Dakota, where it felt like we were traversing the surface of Mars, was pretty amazing. Though, really, being able to play every night to thousands of people who'd never seen you before was just as good. It was a great introduction for us being able to tour the U.S. with a band like Justice. Otherwise I doubt we would have been able to play to 6,000 on our first visit to New York.

Worst tour experience thus far?
Any of those flights where you check in with some disgruntled employee who charges you $1000 in excess baggage fees. Always try checking in with the friendliest-looking person at the front desk.

What would you buy with your first million?
Our own helicopter. It would be a lot more fun choppering in from show to show. Or maybe some sort of mobile recording studio, like in a plane or hovercraft.

Who would play a better bass guitar: Jesus or Satan?
I think they would both be outshined by that Indian deity with the multiple arms. Forgotten the name. Otherwise let's just say an octopus.

Biggest influence on the band?
Smooth easy-listening radio. Plus vodka and cheeseburgers. Many others...

What would Midnight Juggernauts' epitaph say?
"Cave cibum, valde malus est." Roughly meaning: "Beware the food. It is very bad."

What's the best thing about blowing up?
Free gifts. We accept anything. Records, alcohol, shoes, jeans, video games, home entertainment packages, etc.

If you could direct a music video for anyone, who would it be and what would it look like?
I would love to make a new video for The Carpenters, for a track like "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft." The original is pretty classic. But we're here to make future classics.

~Alisa Gould-Simon

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It’s no secret that New Jersey catches its fair share of slack. Be it from bratty Manhattanites or snarky New Englanders, it’s often stereotyped as a sub-par state with a mafia-fed underbelly. However, one thing New Jersey could never be knocked for is a rock 'n' roll deficiency.

From E Street rocker Bruce Springsteen, to punk priestess Patti Smith, New Jersey has produced countless acts that have gone on to take the music industry by storm. It’s latest offspring: Nicole Atkins, a Jersey Shore native whose heavily-lauded debut album, Neptune City, is named after her Garden State birthplace. Already the star of her own American Express commercial, the 27-year-old is well on her way to joining the ranks of Jersey’s great rockers. Here, she treats psychoPEDIA to a tour of her Neptune City (and Asbury Park) stomping grounds – expect Springsteen psychopaths, the world’s best pizza, and where to find the Boss himself.

Tell me about Neptune City.
I grew up in Neptune City and currently live in Asbury Park. All of the towns in our area are like five miles long. In the summertime it’s really lively; it’s a beach town. But when the tourists leave, it’s deserted. It’s kind of retro, very blue-collar, everything looks like it’s straight from the '70s.

What’s the best thing about living in Neptune City?
You can walk five blocks to the beach, have the best pizza in the world and get to New York or Philly in under an hour. It’s not a bunch of chains and strip malls; there are family-run shops and restaurants, good music venues.

And the worst thing?
Probably the Jersey asshole attitude.

How do you combat it?
Cultivate your own Jersey attitude.

So you have one?
Yeah. It only comes out when it needs to. We call it ‘going Neptune on you.’

So where’s the ‘best pizza in the world’?
Pete and Elda's. It’s this cracker-thin pizza. If you eat an extra, extra large by yourself you get a T-shirt with a fat guy on it.

Have you eaten one?
Once. I was in the bathroom the whole night [laughs].

What about the best places to see live music?
We have the Stone Pony, which is legendary for spawning acts like Patti Smith, Ronnie Spector, Bruce Springsteen. And the best one: Asbury Lanes. It’s a retro bowling alley from the '60s; in the middle of the lanes there’s a stage that bands play on. You can drink $2 Pabst, and they have a really good sushi bar inside. It’s like the most bad-ass place ever. It’s always packed with artists, DJs and musicians.

Any up-and-coming local bands of note?
There’s The Parlor Mob, they have a record coming out on Road Runner Records. It’s the most bad-ass shit ever. Sikamor Rooney – super bratty glam rock. And the best acoustic player is Scott Liss.

