It’s May 1st and all around London, schools, churches, and town halls have been converted into polling stations so that the public can decide on who will be the town’s mayor for the next 4 years.

London’s current mayor, the unflappable Ken Livingstone is running again after seeing his residents through turbulent times. While receiving praise for his handling of events like the July 7th terrorist attacks, he’s also been criticized for flaws– including the amount of taxpayers’ money he’s pumped into the Olympic games. Ken’s closest competition comes from the flamboyant conservative Boris Johnson and the outsider, the Liberal Democrats representative Brian Paddick. As a city famous for moaning, it’s important this round that Londoners not sit at home and complain, but have a direct impact the on their city’s future. psychoPEDIA joined three young Londoners to bear important opinions on London’s current issues and who they see fit to solve them.

First is Joe Daniels– co-founder and head of Angular Records, responsible for introducing the world to such acts as Bloc Party, Klaxons, and These New Puritans, and earning Angular the backing of cult-independent Domino Records. Next, is life long Londoner Marie Berry, the outspoken freelance writer and editor of Knockback Zine– seen by many, including two of England’s biggest selling broadsheets as one of today’s essential feminist mouthpieces. Lastly is Hanna Hanra, who having lived in London for 9 years, has seen her fingertips caressing the fillings of many a social pie. A one time member of art collective !WOWOW!, ex-editor of Super-Super, sought after DJ, and now, prolific writer and editor for London’s essential underground music paper The Pix, Hanra continues to be centered in the heartbeat of London cool. Here is what the three had to say:

Who will each of you will be voting for?
HH: I am voting for Boris Johnston because I think he would be rather marvelous.
JD: Ken– I think he's very genuine in his feelings about London, and I think there has been a significant change in the city since he became mayor. He also doesn't come across like a politician, which immediately makes him more believable.
MB: I met Ken at a party once and he was very pleasant, reasonable and honest, which are rare traits in a politician. I think my vote will be more useful given to Ken to keep Johnson out, although I strongly support Sian Berry of the Green Party’s campaign.

Don’t you think London, like America, needs a new face in charge?
MB: I would welcome a new face in City Hall, if there were a candidate who would do as effective a job as Ken has done. Even if there were a need for drastic change, I think it is unrealistic to expect one. Politics moves slowly, if at all, so constant improvement and consideration of the issues if more important than an overhaul.

What issues do you think need to be resolved urgently to make London a better place to live?
HH: More effort to promote recycling– although I live in Hackney, there is no effort made for recycling, not even bottle banks on the street.
MB: My top concerns for London are congestion/transport, environment, and culture.
JD: I like the CO2 charge for 4x4s and other big cars that Ken proposed. But I also think Oyster cards should be for use on all transport systems.
MB: How about banning cars– all of them.

Transport seems to be a common issue for Londoners. Boris seems to think by re-introducing the old routemaster bus, he can appeal to some of the transport complainers. Does this win you over as easily?
JD: You can never underestimate dim-witted traditionalists. Having said that, I was quite fond of the Routemaster.
HH: As buses go, they worked better. You could get more people on them, and they surely increased the revenue as people had to pay and couldn’t skip the bus fares due to the conductors.

Have you been amused by any other laughable policies and vote-winning attempts?
MB: I’m not sure on the most amusing, but the BNPs [The British National Party] call to abolish multi-culturalism is the most offensive.
JD: I thought that Boris' idea to ban drinking on the tube sounded like a waste of time, and ultimately pointless. It shows his lack of understanding about what problems there are and how to tackle them. But I liked Paddick’s idea of free Wi-fi for everyone. I would find that useful.

Over the past 4 years, London has witnessed both a terrible terrorist attack and a rise in muggings and knife crime. Do you feel London is generally a fearful place to live?
MB: Fear and paranoia are my main concerns. Terrorism and street crime are equally exploited by mass media hysteria, though. I am concerned about abuse by fellow Londoners but am safety conscious and realistic, which is difficult considering the constant bombardment of gratuitous headlines regarding both local and international crime.

