Despite mass transit systems providing the most easily-accessible and widely-used form of transportation, biking is slowly becoming a staple in every metropolitan center. Particularly in densely populated cities across the world, riding a bicycle has become less an option and more of a necessity. With benefits including allowing individuals to avoid cramming into stuffed, rush-hour subway commutes, not to mention contributing to a greener world by decreasing pollution, many businesses have now teamed with city councils to form bicycle share services where one can rent bikes from convenient, self-serve outdoor kiosks.

As the stress of having an expensive bike stolen by sticky-fingered pedestrians can often deter bike-enthusiasts from forking out hundreds to own, these share services offer the advantage of having access to a bike any time of day for short trips, without the hassle of needing to store or take it home. And besides, with the summer weather inspiring people to spend more time outdoors, these temporary bike rentals offer an inexpensive option for both tourists and locals to see the sights. With Europe starting the breakthrough with bike share services– popping up in Barcelona, Paris, and Brussels, now the U.S is following suit with shares in NYC and DC. Here is psychoPEDIA’s shop guide to bike shares from around the world:

Velib, Paris
Biking through Paris is a great way for travelers to discover treasures typically unnoticed by the standard tourist route. Easier to maneuver around the city’s narrow, cobble-stoned streets, Parisians can also cycle to avoid the stress of sandwich-style car parking and take Vélib– a year-old bike share service with 750 stations in Paris. Bikes can be picked up from a locked rack with payment of 1 Euro for each half-hour ride, and can be returned to any of the many stations around the city. Weekly and monthly passes are also available at the same rate for frequent cyclists. Although, don’t expect to cross border to Belgium or Germany on a joy ride, or you’ll set off the built-in alarm.

Bicing, Barcelona
Cycling through Barcelona is a convenient way to see the artistically-influenced history of the city’s landmarks like Antonio Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and La Pedrera. Although, you don’t have to be a tourist seeing the sights to use their bike-share, Bicing– as it’s also popular amongst the locals. Set up similarly to Paris’ Vélib, Bicing has self-serve stations all over the city, accepting only credit card payment. Each ride costs a mere 30 cents for every half an hour, with the only downside being that for extended trips, you need to renew your ride by picking up a new bike for each session.

Cyclocity, Brussels
The city best known for two things, beer and chocolate, now offers their Cyclocity bike-share with which you can use to explore and sample all of its sweet and savory offerings. You can make guilt-free visits to the breweries and chocolatiers knowing that cycling will burn off calories gained, although late-night inebriated rides aren’t recommended. The service is conveniently set up with stations all over downtown, known as the Pentagon. And as with other European bike-shares, the same rules apply. Although, Cyclocity has the lowest price of .05 Euros every half hour, or 10 Euros for an entire year subscription– with the only requirement that the user be over fourteen years old.

SmartBike DC
While DC’s Metro is famous for being one of the cleanest and most easily navigable metropolitan transit systems, the new SmartBikeDC service, created by Clear Channel (the same business behind Barcelona’s Bicing system), offers an above-ground way to experience the nation’s capital. As summer in DC packs a tight calendar of cultural festivities, free concerts, performances, and art exhibitions, you can fully enjoy the city’s outdoor events and scenery by subscribing to Smart Bike DC. With a one-year membership for only $40, you can rent bikes for up to three hours at a time.

Bike & Roll, Governor’s Island NYC
While a typical New York City lifestyle involves a heavy amount of walking, cycling is also a popular mode of transportation not just for its obvious health benefits, but also as an economical alternative to the increasing cost of daily subway or cab rides. Thankfully, between May and October each year, New Yorkers can enjoy biking worry-free at Governors Island, thanks to the new Bike & Roll share service established by the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation. Introducing the city’s first free bike-share program, open every weekend starting June 6th and ending October 4th, the service offers adult and children’s bikes Saturdays and Sundays from $5, and free on Fridays. To score a free hour-long bike ride, take the free ferry to Governors Island departing from Battery Maritime Building beginning at 10 am and available every half hour, at the corner of South and Whitehall Streets.

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 06:08 PM | Permalink

While known designers are expected to be all be graduates of esteemed fashion schools like Central Saint Martins, Parsons, and Pratt, the recent trend of designers with no design background have been taking the industry by storm. From small, high-end boutiques to Barney’s stocking their labels, as well as being recognized by the fashion elite at the CFDA, these designers with varying professional backgrounds have proved that a fashion degree is optional.

Narrowing down to some of our favorite men’s and womenswear labels, here is psychoPEDIA’s guide to designers who have come from different areas to training and have made their mark on contemporary style:

Patrik Ervell
Swedish-born, California-bred designer Patrick Ervell, nominated for last year’s CFDA Swarovski Menswear award, served five years as V’s Contributing Fashion Editor before starting his self-named label in 2005. While the menswear designer who experiments with unique, durable fabrics like parachute nylon, gossamer polyurethane, and foil metallics, and describes his line as “romantic futurism” would seem to have honed his design skills at a well-known fashion institution, the 30-year-old actually began as a Political Science major at UC Berkeley before moving to New York in 2001 where he made his introduction into fashion. While he’s already being hailed as one of the future hard-hitters of menswear, Ervell currently operates out of Bushwick, creating collections centered on classic American sportswear with a twist, and sell at high-end men’s boutiques like Oak, Bblessing, and LA’s South Willard.

Scott Sternberg
Scott Sternberg, who majored in economics in Ohio, started his career as a Hollywood agent at Creative Artists before becoming the acclaimed designer of men’s label Band of Outsiders and newer womenswear, Boy-– a reinterpretation of men’s clothing for the female figure. With his label name taken from a Jean-Luc Godard film, Sternberg’s menswear line is one inspired by nostalgic American silhouettes with a touch of French flair. Despite lacking a background in fashion, Sternberg learned about the process of making functional menswear from his Brooklyn-based tailor Martin Greenfield-– the same of which passed his skills along to respected designers Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. While his West Hollywood-based studio hasn’t taken him far from his days as an agent, and his clever Polaroid lookbooks have featured the likes of indie-actor Jason Schwartzman–- his line being carried at Barney’s, Jeffrey, and Ron Herman, and CFDA nominations-– show that he’s come quite a long way from his days in Hollywood.

Michael Bastian
As a former mens’ fashion director and buyer for Bergdorf Goodman, Michael Bastian later transitioned into becoming creative director at Bill Blass before launching his eponymous label in 2006. Known for creating modern American sportswear, this 2007 CFDA Newcomer Menswear nominee makes luxe but comfortable day and evening wear, focusing on a few contemporary yet timeless pieces for every man’s wardrobe–- including his favorite staple–- shorts. Understandably stemming from his extensive experience examining all types of menswear labels and collections, though only now in his fourth season, critics are already anticipating Bastian burgeoning as a future icon of American menswear.

Rag & Bone
Rag & Bone, which began simply as a line of high-quality denim, was started in 2002 by a trio of young English men: David Neville, Marcus Wainwright, and Nathan Bogle (a former model who recently left the company), who wanted to create clothes that their friends would wear, as well as themselves. While their pieces exude a distinctly American aesthetic indicative of the 60-year-old North Carolina-based factory where the collection is produced, the designers cite that their designs are a mixing of the English attire worn in their upbringing with the practicality of American workwear. With Neville and Wainwright having met at Wellington College boarding school, their introductions to the fashion world were initiated by their respective wives, make-up artist and Lancome executive Gucci Westman and model Glenna Neece. Now with established men’s and women’s collections, Rag & Bone is stocked at stores from Odin and Scoop to Bergdorf Goodman.

Adam Kimmel
New York-based designer Adam Kimmel studied Architecture at NYU, where he graduated in 2001. However, leaving building design for another artistic venture-– in 2005 Kimmel launched his eponymous label, which he now runs out of his Chelsea design studio. Describing his line as influenced by artists Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, his designs are focused around the philosophy that clothes are meant to fit everyone, and therefore stray from the typical, tight-fitted silhouettes of more recent trends and opt for the robust structures and classic fits of the 1940s. With an inner-circle of friends that reads like a downtown New York’s “Who’s Who” list, faces who appear in his lookbook include artists Ryan McGinley, Dan Colen, Nate Lowman, former V editor Christopher Bollen, actor Michael Pitt, and DJ Mark Ronson-– which is shot by his fashion photographer half-brother, Alexei Hay. However, despite his long list of connections, Kimmel has proven himself as a legitimate part of the fashion world, having been honored recently as a featured designer of the Italian menswear tradeshow, Pitti Immagine Uomo.

~Leann Peterson

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 06:34 PM | Permalink

The Presets, comprised of Kim Moyes and Julian Hamilton, have been taking the dance world by storm for several years. Known for hypnotic electronic pop beats, the boys from "Down Under," have moved many dance floors with their debut EP in 2003, Blowup and LP, Beams in 2005, the latter of which attained international acclaim and premier status within DJ circles. Their sophomore album, Apocalypso, released on Modular Records in May of 2008, topped with singles “This Boy's in Love” and “My People.” Who’d guess they originally met during school at Sydney's Conservatorium of Music, cracking the books and notes of Mozart, which in turn probably lead to creating their own home studios, as they produce themselves.

Considering their current world tour and recent album release, dreaming of home comforts in Sydney, Australia, are most likely a nightly occurrence in foreign hotel rooms. Before their performance at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, psychoPEDIA joined Moyes and Hamilton inside their tour bus, where they were more than happy to discuss all-things-Sydney:

What’s the current music scene like in Sydney?
JH: There’s always been great DJs and parties. There are quite a few good indie nights where bands play, and a few great venues; the Oxford Art Factory, where there’s a club and a live venue where bands perform. Another spot that’s really dingy called Club 77, not really where live bands play, but still do.
KM: We’ve played there!
JH: There are a few bands like us in Sydney. Sydney is really known more for a club-place. The pub-rock rock n’ roll thing is pretty there, yet it’s more a suburban thing in the greater Sydney area. Sydney has a huge gay population so, there’s a lot more of the club vibe.