Any great date spots?
Market in the Middle, they change their menu nightly. All their produce is locally grown, and their meat is free range and organic. The place is set up with local paintings and they’ll have jazz bands play. The woman that owns it does a newsletter every week with events going on in the neighborhood and local charities to get involved with. That’s a great date place. Also, if you want a good Italian date place, in Bradley Beach there’s Giamano's. They use all local and organic vegetables, and have lots of vegetarian selections. Upstairs there’s a cigar bar and a lounge; if you’re going to impress someone, go there.

What about nightlife?
Brickwall Tavern – that’s just pretty much the drunk bar. It’s like our cheers. They have amazing organic wines and beers on tap. Georgie's at the Tracks is a gay bar, but everybody goes there Friday and Saturday night for karaoke. There are tons of transvestites singing show tunes. We go there, get shit-faced and sing.

What’s your signature show tune?
“Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Whores. Oh, and there’s a great gay bar called Paradise. It’s one of the only places you can go dancing to '80s songs. It’s a very mixed crowd. Back when all of the race riots happened in the '60s and '70s the town pretty much bottomed out. Then in the '90s a bunch of people from the gay community put a lot of money into building the town back up. It’s a mixed town but very supportive.

What about breakfast spots for the morning after?
For a weekday there is this little restaurant called the Cracker Barrel, which is not part of the chain. They have the best breakfast sandwich – pork roll, egg and cheese with ketchup. It’s a New Jersey staple. And, the Chat and Nibble is great for weekend brunch; the owner cusses at people. It’s karaoke brunch and bring-your-own-booze.

Best off-the-beaten-path shopping:
Allan and Suzi is this amazing vintage couture shop. They have another one on Amsterdam and 80th [in NYC]. You can go there and get a vintage Chanel dress for pennies; they have girls and guys clothes on consignment, things from young designers, and jewelry from the '30s and '40s.

Best people-watching?
Paradise on the weekends… the Stone Pony is also funny for all the Bruce Springsteen psychopaths who come with their mullets.

Where should people stay should they want to see Neptune City for themselves?
My favorite hotel is the Berkeley Carteret. Johnny Cash owned a room in it for decades. It’s super '70s and all of the views look out onto the ocean. There’s a Johnny Cash suite. It’s really inexpensive too.

Neptune City’s best-kept secret:
Me [laughs]. No, I’m kidding. America's Cup, which has hands-down the best coffee I’ve ever had. And Bilow's Wines & Liquors – a bar in a liquor store. It’s a serious old-man bar. My friends and I go there; they have 2 for 1 burgers, 2 for 1 pizza. And Bruce Springsteen goes to the local bar where my friends work… I probably shouldn’t tell you which one; let’s just say it’s a bar in Red Bank. You can throw down with so many heroes and go undiscovered doing it.

~Alisa Gould-Simon


Go There:
Chat & Nibble, 932 Asbury Ave, Abury Park NJ, (732) 775-5100
America's Cup, 633 Cookman Ave, Asbury Park NJ, (732) 988-2000
Bilow Wines & Liquors, 310 Sylvania Ave, Neptune NJ, (732) 776-7466
Berkeley Carteret, 1401 Ocean Ave, Asbury NJ

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NYC is a gourmand’s paradise. But, while press-worthy restaurants open seemingly every week, there’s one particular Soho spot that has been on countless foodies' minds: Bun (pronounced Boon), the latest culinary endeavor from chef Michael “Bao” Huynh (formerly of Bao 111 and Bao Noodles). Thanks to funding from former Missing Persons and Duran Duran member, Warren Cuccurullo, a $12-and-under menu of Vietnamese dishes crafted with the help of his wife, Thao Nguyen (not to mention a kitchen that doesn’t close until 2am), Huynh has peaked many a palette’s interest.