What would deter you from re-instating Ken Livingstone?
HH: It is unbelievably expensive to travel, and the buses are shit. I’m not sure about all of our money being ploughed into the Olympics when the arts still does not get much support.
MB: While I admire Ken’s stance on most things, and have seen marked improvements, I also worry that the Olympics has overwhelmed more immediate cultural investment. I’m concerned about the closure of venues like the Goodyard (The Key, The Cross etc) and the London Astoria, to make way for developments that aren’t relevant to me. But all the same, under Boris Johnson, I think London would stagnate. I think the good things Ken has done would remain simply because Boris would be pissing the budget up a wall and wanking on about defunct modes of transport.

~Kevin Soar

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 12:56 PM | Permalink

It's wedding season, and once again, much of our energy is spent trying to avoid the cliches that often accompany this holy ceremony. Like it or not, the reception climaxes on the dance floor, which is where some of the greatest offenses are committed by DJs and guests alike.

Luckily, there's Dexter Lake Club Band-– the indie supergroup, comprised of Jamie Krents, Tim Ruedeman, and Matt Stinchcomb-– out to save the world, one wedding at a time. Their enthusiasm for kicking out jams, matrimony style, is matched only by their experience within the music industry. This side project is comprised of years of experience split between the French Kicks, The Walkmen, The Exit, Asobi Seksu, and even playing with Willie Nelson. With a song roster that ranges from the Human League to Journey, this band definitely merits crashing the party:

Why form a "wedding band," and when did it start?
JK: Matt and I grew up together and played in a cover band in high school. We met Tim at an over-priced liberal arts college in rural Ohio, and we started an 80's band in 1995 out of sheer boredom. We all ended up in New York, and Matt and I were playing in French Kicks and making no money. A few friends asked if we'd play their weddings, so we started doing it to make extra money to fund things-- like our van, rehearsal space, etc. It became a word-of-mouth thing for a while, and then we got a bit more serious about it in the last couple of years.

What do you have to offer as a professional wedding band?
JK: For people who don't want the standard, Long Island, bad-tuxedo with a conga player wedding band, we're a good choice. And we have really good musicians, so it isn't sloppy.

A couple of you recently married, so what sort of entertainment did you have at your own reception?
JK: I got married first, and I looked everywhere for a wedding band, but they were all horrible, corny "YMCA"-playing and really expensive. I finally decided to just play at my own wedding, which worked out OK, since my wife plays drums and she did a couple of songs with us.
MS: A German om-pa band. I got married near Munich.
TR: I hired a group called Guignol, that features Franz Nikolai and Peter Hess of The Hold Steady. Guignol is a quartet of clarinet, accordian, tuba ,and drums; they played all the traditional Jewish music including "Hava Nagila" and also some of their Eastern European, Balkan-inspired music.

How do you dress for the events?
MS: It depends on the wedding. We have outfits for all occasions and every theme. We have played nautical themed weddings, Latin- themed weddings, we even played a hair salon themed wedding.

Three best and worst songs for a wedding?
JK: My current favorites are Tom Petty's "American Girl," Journey's "Don't Stop Believin," and "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen. I get very irritable if I hear a wedding band play "My Girl," "To Be Real," or anything by Billy Joel.

Most requested or unusual song request?
MS: Stevie Wonder or any hip-hop.
JK: I think our most bizarre request occurred when a very intoxicated sixty year old wedding guest lumbered up to the stage with a five dollar bill, and asked if we could "take him down to Margaritaville." Luckily, we didn't know that one, even for five bucks.

How much would you need to get paid to sing a Robbie Williams or Celine Dion song?
TR: I think Celine is much more our vibe than Robbie. He's so fake, but Celine keeps it real.
JK: Robbie Williams would be pricey, especially since I don't think anyone in the US has any business requesting his music. We have so much bad American music, why import his from the UK? Celine Dion would totally depend. Tim likes doing songs with gratuitous high notes, so if it were that Titanic song, we'd probably do it for free.