Are there popular sex shops in Sydney?
JH: Well, we have Tool Shed!
KM: The sex shops here in New York are fun and cool. Australia is so oppressed, unfortunately. In Australia, there are awful scary places that you don’t want to go into, where it’s run by heroin.
JH: It’s the more dingy, Book Exchange-type places, where you go swap your pornos, are really dirty and seedy.

Is there a big heroin drug scene there right now?
KM: There was, then the War in Afghanistan killed it. From what I understand, there was a huge heroin problem, then it disappeared suddenly overnight. Ice now has become a problem. They call it crystal meth here in the States. You couldn’t get heroin in Sydney for a while because of the war in Afghanistan, since they produce most of the heroin for Australia. Ice now has slowed down and the overdoses have stopped, but the mental illness has gone through the roof.

Any other major controversy?
KM: We have a new Prime Minster right now, Kevin Rudd, who we love to compare to John Howard, who was our last Prime Minster. Rudd is more left leaning and liberal. What happened recently was that an amazing photographer Bill Henson, who shoots a lot of teenage models in these stark, dark, ghostly images just released a photo of a naked 13-year-old girl. It’s beautiful, but the police raided the exhibition and took away all the photos. Kevin Rudd came out publicly and said it was disgusting and the work was horrible. He’s a left-leaning guy, but socially a Christian and a conservative. It’s funny, because the national art galleries in Sydney and Melbourne have had major retrospectives of Bill Henson’s work. In the art world, he’s quite respected.

On a lighter topic, where would recommend to stay while in Sydney?
KM: Zerp Tree Hotel. It’s down near The Rocks, which is an area down underneath Sydney Harbor Bridge. The Park Hyatt is really lovely down there, because it has a great view of the Opera House and harbor. Also, Observatory Hotel.
JH: More boutique hotels, The Kirketon and the W. Most of the hotels on the harbor are great.

Best restaurants to check out?
JH: Bondi Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. It’s right on the south side of Bondi Beach, and it just looks across Bondi and out to sea. It’s one of the most breathtaking places to have a meal.
KM: We’re so lucky because we’re really multicultural. We can get anything you want, except Mexican! All Mexican food in Australia is crap. We have great Thai, Pakistani and Chinese. There’s a spot called Golden Century, where we can go to at 4am. It’s a little bit of a musician haunt too. Often times, when bands finish shows, they head down to grab something to eat. During the Olympics in 2000, after a show we’d gone down to get some food and there was the Hungarian wrestling team there!

Places to shop?
JH: There’s this great store called Assin and the clothes are stupidly expensive but really cool designer stuff. Ksubi is a clothing label with sort of street-beach vibe. That Beach Boys sort of culture and attitude mixed with street city vibe. Obviously, all the surfing labels are huge too.

What's the most special thing inherent to Sydney?
KM: I don’t think you could find a better beach anywhere in the world than Sydney. To be able to go to these world class beaches that are so clean and beautiful is just amazing. It’s definitively its high point.
JH: And, of course, The Presets!

~Jessica McMenamin

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 01:13 PM | Permalink

Stewart Home is a writer for good reason. He has a brilliant memory, recalling succinct details of life from the age of two onwards. On occasion, this can be more of an annoyance than a blessing. But he has managed to put it to good use, linking inane facts and insane lives in copious and varied published works.

Although he’s too strange for the likes of Penguin, over the last three decades, Home has grounded himself as a scion of subculture. His writing ranges from satirical to the non-narrative, from pamphleteering to critique. He touches on everything from the early users of LSD (Tainted Love) to pornography (69 Things to Do with a Dead Princess); from boot stomping skinheads (Slow Death) to underground art movements (The Assault on Culture), if it sounds fun, Home has usually dabbled in it.

psychoPEDIA asked this aficionado, born and bred in London, to guide us through the fast changing nooks and crannies of his old stomping ground and source of inspiration– Berwick Street’s record shops. Hoping to stumble across some gems before urban re-development to the area had creeps up, whereby many of Berwick’s streets finest record shops have already disappeared, Home gives us some insight to his favorite spots:

What are your earliest memories of Berwick Street?
The first thing I remember of the area was Carnaby Street’s colored paving stones. They took them out in the 1980s, because they were looking a bit crappy. But they really should have refurbished them instead.

Why does that area appeal to you more than others?
Carnaby Street and Berwick Street are great, because you could pick up all the new bootleg records down the market. Then, just behind them, in St. Anne’s Court is a science fiction shop, The Golden Eye. I started going to all these places in ’74. I remember discovering Aleister Crowley in there, who I thought was hilarious. Not because I was into magic, but because his books had chapter titles like “A Harrowing Heroine” which, when you are 12, is very funny. But Berwick St was the place.

Which record shop did you frequent most?
So many have come and gone– but Selectadisc, which is now Sister Ray, was the best. You want change, because that is what a vibrant urban environment is all about. Sometimes things change for the better, and sometimes things change for the worst. Obviously, the property values in London are ridiculous. That’s one thing. But the other is that book and record shops are on the way out.

Any particular reason why you think that’s happening?
You can sit at your computer and pick what you want now, which is fine. But the down side is the loss of the social element. You don’t get recommendations, people don’t play you stuff. When I was a teenager, I’d go down Soho Market where they had the Rocks Off record store. It was great just to hear the records, talking to market traders, listening to new Siouxsie Sioux releases. When I was 12 or 13, I discovered You Can’t Sit Down by The Dovells and thinking that was the most amazing record I had ever heard.

Do you go anywhere nowadays to find new albums or discover bands?
No. But then I know what I want a lot more. I realized as I grew up that my taste veered towards Mod and Northern Soul. Now it has moved into a little bit of techno and the old psychedelic 60s stuff. Like The Vibrations or The Temptations when they stopped being so pop.

Do you have different stores catering for different needs then?
I have Soul Jazz doing their little post-punk thing. Sister Ray is great other than their obsession with shitty industrial bands which they should fucking dump. Record & Tape Exchange has hoards of random second hand stuff. There was Mr CD, which recently closed down, sacrificed to MP3s. I don’t say that in a bad way. I want my music in the cheapest possible format. I understand people being precious about their vinyl. On some dub tracks, you just don’t get the bass tone out of an MP3 or CD, or if you copy very minimal techno, like Plasticman, it sounds really shitty, because you are losing vital frequencies. But with most stuff, you can never tell the difference. With old Motown and punk songs, they are supposed to sound shitty and tinny. Mind you, on The Slits' track Vindictive, the tom sounded so rubbish on CD but fine on the vinyl.

Do you feel like Berwick Street is losing its record and bookstores to gear more towards Red Light District-friendly establishments?
I’ve got no idea where the sign saying ‘Model First Floor’ leads to but, all the girls on the street are quite obviously clippers. They are just gonna take your money and run. It used to be a hobby of mine, sitting outside a café and watching guys get strung along. I used to go to the venue The Marquee, which was round the corner. I would bunk off school to go to shows and beforehand, think it hilarious to sit outside a café with a cup of tea, and watch some businessman who had just been up to shag a prostitute having a cup of tea before he went home to confront the wife. He wouldn’t be able to hold the mug still.

~Iphgenia Baal

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:44 PM | Permalink

Though the U.S. economy is careening like a drunk on roller skates, the skyrocketing costs of city living show no signs of letting up. Add in the presumed threat of Happy Hours cutting back to mere minutes a day, and one can imagine the trend of ever-skinnier jeans becoming a reality for all Americans, not just the select few. As we are forced to reach deeper into our wallets to get by these days, perhaps no group has been impacted more than true bohemians attempting to wring truth and beauty out of the human plight.

Certainly a virtuous pursuit, but one that often doesn’t pay the bills. Unless hunger artistry is your method of self-expression, it may be time to consider alternative methods of augmenting income without completely abandoning otherwise high-minded goals. Though it’s far from a perfect solution, at the end of the day, it feels good to define yourself as the thing you do – photographer, author, painter, musician, actor – without having to qualify it first. Fortunately, there are options out there for the artistic soul looking to make a wage:

If all acting work was Shakespearian in nature, our country would be a more intelligent place-– but we’d also be robbed of the unquantifiable talents of the Ashton Kutchers and Jessica Albas of the world. That being said, a bona fide thespian understands that the key to lasting success is the ability to make a role, no matter how insignificant, your own. Though as evidenced above, a little serendipity never hurts. Extra work is one way to get noticed by those behind the camera, while offering a glimpse into the nuts and bolts of the business. Sites such as Moviex and Mandy list open calls throughout the industry.

Maybe that facial tattoo wasn’t such a great idea after all, but there’s no sense regretting, especially with a voice as moving as Daniel Webster and memorable as James Earl Jones. While you’re saving money for the laser surgery to restore your good looks, there’s no reason you can’t practice your theatrics in front of a microphone instead. By enlisting your storytelling skills to create audio books, you’ll be creating alternative educational materials to serve the greater good. Recorded Books encourages individuals with a flare for the dramatic to submit an audition.

If critiquing the world through use of obtuse metaphors dished in rhyming couplets is your birthright, then you should consider fueling your habit with paid focus group work. These 1-2 hour sessions are a lucrative way to dispense your opinions to the masses with little fear of reproach. Companies like Great Opinions and Focus Room provide online forms to get you started and will contact you if they think you fit their target demographic. You may even become the next Gene Chalet.

Great writing has the power to hint at the universal, but someone needs to read it first. If you want throngs of adoring fans to swoon over your every word, why not spice up your message with a little coitus literati? Sex sells and you needn’t be afraid of sullying your nonexistent reputation. Nerve is one of the rare places on the web that handles the nexus between smut and literature eloquently. With their expanding roster of established authors, you might be surprised by who you’ll find there.