For fledgling fashion designer (and burgeoning foodie) Thuy Diep – who was raised in Southern Vietnam by her two tailoring parents until age 6, and, whose studio/showroom is just a quick walk from Bao’s new outpost – a dinner at Bun provided a perfect break in her non-stop schedule. Now in its third season, Diep’s namesake line, Thuy, which sells at upscale retailers like Takashimaya, have gotten a warm welcome from the fashion industry and keeping the designer, who honed her skills at the likes of United Bamboo and a NY-based Atelier, extremely busy. But, on a recent night, Diep took the time to sit down with psychoPEDIA to taste Bao’s latest creations, talk shop, and explain why one should always judge a Vietnamese restaurant by its fish sauce. In her own words:

What are you first impressions of the space?
It’s comfortable – the wood and all of that -- it makes you want to sit in. You don’t feel too exposed. It has a downtown vibe to it. It fits in well with the area [on the border of Soho and Chinatown]. The style seems a little eclectic – it definitely has an Asian feel to it but I couldn’t put my finger on it being Vietnamese. It has personality, but it’s not trying to hard. There’s a hint of Asian-ness, with the Buddha and the bamboo, but it’s not hitting you over the head with it. I like that – the subtlety.

Do you eat Vietnamese food often?
I’m partial to Asian food in general. I usually have it four times a week, and Vietnamese, on average, once a week. One of the things I miss living in New York, is that in Vietnamese culture, food is the center of everything. We used to have these long dinners. My mom would cook quite a bit, and we would have these five-hour meals. It’s very social. I kind of relate it to the Italians.

[The waiter greets us, goes over different dishes, describing the cuisine as “Vietnamese tapas, with a little fusion.” Diep settles on Shrimp and Pork Belly rolls, spicy duck salad, Foie Gras Bun, Short Ribs, Blackened Cod, and Pho Ga – one dish from each of the menu’s sections. Less than ten minutes later the dishes arrive one after the other.]

On the spicy duck salad: This is pretty good. It’s quite nice. When I think of Vietnamese food there’s this really nice balance between salty and sour. The mint is definitely very Vietnamese. It lacks subtlety, but I think that’s the nature of Vietnamese food – it’s very pronounced. I love the pepper, salty, sweet.

On the shrimp and pork belly rolls:
This is really nice, the shell. I like the texture of it. I can’t distinguish the pork from the shrimp – the meat part of it. But it’s good.

On the Bun: This is nice and crunchy. I like the vermicelli. I’m not crazy about the foie gras meatballs…

So, what do you think overall?
I’ll tell you after I finish the Pho [laughs]. The broth has to taste fresh; it can’t be murky. It has to be clear, fresh and taste of caramelized onions. The other thing is the fish sauce; it has to taste right. That’s the way you can tell. I have to taste the fish sauce; if it’s right, the place has a lot of potential. [Diep tastes a spoonful of the fish sauce.] It’s different – it’s more vinegar-y – but it’s good.

Is your collection at all influenced by your Vietnamese heritage?
You know, someone asked me that at my show: “What in your collection is Vietnamese?” Since then I’ve thought a lot about that. I think, more abstractly, it’s harmony. I feel like Southern [Vietnamese] people are really harmonious. I don’t know about the north, but, in the south, even in the food there’s a harmony. There’s a little bit of sweet, a little bit of spicy and salty – all that mixed together creates a really beautiful balance. I feel like what comes out of me is that need to be balanced – in the composition of the line, the colors… the inability to be vulgar. It may be in a more abstract way, but it goes back to my Vietnamese roots.

You’ve said that your fall line was inspired by a desire to be protected and cozy. What do you crave during the winter in terms of comfort food?
When I was growing up, my mother cooked for us – every dinner we would all sit together as a family – she would make a three-course meal and we would always start out with the soup, then meat, then vegetables. To me, as a grown-up, if I have a meal without the soup, there’s something missing. When I have it, it makes me feel like everything is going to be ok.

What’s the consensus on the Pho Ga?
I’ve never had it like that before… with the egg. I think the liquid lightened up a little bit with it, because before it was too heavy. It’s different – definitely fusion.

[Bites into the foie gras meatball after some hesitation] Mmm, that’s not bad.

On the blackened cod: I think the cod tastes nice. But the dill part, that’s a little weird to me. I wouldn’t order it again. That wasn’t my favorite dish.