Most unusual gig yet?
TR: We played in Queens at a huge Chinese buffet restaurant. There were over six-hundred people at the event, half of which were not English-speakers. The highlight was having each member of the bridal party and extensive family enter to "Eye of the Tiger." The names were read off in both English and Mandarin, so it lasted for over 30 minutes.
JK: I think it gave me carpal tunnel.

Dream gig?
JK: Definitely Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. When are those two going to finally tie the knot? The suspense is killing me. We'd do that one for free.
MS: Sharing the stage with John Stamos, Mike Love, and Al Jardine playing "Kokomo" in Kokomo for Alyssa Milano and whichever lucky fella she ends up marrying.

Have you ever picked up a good date or made out with a bride on the job?
JK: Well, I did play my own wedding, but that doesn't count, right?
TR: We have played a couple of wedding where a band member was an old-flame of the bride's. I think that's how we booked most of our earliest gigs.

Are you into this for big bucks, free booze, or to get laid?
TR: The money's good, and free booze is never a bad thing. I'm married, so I'm definitely not looking to get laid.
MS: Tim's wife knows how to use the internet.
TR: The reason I think we do it is that I get to be in a great band, playing songs that we love, and be with some of my best friends from college.
JK: If you want to play guitar for the money, you're in the right business. It sure beats playing the Mercury Lounge on a Wednesday night for $65.00. We sometimes comment that it would probably be a lot more fun if we were all single, but we all live vicariously through our drummer, Gunnar– who is available, ladies.

~Abbey Braden

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 12:08 PM | Permalink

Every woman yearns to posses her own perfect "little black dress"–- that prized piece that’s always there to solve any fashion emergency. But finding that ultimate “it” dress can prove to be a tedious, if not impossible task, and the only sure way to have a flawless silhouette is to have an immaculate fit.

Unfortunately, unless you’re a Victoria’s Secret model, most women have some type of body issue. You try on one dress and it’s too tight, and then the next size up is just too big. And for those who are super tiny or plus size, you may not even be able to find your size in the latest styles. Finally, there’s a solution to your body-morphic shopping nightmares–- custom couture dresses, where you can have pieces made for surprisingly affordable prices, comparable to off-the-rack.

While there are online tailors that offer an array of designs, ranging from classic pencils to looks fresh off the runway such as Style Shake and Dress by Design, Top Runway wins for the best fits and styles at the most competitive prices. The average price for a dress is $85 to $120, including shipping, and suits are $130 to $160. Each piece is made to your exact measurements, specifications, and fabric choice. Their detail-oriented designer will tweak their designs to your personal liking so you can create a dress that’s fit for you in just four steps:

Step 1: Choose your desired design and decide on any possible alterations to the design such as neckline, sleeve or skirt length.

Step 2: Select color and fabric.

Step 3: Take your measurements. You’ll need to be very precise for a perfect fit, so get someone to help you, because it’s difficult to take these measurements on yourself. We found that it’s best to have the measurements on the snug side, since most fabrics have a bit of stretch. Top Runway suggests that you always double-check the numbers.

Step 4: Submit your order & payment and expect your new dress in 10-23 days. We received our sample in less than 3-weeks from the date we placed our order.

Top Runway has outstanding customer service and are very helpful throughout the entire process, always very quick to respond to any questions or concerns. They also take special orders, so you can submit your own design for a truly unique piece. Now your "little black dress" is just a few steps away.

~Joanna Kunze

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 12:40 PM | Permalink

Bands make records. But with the media’s growing invasiveness and film holding its status as the most gratifying information source, the steady stream of documentaries and biopics peering into private lives of musical icons is not surprising. Most recently graced with a celluloid revival is Joy Division, first in Anton Corbijn's Control now in its more straightforward counterpart, Grant Gee’s documentary Joy Division.

Both films were released to a ready-made audience of Joy Division fans and cater to the hunger for insight on a lost personality. The level of access to Ian Curtis with archived footage and interviews allowing a glimpse rather than a complete picture, makes him a perfect subject to revisit.

Corbijn made Control from Deborah Curtis’ biography Touching From A Distance. So, when British director Grant Gee began work on his own ‘talking heads’ production, he decided to focus his lens on a slightly different set of relationships.