Once the sun goes down, you spend your time skirting along the back alleyways and streets searching for the perfect wall to serve as your canvas, but hopping over one too many chain link fences while outrunning the cops is getting almost as old as you are. Besides, spray paint doesn’t come cheap and few people flocking to see your latest piece. Not only is converting your clandestine operations to the light of day easier on your constitution, but it also transforms graffiti into mural painting. Signing up with the New York Foundation for the Arts is a good place to start.

The Modern Art world might favor technology over classical expression and gimmick over craft, but few things remains as evocative as the human form. If you’re unable to afford an art school education, then exposing yourself for cash might be the next best thing. Figure modeling at one of NY’s institutions-– SVA, FIT, Parsons-- is an excellent way to learn from afar. And if you’re lucky, the instructor might let you sit in on the rest of the class once your session is over.

Your band keeps breaking up and you don’t know how to play an instrument anyway, but why should that stop you from entering the entertainment ranks? With the right equipment and a passable singing voice there’s no reason you can’t be a party waiting to happen. Becoming a professional karaoke singer is your ticket to one big open bar and all you have to do is warble out some Neil Diamond tunes when things start getting dull. Before striking out on your own, get a taste of the amateur circuit at Spotlight Live in Times Square. Sure it might be one step below being a wedding singer, but think of all the practice you’ll be getting for the next time American Idol comes to town.

~Scott Lachut

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 05:31 PM | Permalink

Celebrities and starlets are known for being tight-lipped about the beauty secrets that keep them looking pristine. Whether it be plastic surgery, cleansings, or new developments in cosmoceuticals, those in the limelight are always on the cutting edge of beauty and health developments-– and hoping keeping them under wraps.

Breaking the trend, the infamously fresh-faced, 46-year-old actress Demi Moore-– while on the circuit promoting her aptly-titled new film, Flawless-– recently confessed a strange beauty regimen that helps her maintain a youthful glow: leech detoxification therapy.

As odd a procedure as it may seem, it’s only one of a long list of inventive new products and practices, from snail creams to breast-enhancing gum, that are now on the market. Narrowing down to some of the most interesting options, here are psychoPEDIA’s picks for bizarre beauty products:

Leech Detox Therapy
In Moore’s promotion of the treatment, she explains that the therapeutic leeches aren’t just ordinary swamp leeches but “highly trained medical leeches.” By having them suck your blood, an enzyme is released that triggers blood detoxification. Now a serious advocate of the treatment, Moore declares that she continues to feel its effects and will visit Austria for more detoxing. Although there is no concrete evidence that the process detoxifies blood, leech therapy has been used as a valid form of microsurgery since 1985.

Coesam Snail Secretion Cream ($64.95)
Eating snails is a widely-popular gourmet practice of French delicacy. Now, the cosmetics world is embracing snails to supply the newest ingredient in beauty products. As the secretion that allows their movement has been found to have beneficial properties for skin renewal, among other findings, it also helps preserve skin elasticity and treat superficial wrinkles. In addition to it’s powerful anti-aging properties, the secretion is a potent natural ingredient, as it’s original use is for the speedy repair of a snail’s damaged shell.

Borba Gummi Boosters ($25, 136 pieces)
While snacking on these may make you feel like a kid again, these acai-infused nutraceutical gummi boosters might make you look and feel equally youthful, as well. These fat-free dietary supplements from Borba are enhanced with green tea and grape seed extracts, rich in antioxidants, as well as a specially formulated bio-vitamin to promote healthy skin clarity and regeneration. And the obvious nutritional benefits aside, six gummi bears a day is inevitably more enjoyable than your standard multi-vitamin.

Zoft Breast Gum ($59.99 for 5 packs)
Don’t mistake this for the newest flavor of Orbitz-– Zoft Breast Gum is a chewing gum supplement that triggers hormones to stimulate the growth of fuller breasts. With a mix of thirteen herbal ingredients, including: oat grass for healthy hormones, hops flower for mammary gland development, pacific kelp for thyroid stimulation, and l-tyrosine for burning fat and enhancing muscle-– not only will Zoft clean your teeth after a meal, but offer a simple and natural way to increase cup size, with visible results of 1/ 2 to 2 cup-size growth in as short as three months.

Fuwarinka Gum ($5 for 2 packs)
While deodorants and perfumes offer an external, temporary cover-up for unpleasant body odors, Fuwarinka has created a gum that will not only freshen your breath, but your entire body-– from the inside. Available in Fresh Citrus and Fruity Rose flavors, the candy containing the natural ingredients geraniol and linalool, causes a time-released aroma to emit from the skin through the sweat glands. And on top of its scented properties, the gum also has the anti-aging ingredient, hyaluronic acid, as well as offering a specially formulated version for men–- Otokokaoru Rose Menthol.

Collagen Marshmallows (£2.30)
Some may remember playing childhood games of “Chubby Bunny” by stuffing copious amounts of marshmallows in their cheeks. Giving the plumping quality of marshmallows a new meaning, Japanese confectioners Eiwa, known for producing kid-approved sweets, have introduced a marshmallow to the market enhanced with 3000 mg of collagen. Citing comparable benefits as injections, the marshmallows–- which come in a range of flavors from strawberry, cherry, blueberry, grapefruit, and yogurt–- are said to improve signs of aging by increasing skin firmness and elasticity.

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:33 PM | Permalink

Zak Smith is a fan of comic books and likes painting pretty girls. But don’t peg him as a hormonally-charged guy secretly sketching half-naked women in his notebook just yet-– as that this Cooper Union and Yale-educated artist creates intricately detailed and erotically-charged portraits of girls in their natural, decadent environments, producing vivid vignettes of a sub-culture in which the artist himself is immersed. The green-mohawked artist has made a career of work that mixes gritty reality (Girls in the Naked Girl Business) and beautiful invention (100 Girls and 100 Octopuses). And his work, represented by Fredericks & Freiser gallery in NYC, has even shown in the Whitney Museum of Art, with permanent works on display in Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as in a book collection titled simply Zak Smith: Pictures of Girls. While his drawings may seem to border on OCD–- particularly in his laborious 760-page project illustrating Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity's Rainbow-– the result is a colorful frenzy reminiscent of Klimt.

With a penchant for girls in the adult-film industry, many of which appear as subjects in his work, it’s no surprise that after shaking up the fine art world, Smith found himself moving into another expressive format-– star of “alternative” porn, under the heavy-metal-sounding name of Zak Sabbath. And having made his debut two years ago, he’s since appeared in several adult films, of which he donates the majority of his proceeds to charities like Food Not Bombs.

psychoPEDIA caught up with the 32-year-old, who made a recent move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to be closer to the porn industry, to find out more about his films and his position on the future of popular art:

How did you make your entrance into the industry?
I knew people, because I had been doing portraits of girls in the industry. Soon after I did the Gravity's Rainbow pictures, a director calls to ask if he can use them in a porno movie. I was joking around if I could have sex with all the girls in the film. He said "ok," I sent some pictures, and then I did the movie–- Barbed Wire Kiss.

Did you have previous acting experience?
I did some radio. I have no idea if that helped, but it made me used to the fact that everything I said and did was being recorded. You don’t need to act in porn so much. Chances are, if you can forget that you’re “acting,” you’ll probably do a better job than most people who are trying.

Favorite porn moment?
It was one of the strangest scenes in any movie, porn or otherwise: Charlotte Stokely was playing a prostitute, and William Wood was her drug-dealer boyfriend. He was really out of it the whole scene, barely paying attention to her. They start having sex, and she says, “I love it when we do things together.”

Is most of it scripted or improv?
Usually they’ll set up a situation and say to the actors, “Pixie’s pregnant, and she’s trying to convince you to give her money to get an abortion–- go!”

Do you feel it’s at all problematic to donate your porn earnings to charity?
Half the money from porn is going to some hustler, so with the money I make, at least it can go to something good. I also give away a lot from art. I think artists should do that more, frankly, because we can afford it. Any artist that shows in a gallery makes a lot of money, because paintings are expensive things. A lot of artists feel that whatever message is in their work is benefiting humanity, but what you do in galleries just isn’t that popular-– it doesn’t get out to that many people. If you want to change things, change them with money. I try to put my money where my mouth is.

How often do your porn partners show up in your art?
I’ve always made pictures of the people around me. Pretty consistently, the girls in the movies show up in the art and vice versa.

Has being "alternative" made it easier or more difficult to succeed in the art and porn worlds?
n music or regular movies, or TV, you can make a movie, TV show, or record for people who don’t like the things that usually come out, and you’ll get an audience. The Ramones made records for people who hated the music at that time, and people bought it. But in porn and contemporary art, most of the economy is based on selling your product to the same people who bought the last product. If you sell contemporary art, you’re nobody until the people who used to buy Andy Warhols buy your work. You can’t make a big splash in porn unless you sell to the guys who go into porno shops and buy 20 movies at once. It’s very hard to break that cycle and create an audience than in other industries.

Have you ever been alienated in the bourgeois art world because of it?
It’s not that people are pushing me out and saying bad things, as much as they seem to be ignoring a lot of artists and concerns I think are important. Whether or not you like them, there’s a future in people like Banksy, Chris Ware, Juxtapoz-– if contemporary art has a future at all, not just as things people want to look at, but things people want to make. The art world at large hasn’t realized the Andy Warhol way of things is dead. At some point in the last century, pop culture started being more avant-garde than high art. It’s become a specialized thing like fishing. The future of art is not this conceptual game people have been playing with each other, but making art with your own two hands that people would want to look at.