What would you say was your favorite?
I would order this again [pointing to the Pho Ga]. I would order that again [the Bun], and that [the spring rolls]. But I wouldn’t get the foie gras again. I would go more traditional.

Would you come back here on your own?
It definitely strikes me as a place that, if I was down in Chinatown drinking with my friends, I would bring them here. Like a late-night spot – you go in and have a dish. It’s not the type of place where you have an orgasm after you eat, but it’s good. The best part, though, is the price and the portions! The price range changes everything. It definitely makes me want to come back.

~Alisa Gould-Simon

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From Banksy's spray-painted silhouettes to Faile's silkscreened posters, street art is everywhere. Look around most major cities, and you’ll find it staring you in the face. But, take a closer look and you might stumble upon the miniscule creations of Slinkachu, 28. The artist’s installations, entitled “Little People—a tiny street art project,” consist of tiny hand-painted figurines camouflaged within contextualized spaces throughout London (Slinkachu’s stomping grounds), and “left to fend for themselves.”

Be it hidden on a street corner beside a pile of garbage, sitting on a tube bench, or standing on a pipe in a public restroom, these little characters, like countless life-sized people who often go overlooked in a big city, are just waiting to be discovered. In conjunction with making art accessible to the masses, Slinkachu’s public art project encourages passers-by to be more aware of their everyday surroundings, reinforcing the idea that art can be found anywhere. psychoPEDIA asked the artist (who, as elusive as the subjects of his art, refrains from releasing his real name, his alma mater, or his day job) about his little people, self-esteem, and making it big:

How does your work compare to the more obvious forms of street art we’re used to seeing?
My work is almost invisible, and I like it that way.

What are some of the most interesting scenes you've created?
I'll always love the fly attack– a man being gored by a fly. The biggest and most time-consuming, though, was actually inside a gallery, at the Rogaland Kunstmuseum in Stavanger, Norway for this year's NUart Festival. It was a whole "street" at floor level with various things happening along it.

One theme driving your project seems to be low self-esteem or feeling small. Do you have advice for people who feel unnoticed, say, in a big city?
When I first moved to London, I knew very few people and it was pretty lonely at first. I recommend Internet dating.

Which piece evokes this sense of low self-esteem the most?
I did an installation called "Shopping for one again," with a little guy about to get in his old car with his shopping bags. I imagined he'd just gotten divorced after only a few years of being with the woman he thought was 'the one.' Now he's faced with the prospect of either trying to find someone else in this big city -- even though he is older and doesn't dress fashionably any more -- or resign himself to being on his own.

Is your work inspired by specific people or general observations ?
Both, I think.

Has any of it evolved from your own personal experiences?
No. But I was once one centimeter high, and it was hell!

What is it like knowing that most of your work will go unnoticed, possibly stepped on or swept away?
I find it pretty cathartic!

Would you consider being "big" and scrutinized or "little" and unnoticed more difficult?
Little and unnoticed. There is more of a chance you'll fall through the cracks, and no one will come to help you.

Who do you think notices your work?
I love the fact that anyone could find my work on the streets. I think this is what drives a lot of street artists. I’ll get a lot of emails from normal people as well as art fans and street-art fans. I’ve been featured on humor sites and arty sites, so my stuff bridges those divides, which I think is nice.

Who are some little people that you think made it really big?
A lot of dictators have been small men. But my favorite small guy is Warwick Davis, an actor who appeared in Star Wars, Harry Potter, Willow, and loads of other fantasy films. I met him a few years back, and he was really nice.

Are you at all inspired by Ron Mueck [an artist known for larger-than-life sculptural recreations of people]?
His work hasn't really influenced mine, but I have always been a fan of his. I would say, thematically, my main influence is Chris Ware's comic books.

Your installations are primarily London-based. Do you plan to expand your project to other cities?
Whenever I visit another city, I try to do something there. I think my next one will be in Berlin.

After the little people project is over, do you have plans for another?
Yes, I have another project I want to start soon which also uses public spaces but is more mobile. I will probably run them both together until I run out of ideas or get bored!

-Leann Peterson

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