Where did the idea to make the Joy Division documentary come from?
It was not initially my idea. I got a phone call from one of our producers, Tom Astor asking if I would be interested in directing it. They had already contacted Jon Savage as consultant and talked to the various members of New Order so, I just joined in.

I imagine you were already a fan of the band?
I’m of the age where it was impossible for me to have missed Joy Division. I was 15 when their first album came out. I bought the first album and loved the music but more than that, I loved the album itself, as an object. What Peter Saville did with the design of that cover was amazing. There had been great album covers before, but this wasn’t pop art. Saville gave children a minimalist luxury they had never been trusted to understand before. It was absolute perfection.

It’s surprising in the film when Saville reveals how little he knew about Joy Division. Did you have any ideas about what the film should be, to remain in keeping with the ethos of the group?
Because we knew Control was going to happen and that it was focused on the love triangle between Deborah, Annik, and Ian, we knew we had to do something different. I was very aware that Joy Division was not only Ian’s band; their story wasn’t just Ian’s suicide. Joy Division was an actual physical phenomenon that existed for a moment in time. I wanted to encompass everything in our film. Other than that I had strong ideas about the aesthetics– a small, daft idea but in the end, it makes the film what it is. I decided to shoot all the interviews against black. This gave some continuity and also meant we could layer archive material very easily and nicely.

Why was Deborah Curtis not involved at all?
She was! She gave us lots of Ian’s notebooks, but we started filming just as Control finished. She had been on set for most of their filming and by the end, she had just had enough. I am not unhappy that she was not one of our interview subjects. We wanted to focus on things besides Ian’s love affairs. If Deborah had been interviewed we would simply be revisiting Control territory.

How much did the film change during its making?
It changed constantly, mainly from the quality of archive footage tangential to the story we found. Clips initially meant to last 15 seconds ended up being five minutes long like the tape Jon Savage had of Ian being hypnotized. It was all so insightful and interesting it seemed ridiculous to cut.

There is something of a vogue at the moment for music biopics and band documentaries. Why do you think that is? And what do you think these films gives to audiences?
I think there is a surge partly because pop media has existed for some 40 years now and there is enough archived material to, posthumously, make something cohesive. Also, people in a position to fund films are usually in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Today that generation has grown up with rock bands. There have always been people willing to make documentaries, but on the whole, films only get made when the money is there, and now it is.

What is your favorite moment in the film?
The last five minutes. For the half hour leading up to Ian’s suicide, it is a constant intake of breath waiting for the inevitable. Then it happens and there is a release, after which, there is only five minutes left of the film. During that short time we manage to tie up five or six different threads without making light of the tragic event of Ian’s death. The camera moves away from this close-knit group of people to show the rest of the world, still ticking over. Other than that, lots of silly moments like the kids hanging outside Wigan Casino leering “we’re nothing”, or the part where the band are threatening to beat up Paul Morley. That makes me giggle.

Why did you decide to use the band’s name as the film’s title?
Mainly because of who Joy Division were. The idea of calling it something like The Falling Dust of Angels: The Story of Shed 7 seemed a ridiculous attempt to make something prosaic out of something very minimalist in nature. Also because there was a WWII film called Joy Division that came out a few years ago. I remember reading a review of it beginning "…sadly not a documentary on the seminal 1980s Mancunian band but a rather badly made, stodgy war flick." I remembered that and thought, "It’s time to give one film critic what he was after all along." ~Iphgenia Baal

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 11:13 AM | Permalink

What happens when a trio of boys decide to transport themselves from squeaky Ann Arbor, Michigan to the rough-and-tumble streets of Brooklyn with intentions to just “play music, skateboard, party, and have fun,” is nothing short of awesome. Awesome Color, that is–- the psychedelic garage rock band they subsequently formed. Made up of neon-tshirt-loving Derek Stanton, Michael Troutman, and Allison Busch, the now Bushwick-based band has toured with the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, whose legendary member Thurston Moore even produced their upcoming second full-length release Electric Aborigines on his indie label Ecstatic Peace.

psychoPEDIA caught up with a slightly hungover Awesome Derek one weekend, hot on the trail of their new release, to find out more about how the boys play and pass the time in their hometown of Bushwick:

What's the most awesome thing about your hood?
I like to see a little chubby fat kid with his shirt off, hanging in front of a fire hydrant, just getting totally sprayed.