Did you ever use your status as an artist or a porn star to pick up girls? If so, which one works more often?
It has less to do with which one works, as opposed to who it works with. You meet somebody you like, tell them everything about you, and they decide to sleep with you. It’s hard to tell why. I lean more toward the girls you meet in porn than those in the art world. I don’t like sweaters, and a lot of girls in the contemporary art world wear sweaters. And sandals. Porn girls never wear sandals. I like that– it’s like saying, “Hey, I care.”

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions planned?
I’m working on my next show, in October, in New York. The title I like right now is “Everything Has Already Been Done, Poorly.” Like how people say, “Everything has already been done,” and I think, “but not very well.” The next frontier is doing things with quality and depth, and giving a shit. It’s a very unexplored dimension in art, since it’s so easy to make money without it.

Any book projects?
I’m working on a book about my experiences in porn–- pictures and stories, called Pornography in the Time of Bad Ideas. I just feel like we’re in a really horrible, almost hopeless time— especially with regards to people who make art and have an ability to talk to the rest of the world. But, we keep making these things, and maybe someday, people will pick up what we did and think it’s worth something.

~Leann Peterson


All artwork by Zak Smith

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:47 PM | Permalink

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Bowerbirds play a lush mix of folky, Americana tunes filled with accordion, violin, and acoustic instrumentals that invokes the tranquility of their Appalachian setting. Consisting of native resident Beth Tacular, her partner Phil Moore, and Mark Paulson–- two more recent Iowa imports-– the band has a clear connection to nature, reflected in their lyrics about the sounds of the forest up to their avian-inspired name, which Tacular adopted after reading about the particular breed in a children’s encyclopedia.

Having just released their latest album Hymns From A Dark Horse this week (June 17), and on the cusp of embarking on a hectic national tour supporting soul-folk-singing friend Bon Iver, psychoPEDIA caught up with the music-making couple of Tacular and Moore, who currently reside in an airstream trailer in the countryside outside of Raleigh, for a tour of their scenic hometown:

What are the hometown influences behind your newest album?
At the time the songs were written, we were living in the country. I think it has a lot of “space” because of that– a clarity.

Since your music is potent with natural elements, what are your favorite outdoor sites?
Umstead Park has a great trail system to walk around, and Lake Johnson. The whole of North Carolina is just trees. Everything’s lush and green here.

Is there a good spot for bird watching?
Out where we live is wonderful. We see so many different varieties. And the Hollow River is great— you see a lot of bald eagles.

As an earth-loving band, do you have favorite eco-friendly places in town? Piedmont Biofuels Co-op is a great place to get gasoline if you drive a diesel. With restaurants here, since there’s a big farming infrastructure, they get a lot of produce from local sources. At Enoteca Vin, where Mark works, they get a lot of their meat, greens, and other vegetables from local places. There are a few fair-trade, organic coffee places, too— Royal Bean, and Counter Culture. And a street market in Pittsboro called Chatam Marketplace, where 95% percent of the meat is organic and natural.

Best way to keep cool in the North Carolina heat?
Locopops, a new popsicle business started in Durham. It’s a little retail space, painted white with no decoration and a freezer against one wall. They have hundreds of varieties that they make them themselves. Cream-based and vegan ones, flavors like strawberry basil or rosemary chocolate. They also have dog popsicles!

Which shops are best for getting folk instruments like the ones you play? There’s a place called High Strung Music. Fat Sound has great amplifiers, guitars, and old acoustics. But we get our accordions from a guy in Wisconsin.

Favorite local clubs to play?
Bull City Headquarters— a little co-op space with a bicycle repair shop in it. Then there’s Local 506, which has the staple bands that come through, and Cat’s Cradle which houses larger bands.

Since aside from the music, you're also a visual artist, what are your favorite places to display or check out other work?
My favorite gallery is Lump. They bring the most avant-garde or cutting-edge emerging artists, established weird art, or locally progressive art to the Triangle. If I didn’t have it, my idea of art in the public world would’ve been limited to what I saw in magazines. Downtown Raleigh has an Art Walk on the first Friday of the month, where all galleries have an opening. I’ve also shown at Design Box. Wootini in Capitol Hill brings artists from around the country as well as local artists. They even have an area with Japanese toys. And Branch Gallery is fancier, but still has some aesthetically cutting-edge art.

Where do you go to get a dose of outside culture?
The Internationalist Bookstore and Community Center is great, because they have sections on ecology, gender studies, sexuality, and the best magazine selection. The Regulator Bookstorein Durham, and Quail Ridge, which has a classical music section. The Center for Documentary Studies has the International Documentary Film Festival every year-– put on by progressive-minded people to open eyes to an environmental issue or labor issue. And the American Dance Festival happens here.

Best places to pick up antiques or home furnishings for your nest?
Father & Son Antiques— it’s vintage mid-century stuff. We bought a lot of our furniture there. You can get second-hand things at the same price as a regular store. Beggars & Choosers has some furniture, cheaper than at other antique stores, but it’s good for vintage and antique clothes, neat old jewelry, and household things like pictures frames and fabrics. I get a lot of my clothes there, because they have dresses from 1910s and 1930s. I just bought a couple of slips from 1910 at 10 dollars each.

Young female bowerbirds are known for having a penchant for "fancy men." Where are the best places to pick up them up?
Mark in our band is “fancy.” He’s single and needs to be picked up. The Raleigh Times Bar is probably where you’d find them. It’s a cross-over place where hipsters and yuppies go. They seem to bathe. They’re the cleanest men, and put product in their hair. Clean-cut sort of dandies.

Where would you go to do a courtship dance after you’ve found your mate?
Hell has a dance night. And a bar called the Jackpot up the street from Mark’s house– the seedy, dirty, smoky hipster bar in town.

What about your own first date in town?
We went to Reservoir to see the band Caliphone. Afterwards, we went dumpster diving at the PTA Thrift Store. I used to do that because you could find the stuff people didn’t think was good enough to sell. We found My Little Pony figurines and 80s unicorn stickers. I was in the middle of doing a series of paintings about unicorns, so it was meant to be! Then we went to a bar called the Orange County Social Club, with a neat beer garden in the back. We had a couple drinks, then went to Forest Theater—an amphitheatre in Chapel Hill, near the UNC campus. There are hiking trails and woods on one side, and the university on the other. No one goes there at night, so it’s really quiet. We just climbed on a big wall where we hung out until 5 in the morning.

Best place to spend an overnight romantic stay?
There’s a B&B that’s an organic goat farm, called Celebrity Dairy. And there’s a nice camping site on the Eno River in the state park, which has a beautiful river and trees.

Favorite thing about Raleigh?
You can walk to everything. And everywhere you go, you run into 6 people you know.


~Leann Peterson

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 01:03 PM | Permalink

Having evolved from the ashes of lo-fi distorted garage noise acts like Coachwhips, The Hospitals, and the most seminal of Providence label, Load Records has ever released: the mighty Burmese, it came then as a surprise when John Dwyer emerged as the frontman of Thee Oh Sees, with the gentler folk sound.

Maybe it was the move to San Francisco from Providence, but this was an altogether quieter Dwyer. However, like a kid pretending to be grown up for a week and failing OCS (Orange County Sound) swiftly mutated into Thee Oh Sees, and started getting loose all over again. Their album The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In should be sitting tall on end of year lists everywhere, combining elements of all Dwyer’s past into an impulsive and petulantly coherent whole.

Beyond Shoreditch, venues that consistently put on shows of any quality in deeper East London are few and far between. If you aren’t watching a band in Dalston's Bardens Boudoir, it’s likely you won’t be watching a band at all. With this in mind, it East London residents welcomed the opening of council-funded venue Café Oto that popped up out of nowhere just two weeks ago behind Dalston-Kingsland station. With a string of great gigs in the near future thanks to the ever reliable Upset The Rhythm collective and a cake and beer list long enough to bring tears to ones eyes, psychoPEDIA caught up with Thee Oh Sees-– Dwyer, Petey Dammit, Mike Shoun, and Brigid Dawson-- to talk venues, lake of cake, and organic beer:

How does Dalston compare to San Francisco?
JD: Right now Dalston is nice. We are just sitting out here on the curb in the sun drinking coffee.
PD: In fact, this is probably exactly what we would be doing if we were in San Francisco right now.
MS: You would probably actually be asleep.
PD: Jet lag is a bitch. All those timezones. My head can’t keep up.

How were the venues as opposed to on the mainland?
JD: On this particular tour, they have all been fairly standard. But with other bands I’ve played with, I’ve played everywhere: you name it. Squats where the punks want your blood, pool tables, beer halls, caves. Wherever we could get power. It sounds awful but they all kind of merge into one.
PD: We had a great show in our practice space in San Francisco recently, though. Does that count as a venue?

What made it so great?
MS: It was Brigid’s birthday. We were practicing and we had everything planned so that mid-practice, all her friends burst in and surprised her.
BD: I was pretty scared, but in a good way.

Did you know that "oto" means "sound" in Japanese?
JD: No, but I do now.
PD: I see what they did there.

How are you finding the full range of organic beers and ciders?
PD: I like the label with the Bayeaux Tapestry painting, but it costs five pounds. I’m sticking to coffee.
JD: The coffee is excellent. It reminds me of the coffee in this little SF joint where we used to go and bum out and drink cup after cup and smoking a whole bunch of cigarettes or whatever.

Does it bother you that you can't smoke indoors in the UK anymore?
JD: They are weird about it in the US. Some venues just turn a blind eye. I can imagine it must suck bumming smokes in the winter here.

What do you think of this Bretton beer-- so organic that it has loads of sediment?
PD: I’m not into that. It looks like mud in beer. They serve Kronenberg and Beck too. We are gonna get a bunch of that in later.
JD: The coffee is great though, I want to stress that. And you can always drink coffee. Beer is sometimes just not feasible. But, coffee? Always.

How about the space itself?
JD: I really like it. It is super simple. Just a nice square white box. Everything has slight sense of DIY to it. Like the guy DJing has his turntables on top of a vintage sled. Sled? Sleigh? I’m not sure the proper term, but one of those rickety old wooden things.
PD: They also haven’t started doing food yet. Can we come back and play again when they are doing cakes? They say the cakes are coming. But when?
JD: Good cakes and good people. That is all you need. The people here seem great–- the promoters, the kids, the local guys. People told me this place was rough, but it’s been great. We just need those cakes now.

~James Knight

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:56 PM | Permalink

A lot of people have many things to say about the oppositely laconic Jay Lindsey. So much so, that the time spent conjecturing on a guy who calls himself Jay Reatard almost out-weigh the long list that comprises his tireless discography. Say what you will, but he doesn’t stand still for a second and prefers to do and get done rather than stand around talking about it.

Reatard began his recording career in Memphis at 15. Restless, he cut a record, calling his band simply "The Reatards." Except that it wasn’t a band at all-- just him playing guitar with as much distortion as possible when hitting an empty bucket to create a beat. While most of his contemporaries were busy getting on with high school, Reatard had already completed his first European tour.

His move to major label Matador has already seen a slew of 7”s with a soon-to-be-released album, and the summer has seen a furious live schedule with many of his shows already famous for disintegrating into scenes reminiscent of a bar-room brawl.

Following the notorious flying fists incident in Toronto psychoPEDIA caught up with Reatard, and bandmates Billy Hayes and Stephen Hope, to get his views on the untamable mobs his shows seem to attract:

How are you finding UK audiences compared to the reactions you get in the US?
JR: Every night is different.
BH: We played a pretty furious show at a pub in London the other day. I think someone threw the air conditioner out of the window and it almost landed on someone.
SH: We’ve got a house show lined up when we get back to London as well. They are always fun.

Do you worry the crowd may get too crazy and ruin your gear, as has happened before?
JR: That was totally different. That was people being jerks. If people want to come to a show and have a good time, that’s cool. Just don’t come and be a jerk.

How have you found ATP Festival, and seeing so many bands play a rundown British holiday camp?
BH: Yeah it has been weird. But it is sunny and people seem to like staying up late and having a good time and stuff. We pretty much played so that we could just hang out for three days.

Whose chalet has the best party?
BH: There seemed to be a lot of people at the Deerhunter kids' chalet last night.

In comparison to some of your earlier work, would you say the more recent singles have a pop feel to them?
JR: Fuck that man. That is just demeaning. We sound like Husker Du with Geddy Lee on vocals.

Would it sound the same if you ditched the flying V's?
JR: I don’t know. Probably.

~James Knight

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 11:47 AM | Permalink

Thick, white, goopy sunblock is a thing reserved for camp lifeguards and grandparents vacationing at the beach. Thankfully, the days of being forced to use a toothpaste-like cream that leaves white residue are gone. Today, getting good, invisible sun protection is easy, as the best SPF-inclusive creams out there are sophisticated, light, and do way more than just block sun. From face to body, here are psychoPEDIA’s favorite five:

Clarins UV Plus Day Screen High Protection SPF 40 $40 (1 oz)
If this product had no SPF in it, it'd still be a winner for the way it feels: light, luxurious, instantly absorbent and emollient. But the fact that it contains a whopping SPF of 40 takes it over the top; due to its micronized mineral filter technology, it's completely smooth and great for sensitive skin. And it leaves your face looking matte -- a major boon in the sweaty months. It’s among the most cutting-edge skincare available.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps Light-Weight Body Lotion SPF 30 $26.50 (8.4oz)
Kiehl's original Creme de Corps is one of the most lavish body creams on the market -- its rich texture provides a massive moisture infusion. Now they have a new summer version, that's lighter weight and more appropriate for the hot weather – but, though lighter than the original, it feels just as luxurious. And it's got SPF 30, important because while we know to slather our face with SPF, too often we forget our precious limbs.

Shiseido Sun Protection Spray SPF 16 for Hair & Body 5 oz, $26
Your hair can get sunburned too -- and though there are not the same health risks associated with skin exposure, there is a palpable risk of your hair looking really bad. That's where this spray comes in -- not only does it shield hair from the sun without weighing it down, it also works great on your body, not to mention that it has a fresh, light botanical scent.

Estee Lauder Sun Towelettes SPF 15 $25 (for 10)
The key with this product is the easy delivery system -- just a sweep of the hand and you're done. This individually wrapped towelettes make it easy to stay protected from the sun on-the-run or if you're out for a beach day -- just throw a few in your bag and go. The moist towelettes have water-resistant, broad-spectrum SPF 15 protection, and anti-spot technology that ensures an even application.

Cellex-C Hydra Hand Cream SPF 15 $40
You can’t get a face lift for your hands; therefore, they are one of the places your age shows first. To prevent spotting and wrinkling, you have to get SPF into your hand cream. This one’s got an SPF of 15, as well as Cellex-C’s typically exhaustive blend of exotic moisturizing ingredients, like kikui nut oil, horse chestnut extract, chamomile and shea butter. So you can feel confident sealing the deal with a hearty handshake.

~Stephen Milioti

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:05 PM | Permalink

Bedraggled filmmaker Chris Waitt, in one short debut, has perfected the art of being a total loser. Following an unhealthy professional obsession with puppets, the 33-year-old found himself dumped and unemployed.

Waitt decided a simple solution to his problems would be to put himself in front of the camera. Borrowing money from his mother, he decided to delve into what promised to be a reassuringly shallow psychological self-profile-– contacting each of his ex-girlfriends and asking for an interview on why they dumped him.

Three weeks into filming, the money had run out and no one was speaking to him. Nearly killing the whole project, on one rare brainwave, Waitt showed the film to Warp Films, who could see that his film, despite being highly distressing for the protagonist, was highly entertaining to others. Film4 raised funding and Waitt began a publicly-funded career in professional stalking, resulting in the bemusing escapades of A Complete History of My Sexual Failures.

PsychoPEDIA sat down with the shaking shell of a man and discussed honesty, inappropriate timing from mother, and ex's scary new boyfriends:

Where did the initial idea for the documentary come from?
Nothing other than being dumped by a succession of girls and being unclear as to the reasons why. I remember almost all the events in the film as awkward, depressing, and extremely humiliating. Watching them back on screen, they seem hilarious and enjoyable, as the women make mincemeat of me, and I come off as a total loser. The mind has a great way of turning depressing experiences into amusing anecdotes, and filmmaking can do the same I suppose.

How honest is your film?
I’m not naturally the most honest person. The main gripe my ex-girlfriends have, apart from me being lousy in bed is that I’m a fucking liar. But in the film, those are all my ex-girlfriends, all those horrific encounters actually happened. There are still two ex’s suing me-– I don’t know how much I am allowed to say–- simply on the grounds of contacting them.

You can get sued for a phone call?
They weren’t phone calls. I sat outside one’s house in a van with my cameraman. We were waiting for her new boyfriend to leave so I could try and interview her. He saw me out the window and went wild. I ran away, but he caught my cameraman and said if this was anything to do with Chris Waitt, he would personally kill him. Me. Or, he’d end up in a fucking wheelchair, that was it. It all went a bit sour.

What have other girlfriends' reactions been?
All the ex-girlfriends are invited to the premier, which could prove to be a messy evening. Alex, my girlfriend who I met on my Viagra experiment, has seen it. She sat with her hood up except in the S&M scene where she glanced over with raised eyebrows. I did have a family screening at Christmas. It didn’t go down well. I sat watching the stuff and began questioning what process someone has to go through to film themselves being humiliated repeatedly, having their balls whipped and then showing the footage to their mum? That’s just sick.

Not least, as your mom calls as your hired dominatrix is inspecting your bare bottom?
Hee hee. My mum always calls at inappropriate moments.

What’s been the reactions of viewers?
I've mainly been approached by weird guys who seem to want to tell me about their sexual problems. After screenings, I also get interest from middle-aged women who talk to me in quite a sympathetic way.

Aside from the aforementioned, can you say what your "huge problems" are?
Were you ever tempted to turn it into a script and put someone else in the starring role?
I tried writing a number of scripts about being dumped, but I found it hard to finish them, and I'm not sure I'm a very good writer anyway. In the end it was easier just to jump in a van and go and stalk my ex-girlfriends. I find myself idiotic. I have zero personal dignity, no grace, no self-respect.

Don't you reveal some ego simply by making the film?
It’s more an unhealthy self-obsession.

~Iphgenia Baal

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 11:57 AM | Permalink

Modern music as we know it wouldn't be around without the city of Cincinnati. From James Brown and the Isley Brothers to the Afgham Whigs, it has birthed a shockingly wide array of icons. Bad Veins-- comprised of Benjamin Davis and Sebastien Schultz-- are another duo born from this musically prolific city, and have popped up loud and clear on the international radar thanks to Alexandra Patsavas of Chop Shop Records and the Target Music Maker award. Capable of swelling orchestrations and ballads wise beyond their years, it's hard to comprehend that there are only two members, accompanied merely by an antique movie projector onstage.

While the two are currently in studio working on their highly anticipated debut album, psychoPEDIA joined Schultz to shed some light on the city they call home:

Since Cincinnati has a Coney Island, is there a connection with Brooklyn?
It used to be called “Coney Island of the West,” then the name changed to just Coney Island. Sounds sort of shady, I know. Parenthetically, we do have a connection to Brooklyn. We have the Roebling Suspension Bridge that crosses from Cincinnati over to northern Kentucky. This bridge served as the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge— so you’re welcome, New York City. Theirs is bigger, but then, everything is bigger in NYC.

Could you please explain the Cincinnati chili phenomenon?
To be fair, it’s not special unless it’s Skyline Chili. Seriously, that’s all you need to know. Fine— I’ll elaborate. Skyline Chili came to the city back in the 1940s. It was brought to us by a fine Greek gentleman who had the genius to add a little something to the chili— chocolate and cinnamon. You can choose to have coney’s or three-ways (spaghetti, chili, and cheese). There have been days where I’ve eaten at Skyline for lunch, dinner, and then post-bar. Yes, it’s that good.