Least awesome thing?
I think it’s too expensive, but it’s cheaper than Williamsburg. That’s why people live here. But you see a lot of fights, and the kids are out of control. There’s a lack of respect for life– litter on the streets, people don’t clean up after their dogs. But I think the buildings are beautiful. You get on a roof, and it makes you feel like you’re in Babylon.

What’s the biggest difference between Michigan and Bushwick?
People speak Spanish in Bushwick– in the stores, wherever you go. And where I’m from, they speak English. So you think, “I wish I spoke Spanish, that’d be cool.” It’s just really different. And of course, the dirt, graffiti, trash, dog shit.

With such a high concentration of immigrant communities, particularly Puerto Ricans, there must be good offerings of ethnic foods?
It’s an international feeling, like being deep inside the melting pot. The restaurants are actually pretty bad, though. There’s a good Spanish restaurant on DeKalb and Wycoff. I go to this place called Bill’s, half Spanish and half American food—they make a good egg and cheese sandwich.

There are so many bands are coming out of Brooklyn these days, but who are the all-stars from Bushwick particularly?
NYSE Hits and the Tall Firs, who bought a house really close to me. Usaisamonster is another one that kicks ass. I think it’s safe to assume most bands live in Bushwick, or Greenpoint, and Williamsburg, depending on how successful they are. That’s how I ended up there. You can easily get a place to practice. There are less bitchy, rich white neighbors. You can rent a place and get away with stuff.

Is there a Bushwick-Williamsburg rivalry?
It’s just white kids complaining about shit. A lot of people can’t afford to live in Williamsburg, so they move out to Bushwick. But I bet there’s some hipster kickball team from Bushwick that battles some hipster kickball team from Williamsburg.

Is there anything inspiring about making music where you are than any other part of the city?
I think it’s that the surroundings are a little bit dark and dim. There’s not much you want do outdoors. Once you get out, it’s all concrete. In the summer, it’s all sweating. Not to mention getting harassed. I can’t even say how many times I’ve been hit by eggs. So, you stay inside and focus on music. You’re pretty far away from everything, so it makes you turn inside and get into the practice space. If I lived in California on a nice ranch, I would probably not be making as much music. But it makes you feel like you’re on a mission. You’re living in this shit hole for a reason.

What's the best place to kill some time?
There are a lot of good thrift stores that I like to go to, Office Ops on Knickerbocker avenue. There’s a really good one on Wycoff and Myrtle. On the border of Bushwick, the Ridgewood Theater [recently closed] had cheap movies that I went to— it was one of the oldest in the country. Where we usually hang out is on the roof—it’s the Bushwick type of thing to do. In the summer, instead of just wandering around the street because there aren’t many parks—it’s kind of a concrete jungle.

Where can you find Awesome Color hanging out on a Friday night?
Everybody goes to Williamsburg and the city. But if you’re going go out and see a show, there’s Market Hotel and Raven's Den/Silent Bar, which are both rad venues, and some of the best in NYC. They’re not run by assholes, and there’s a little bit more freedom. You can get away with a lot more in total underground venues. They have regular half-shells. It’s just much more conducive to creativity than some square venue where you have to buy two drinks with a 10 dollar cover. Silent Bar— no rules.

Are there spots to avoid?
It’s generally safe, but there isn’t any place to avoid. You’re just subject to being harassed. For most people, Bushwick would seem super un-safe, and statistically it is too. But you don’t really see what’s going on. And there’s a lot more people getting mugged in Williamsburg, because people have more money there. But avoid walking around at 3 in the morning drunk off your ass, or falling asleep on the train.

~Leann Peterson


Don't miss Awesome Color on May 2 for a CD release show at Glasslands, and May 3 at Market Hotel.
Electric Aborigines releases stateside on April 28.

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 12:43 PM | Permalink