Best restaurant when someone else is picking up the tab?
Hell– if I’m not paying, I would say The Precinct. However, I’ve heard some amazing things about Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. Ben and I have been to his bistro, and we where more than satisfied.

Good place for brunch?
Melt or Honey in Northside.

Best neighborhood to hang out, grab coffee, or shop?
Northside—they have best record shop in town as well some of the best restaurants. Plenty of variety and the bars/venues have some of the best shows in Cincinnati.

What about places to catch a gig for an up-and-coming band?
I’ve seen amazing shows everywhere from the Comet all the way up to the Taft Theater. The Southgate House is our indie mainstay venue, whatever that means. Everyone from Stephen Malkmus to Arcade Fire has played there. I remember seeing The Shins play there years ago when Oh, Inverted World came out. There were around 30 to 50 people in a venue that holds over 600. The next time they came, it was sold out. Additionally, the inventor of the Thompson Submachine Gun was born there—so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Favorite place to play yourselves?
Probably The Northside Tavern. I grew up going to loads of punk shows—where you could pretty much stand about an inch from the entire band. Northside Tavern is similar—the crowd surrounds you and you can feel the energy in the room the minute you start playing. Larger venues are great, but nothing quite feels like those intimate shows where people are attentive and focused on every aspect of the songs and, ultimately, the performance.

Where do you pick up new music?
Shake It! Records in Northside and Everybody’s Records, just a bit North of the city. Both have amazing selections—you can find anything you want.

What’s your favorite of all the museums the city has to offer?
Undoubtedly, Union Terminal houses our Natural Science and History museums as well as our Omnimax. It used to be a train station back in the 1930s, but has since been converted into an amazing museum. Beyond that, we have the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Contemporary Arts Center—both of which are certainly worth a visit.

Any sights you'd recommend for people visiting the city?
The museums here are great, but we also have King’s Island and Beach Waterpark just north of the city, which appeals to mostly everyone.

Speaking of sights, ever run into Peter Frampton?
Actually, yes. We were backstage together at the Taft Theatre a few years ago for the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards. Bootsy Collins was there as well.

What's a little known fact about Cincinnati?
We have an entire subway system under the city that dates back to the 1920s. The catch, however— it has never been operational. They built a majority of it back before the depression—even completing the stations. Unfortunately, the money ran out, so it has never run. From what I understand, though, a significant amount of tax money goes into maintaining the subway every year. I suppose this is prudent considering we have giant tunnels under our downtown streets, but it’d be nice to at least get to use it after 80 years.

~Abbey Braden

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 01:11 PM | Permalink

Los Angeles-based electro-bass singer and DJ, Lady Tigra, was raised in Spanish Harlem, Queens, New York. However, it was a move to heat-drenched and sexually-infused Miami that became the catalyst to her nine-life career in music. Prior to working as a solo artist, Lady Tigra was part of L'Trimm-- a female rapping duo in Miami’s provocative-lyric-driven bass moment, in which 2 Live Crew served as her big brothers of sorts. More recently, breaking out on her own, besides opening shows for Kanye West and Gnarls Barkley, she’s releasing her debut solo album, Please Mr. BoomBox, on High Score Records, which even guest stars female hip hop legend MC Lyte.

As artists like Lady Tigra are on the forefront of fashion and music, she was eager to test out WESC’s new premiere line of headphones for DJing, specifically the Bag Pipe model-– which boasts DJs like Steve Aoki and Stretch Arm Strong as designers. In her own words, here’s what she had to say about the headphones:

What was the Miami Bass scene like?
Obviously, they didn’t play it on the radio, because it was too dirty. You could only exchange mix tapes with friends. We got those from swamp meets and flea markets. It was a very much word of mouth.

How did you develop as a female artist in a musical genre so driven by sex and female objectification?
I feel that throughout hip-hop, all the branches in general have sexist objectification, which has always come up. It’s definitely been the focus of its music. However, there’s always the counterpart to that objectification. For example, artists like Queen Latifah and, of course, L'Trimm. There were a few other female bands on a local level in Miami, and they weren’t necessarily rapping about booty too!

Were you ever in a situation where you felt very uncomfortable?
We were really lucky because, number one, we were really hard-headed and strong. Also, the men that were around and working with us were very protective. Whenever we played with 2 Live Crew, they always looked out. Sometimes they wouldn’t even let us watch their show! Not many people would dare to step out of line and try to objectify us. If anything, we were doing the objectification to ourselves. We wrote the suggestive lyrics rather than the sexual lyrics. “Grab It” is obviously very suggestive. You could’ve tried to objectify us, but we wouldn’t let that happen.

What did you think of the headphones?
The model I have is really pretty. They’re white and the ear part is yellow. The sound is really great, too. I have an afro, so I have difficult time keeping myself looking fresh because I get headphone-head, and due to the top of the headphones that expand, I can look good! They come in a bunch of different colors, too.

How would you compare WESC with your previous headphones?
My old headphones were wack. WESC headphones are dope!

What makes these work so well?
The crispness, outrageously good bass, the fit and workmanship.

What's the most important factor in choosing the right headphones?
The sound field, like to hear every nuance of a song.

If you had to choose between a cool looking or excellent sounding headphone, which would you pick?
Sound is everything. look is still important though. Luckily I don't have to choose between fashion and function with these.

Where did you wear them to DJ?
I played at this party called The Bronson Bar. On Sunset and Bronson in Los Angeles. It’s a party I just got involved in every Friday. I co-host that. I DJed that night with DJ Cookiebrownie and DJ Afghani Children.

What kind of music did you play?
Funk-Hip-hop-R&B-World Beat-really really happy “shake your booty” music.

What’s the best party you’ve ever DJed?
I got to spin at an Barack Obama benefit at temporary spaces here in Los Angeles. I’m was so excited about being a part of the event and that Michelle Obama being our black First Lady! Actually, Afghani kids and I want to write a song called “Black First Lady,” I think we’re going to record it soon.

Who’d play at your fantasy line up of DJs and musicians?
I’d play a benefit in Haiti. I’d love to have all my homies like Stretch Armstrong, Steve Aoki and Pase Rock. I’d also love to have live performances as well. M.I.A., MC Lyte. My fantasy line up would be all over the place. If it was a full-on-fantasy, I’d probably have to resurrect Nina Simone as well!

~Jessica McMenamin

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:26 PM | Permalink

Two behemoths of Victorian design recently appeared on the banks of the Hudson and Thames. These enormous telescopic devices are linked, and whether by a great feat of engineering brought to life by an eccentric or a highly imaginative visual artist with a penchant for the wonders of real time video-streaming, this Telectroscope has already managed to wow two of the worlds largest cities.

The man behind the creation is artist Paul St. George, who claims that his creation is a real tunnel that grants viewers the chance to see through to the other side using an extravagant series of lenses and mirrors. The design is inspired by the discovery of his great grandfather Alexander Stanhope St George’s plans for a similarly outrageous creation, which never came to fruition, due to the reported deterioration of his mental state and being sent to an insane asylum where he passed away in 1917.

St George is also an artist obsessed with different realities and the idea of spectacle-- paving the way for his fantastical shrouding of the reality of the Telectroscope. Whether the device is truly a man-made wonder that’s design harkens back to the 1800s or just a demonstration of broadband in the 2000s, it’s popular with the young and old alike, who gather day and night to communicate across the Atlantic ,via waves or a humble white board and pen.

Despite an age obsessed with emails, web cams, text messaging, St. George discovered a way one can still get excited over two tin cans on a string, a two way mirror, or asking someone’s name on a white board a million miles away. Without Morse code or smoke signals, psychoPEDIA quizzed him on the past, future and how he could dig a tunnel through the earth:

Were you just inspired to replicate your grandfather's original plans, or was there something you felt in the social climate of the world today that needed the telectroscope?
Currently we need to revive the spirit of innovation and unbridled optimism that was prevalent at the end of the nineteenth century.

What was the biggest hurdle you faced when trying to build the telectroscope?
Connections. I knew the tunnels were there, but it took time to get permission to use them. In the end, I told each tunnel owner that all the other owners had given permission and that the whole venture was just waiting on them.

How difficult was it to coordinate?
Planning permission at each end was difficult but not impossible. Planning permission in middle Earth was almost impossible, as it required international treaties. This is why the project has to be temporary. The delegates need to meet again to decide who owns what.

Do you think there are any other things London can learn from New York and vice versa?
Londoners have been learning how to be more direct, and New Yorkers have been learning how to be less direct. Since the Telectroscope, I have heard a man in the Lower East Side say: “Would you mind awfully if I had some tomato sauce on that hot dog?” Then when I returned, I heard a woman in Hoxton turn to another bus passenger and say “Weather?”

Since building the tunnel and seeing the interactions between people, have you thought about linking separated communities together-- helping those to understand less fortunate areas of the world?
We have fortunate and unfortunate, understood and misunderstood in all areas of the world and around us. I want to link other cities with Telectroscopes so we can enjoy and be closer to people in different cultures and to those around us. It is easy to overlook the way people come together at each end of the Telectroscope as well as through the Telectroscope.

How does the project link with your past artistic ventures or future plans?
The Telectroscope completes an unfinished story. I have collected a number of similarly fantastic unfinished stories and I plan to complete more of these.

Was there concern in the family that tis venture could go horribly wrong and make you the source of ridicule that once happened to your great grandfather?
My analyst has advised me to avoid this question.

As a child did you have a penchant for the periscope, telescope or any kind of scope to spy on friends, crushes, parents?
Windows have always fascinated me. The Telectroscope is like a window into a different place. The suppression of absence.

~Kevin Soar

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:47 PM | Permalink

Father’s Day rolls around every third Sunday in June, and no thanks to the extreme heatwave that has you hiding indoors, finding a gift for your father to top last year’s can be even more overwhelming. If your Dad has been especially helpful this year, you may want to opt for more than just a simple card.

Putting in a little extra thought for a gift can go a long way, so here is psychoPEDIA’s guide to gifts for just about every type of dad:

Mid-Life Crisis Dad
Rock-n-Roll Fantasy Camp (TBD)
If your dad constantly talks about the “good old days” and how he lost his big chance to become a rock star, maybe guitar lessons will cure his blues. At Camp Jam, he can party and play with a former rocker-- whose records he probably still listens to. He’ll have a blast while brushing up on his technical skills. Just hope he doesn’t take it too far and try to join a band when he gets home!

Foodie Dad
Gourmet Food Retreat (TBD)
While your dad loves going out for a well-cooked meal, it's even better when he can make one at home himself. Treat your Dad to some cooking lessons run by The Conscious Gourmet. The Core Program, offered exclusively in New York City by the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health will teach him how to cook well-balanced and nutritious meals. And for the more adventurous, you can send dad to New Mexico or Arizona for a 6-day retreat where he'll learn essential knife skills mixed in with yoga.

Car Lover Dad
Car MD ($89.99)
If your dad is a car obsessed, DIY-type, the Car MD is his ultimate fantasy gadget. Men are stubborn when it comes to asking for directions, so your dad will be pleased to know the device can diagnose automobile problems quickly and easily, making him feel like "king of the hill" when he solves his car dilemmas without assistance. Plus, the next time the “check engine” light pops-up, he’ll know what it actually means.

Pampered Dad
Since your father always took such good care of you, pay him back by getting him the Ultimate Men's Health package at the California Health & Longevity Institute, which offers professional consultations with physicians, dieticians, and physiologists to make sure he has the best in preventative health care. Not only will the three to five-day retreats allow your dad to de-stress from work with spa treatments and acupuncture, he'll maintain good habits with workshops that teach healthy eating and workout regiments.

Fishing Father
SmartCast RF30 ($59.99)
Since you’ve never seen your father happier than after a good catch, Humminbird carries a wide range of fishing gadgets that will thrill any fisherman. The SmartCast RF30 is a waterproof, remote sensor that clips onto the fishing line like a lure and tells you where the fish are, sending communication from the water to the wristwatch display.

New or Expecting Dad
Camo Diaper Bag ($32)
This discrete, camo-print diaper bag without cartoon characters and floral prints is a functional accessory for a new or expecting dad. It accommodates all of the baby’s essentials for the day, along with a few extra pockets for Daddy’s gear, and Mr. Mom won’t have to be embarrassed to carry it.

~Joanna Kunze

For more gift ideas, try:
Meat of the Month Club or Fruit of the Month.
Pill Dispensers & Timers
Enrica Rocca Cooking School in Venice

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 02:49 PM | Permalink

Television is filled with God awful music shows with bands on ‘the cusp of stardom’ and embarrassingly persistent pop stars that are two rehab steps away from obscurity. It’s shocking when out of the rubbish comes an artist that sounds like a carnival for gypsies who have just discovered how to cast Voodoo spells on teenage virgins. Her name is Ebony Bones-– a young woman who gyrates across the stage outfits that looks like a rainbow having sex with a bag of Skittles. This London-based former soap star, turned pop-punk artist, apparently made mega-producer Timbaland “jump out of his seat,” and has been described as a “pop-superheroine” by the Times.

psychoPEDIA joined the artist, who will be hitting several European music festivals this summer, including a sold-out show with legendary Grace Jones, and posed some intimate questions about life, love, and Bill Cosby:

It says on the internet you used to be on a soap opera?
Yes, I was–- The Cosby Show.

What made you leave?
I left, because I had a few issues with Bill...

Why did you decide to form a rock group?
I tried to get a job at TJ Maxx [British discount clothing chain], but they refused my CV. Without that hefty dose of failure, Ebony Bones would have never happened.

Where did the name come from?
Ebony is the name I was born with. Bones is after my favorite D.C comic character Mr. Bones. He was an experiment by an insane gynecologist. Bones is an African American with transparent skin who chain-smokes and speaks entirely in rhyme. He used to rob people off the streets to make money. Inspirational stuff.

Do you find it hard to be a black singer when most people in your genre are white?
Hold up…I'm black?

I heard you are a strict diva type who throws tantrums when you don’t get your own way?
Someone really said that? That’s it, he's out!

How do you describe your sound?
Like Cleopatra reincarnated in search of a KFC.

What do you love about the industry?
Producing and writing my own tracks, playing my own instruments, and dancing to them on stage like a 5 year old.

Speaking of, do you worry about keeping your look together with the jumping and sweating onstage?
Yes, my hair and sweat usually equals a scary looking afro.

Strangest thing that’s happened to you while performing?
I was once snogged by Grace Jones.

What do you hate about the industry?
Lazy journalism.

Who’s the last person you wanted to punch in the face?
A traffic warden at precisely two minutes to nine o’clock today.

Can you remember your fist kiss?
All I remember was that I was young, and I needed the money.

Do you enjoy kissing girls, or would you rather just skip the foreplay and get to the sex?
Seriously, who have you been talking to?

What makes someone a good kisser?
I wouldn't know, really – I’m more of a biter.

Do you use like use your hands a lot, or are you a 'hands in the pockets' kind of gal?
I jam my teeth in their necks then fly off into the moonlight.

How do you think your technique has improved over the years?
I was that child, forever biting the boys in the playground that I secretly liked. Sigh. Some things never change.

Who's a famous person that you think would be a good kisser?
Arnold from Diff'rent Strokes. Just so I can say “I kissed a black midget.” And I always liked Mikey from The Goonies. Until I saw his character in Lord of the Rings, that is.

Do you think having big lips automatically makes you a better at it?
It definitely helps!

Do you close your eyes or keep them open?
I keep them open, so I can look out for traffic wardens. Can you tell if someone is good at sex by the way they kiss? I don’t know, actually. You'll have to read “The Ebony Bones Guide to Kissing Randoms,” out soon with the album.

~Donald Crunk @ Styleslut

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:49 PM | Permalink

Matt Allen is many things: an international adventurer, fundraiser, and avid concertgoer on a perpetual road trip. Matt’s also an Ice Cream Man, whose made it his mission to give it away for free, of which all he asks in exchange for a popsicle is a smile and a snapshot, which he posts on his website. Operating solely on sponsorship, he can often be found doling out frosty treats backstage at music festivals. As a result, he’s become a favorite with audiences and musicians alike– just ask Jack White, Perry Farrell, or Daft Punk. Three years into his goal of sharing half a million gratis frozen treats, Ice Cream Man now has 100 volunteers spanning the globe, all committed to the power of positive thinking. Now into his third North American tour, he hops from one music festival to another, making time for stops at ice cream socials in children's hospitals along the way.

psychoPEDIA caught up with Ice Cream Man on the road, in the midst of a hail storm in Iowa, heading to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee. Taking place on a 700 acre farm outside Nashville, in small town Manchester, this annual summer fest is known for it's laid back vibe and extensive lineup, not to mention being consistently voted 'Best Festival in North America' by music publications, critics, and audiences alike. With about 60 thousand attendees, in essence, Bonnaroo becomes Tennessee's third largest city for four days in June. Encompassing all types of music imaginable, this year also promises onsite cinema, a comedy club, silent disco, and classic arcade. Here are the Bonnaroo veteran’s tips for surviving 4 days of camping, music, and dancing:

Which music festivals do you hit each year?
Pretty much all of them. There’s about a 5 month period where three quarters of the weekends, I’m at a musical festival. Right now I’m on my way to Wakarusa this weekend in Lawrence, Kansas.

Why is Bonnaroo considered the best and most "over-the-top" of them all?
You show up on Thursday, and until Monday morning, you’re in another world. With 60 thousand people, it’s like a small town in itself. I consider it the grand-daddy of US festivals, because it’s its own entity. They get a great mix of music, and it’s not like anything else. Once you show up, you don’t have to go anywhere. All you have to do is make it back to your campsite. I love Bonnaroo, but it’s absolutely nuts. The festival doesn’t even close— it’s open 24 hours!

What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you there?
I passed out in the dead center once. I was sitting watching the bands, and all of a sudden, everybody was gone. I was just sitting on a chair in the middle of nowhere, thinking “wow.”

Who are the most anticipated acts for this year?
Having Metallica and Pearl Jam headlining— that’s huge. Personally, I’m looking forward to Henry Butler. Ghostland Observatory is doing a late night set, and those guys are just a blast. I’m sure they’ll bring their laser show and smoke machines. And My Morning Jacket at Bonnaroo is just a legendary experience– at no other festival would they play from 1 to 4 in the morning.

Where do people typically crash?
There are over 60 thousand people camping within a two mile radius. A lot of them just drive in, pitch their tents, and then walk to the festival each day. You can get them at Walmart for pretty cheap, so everyone just picks up a tent or tarp.

The festival is going green this year. Do you know what eco-friendly things they'll be doing?
I know they’re going carbon neutral, which is impressive. Considering a lot of the greening efforts, it’s not just a fad for them. We give away ice cream and will see people go around doing the recycling. It’s the most active recycling I’ve seen at a festival. Bonnaroo has been working for that since day one.

What's your most popular treat among the crowd?
The majority of it goes to production people and stagehands, friends of the bands. This year our main sponsor is Blue Bunny ice cream. We’ll have Champ! cones, and those are always the most popular— everyone loves ice cream covered in chocolate and nuts. And ice cream sandwiches. I’m a big fan of the base items: Pink Panther and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pops. Bomb Pops are good, too, because they’re really refreshing. In hotter weather, you end up giving away more popsicles, and in cooler weather, you give away more ice cream.

Besides with your ice cream, how do festival-goers cure a heatstroke?
With some of the big tents, you can go hide under them. This year there’s going to be a movie tent and a cabaret tent which will be air-conditioned.

Do people check out the country music scene when passing through Nashville?
You have people that are road tripping there who will check out the Grand Ole Opry. I went to Dollywood afterwards in Pigeon Forge once. It’s not like a city festival, though, it’s all very self-contained. Bonnaroo is a yearly destination; there are a lot of people around the country who plan their vacation around it.

What are the best food options?
Once you’re there, you’re stuck with whatever festival food they’re serving. You have to bring your own or find way to weasel food backstage, which isn’t easy to do. Getting a meal ticket is tougher than getting a backstage pass. However, there are these guys that come up from New Orleans and do big cookouts for all the people that are working. They do it the night before the festival starts, and the last night, when everyone’s breaking down the stage. They’ll cook up massive dinners, just good, creole cooking— crawfish and crab legs. There’s nothing better than stumbling back to your tent, eating crawfish at 4 in the morning.

What’s your advice or warning for first timers?
If there’s any rule of thumb for people going to festivals, don’t do all your drugs or drink all your beer the first day. You’ve got to pace yourself. First thing is water— make sure you drink enough. You spent a lot of money already on tickets, so don’t bitch about the 2 bucks for a bottle, and drink up. You’re camping, so you’re awake at 7 in the morning when the sun hits your tent and it’s a sauna. It’s hard to get rest unless you’ve got a shaded area, so you’ll probably only get 4 hours of sleep for 4 nights in a row.

Is there a last stop you make before packing up to head home?
We get out on Monday morning and clean everything up. Then we get crew to the airport at Nashville. There’s a Cracker Barrel 30 miles from the festival and we always stop there to get some breakfast.

What’s the most rewarding aspect about giving out ice cream at Bonnaroo?
People instantly light up. It’s just pure, innocent joy. “Did you say free ice cream? That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day!”

~Abbey Braden

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:52 PM | Permalink

I was running 15 minutes late for my massage and bikini wax appointment at Haven, the little spa oasis on Mercer Street in Soho. What will I do first? Massage or wax? Wax or massage? Why on earth did I schedule two polar opposites of a spa experience on the same day? I obsessed over it the whole bike ride over.

As I descended the stairs into Haven, I still hadn’t made up my mind. “What would you like to do first?” the receptionist asked. Ten minutes later, I’m sitting in a spa robe, sipping citrus infused water, as very non-spa-like jazz music played lightly through the speakers. What a departure from the weird new-age tunes that you often hear at a spa. Still, it didn’t help the fact that I’d be getting a full-on Brazilian wax in an hour or so. I don’t care what anyone says– getting waxes still hurt after all these years. I hate getting them, and always wait to the last minute to do so, although after it’s done, I’m happy I did it. My fiancé was on his way back from Chicago that day, and after three weeks of not seeing each other, I figured it was the least I could do. But like the wimp that I am, I couldn’t do the wax first.

The just-face-the-music side of me just wanted to be tough and get it over with, so that the massage would be my reward. But the scaredy cat in me won over. A blond Russian woman escorted me to the massage room. She asked me the usual masseuse questions, “Anything sore? Any injuries?” Anything in particular that I’d like her to focus on? Since I didn’t have any specific problems, I asked for just a good overall, to work out any hidden kinks.

To say she worked out the kinks would be putting it lightly. In fact, for the first 20 minutes, I wished I were getting the hairs ripped from my crotch instead. It’s amazing how much tension we walk around with and don’t even know it. But my masseuse wouldn’t let me wiggle my way out of the pain. She became my coach and motivator. “You have a lot tension here in your back. If you want to release it, it will hurt a little bit. Or I can just give you a little rub that makes you feel good but won’t do anything to really make you better,” she advised with a Russian accent. Basically, she was telling me to suck it up, And so I did. And for the first time ever, instead of me “ouching” and squirming my way out of the pain, I breathed my way through it. After the hard part was over, the rest was surprisingly relaxing. So relaxing, that I passed out. I’m pretty sure I snored-- always a good sign.

When I woke up, I felt great and perfectly relaxed enough for my dreaded Brazilian wax. Only, it didn’t feel so dreaded anymore. Since I rode my bike over, getting back on it after just having a kick ass massage would be a little dangerous. I needed the wax to bring me to equilibrium. And with my pain tolerance a notch or two higher than when I first arrived, I was ready for anything.

~Joy Bryant

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 11:59 AM | Permalink

25-year-old electro-pop rap-ette, YELLE–- who outfits herself in neon spandex and looks like she may have materialized out of an 80s workout video–- is one of the most colorful artists to come out of France of late. Thanks to her risqué choice of devoting her breakthrough track “Je veux te voir” to a fellow Parisian rapper (Cuiziner from the hip-hop crew TTC) and his allegedly short male member, YELLE has since blasted into indie stardom with songs about why boys drive her mad (“A Cause des Garcons”) and dispensing useful dance steps in "Jogging." Don’t worry that you probably won’t understand a word she’s saying. Her beats will leave you hypnotized, and you can pick up a French dictionary for five dollars in a bookstore.

Having previously opened for European sensation Mika last fall, YELLE is breaking out on her own this summer for a worldwide tour of solo shows and music festivals. Before jetting off to her next destination in Toulouse–- Festival Electro Alternativ (June 6)-– psychoPEDIA met up with her to find out more about her views on dating, makeup, and misconceptions:

How do you feel about interracial dating?
I think in 2008 interracial dating is normal. I come from a free generation that doesn’t care about colors or lifestyle. I just want to be free and choose a black boyfriend, or an Indian girlfriend if I want.

What are your views on gay marriage?
I’m totally for gay marriage. And adoption, too.

Do you think that people are born gay, or that it's a personal choice?
I don’t know and don’t care about it! The most important thing is love, love, love…

What would you do if your boyfriend decided to wear a dash of eyeliner or a bit of blush?
Sometimes it’s nice. I need to get mine to try it.

What do you think of guys wearing leggings?
Sometimes there are no differences between leggings and slim jeans, but I like that. It’s sexy.

How come lesbians get a much sweeter deal than gay guys?
I don’t think it’s easier for any of the two, because sometimes families and society makes it hard for both of them.

If you could be Prime Minister for one day, what changes would you make to your country?
I’d vote for a law to fire our president.

What's last thing that got you so angry you wanted to scream at the top of your lungs?
It was many months ago, during a show. A guy was screaming things at me like, “Bitch! and ‘’Get naked!” I was very upset because he was drunk, and he left the show just before the end-- coward.

Why do you think that so many people have the misconception that white people can't dance?
A Belgian guy called James Deano did a song where he talked about that. I think it’s a legend.

What's a dance step you like to do on stage?
My favorite dance move is the "air guitar."

Who's your style icon?
I’m a big fan of Agyness Deyn, because she's very fresh and knows how to mix old and new stuff.

What about your own personal style?
I prefer mixing vintage things with new pieces from H&M.

Do you worry how your next album will pay for your mortgage or finance your car?
I already have a little car and its cool for me. I don’t need a Ferrari to go to the supermarket. So, I don’t really need much money. It’s not that important to me.

Can you describe your music to someone who's never heard it?
My music is a mix between pop and electronic music. If you like to dance, have fun, cry and smile, you’ll love it!

Why should I buy your album?
If you want to be happier and feel good in a better world, then buy it.

~Donald Crunk @ Styleslut

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 02:31 PM | Permalink

The next few months are the time when beach parties, barbecues, and outdoor concerts become a weekend staple. As it’s impolite to be the empty-handed guest to an event, with the ease of newly and conveniently packaged wines, it’s easy to go bearing booze. Despite the fact that a sommelier might scoff at the idea of a wine out-of-the-bottle, high-end wineries are joining the new breed of compact, portable, and easily-disposable wines, making them simple to tote to parties, and not to mention, no worries of spoilage by tainted corks or oxidation. Conveniently-packaged to fit in a cooler, and taking up no more room in the refrigerator than a gallon of milk, these wines fit into an affordable wine budget and could even stay fresh over a few nights. Here are psychoPEDIA’s suggestions for summer-ready wines:

French Rabbit Wines ($10, 1 liter)
Wine snobs with refined palates will be pleased to find their standards met with French Rabbit’s new generation of boxed wines. While boxed wines were once considered no better than drinking beer out of a brown paper bag, these eco-friendly Tetra Pack-ed fine wines are derived from a reputable French vineyard, most notably known for being home to wild rabbits, making them just as palatable as bottled wines. Convenient and suitable for summer time gatherings, their offerings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, have all gained high ratings from the toughest of critics.

Francis Coppola Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs ($15.99, 4-pack)
With a legendary filmmaker for a dad and a few award-winning indie flicks to her own credit, Sofia Coppola can now add sparkling wine to her list of accomplishments. The eponymous Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs come in a 4-pack of individual cans, providing a nicer alternative to a 6-pack of beer. Charming packaging and celebrity-status aside, the smooth pear, tart apple undertones of lemon and honey gives this sparkling wine a distinctly unique flavor, much like its muse.

Dtour Wine ($38, 3 liters)
Dtour Wine is named after its well-respected and expert creators: vigneron Dominique Lafon, sommelier Daniel Johnnes, and chef Daniel Boulud. With their extreme passion for wine as the source of inspiration for Dtour, connoisseurs are providing equally enthusiastic praise. The unique, cylindrical shaped box comes with a vacuum bag inside, that prohibits oxidation, prolonging the life of your wine–- making it ideal for very heated temperatures like the beach.

Black Box ($19.99, 3 liters)
A multiple award-winning wine, Black Box has taken boxed wines to higher level with its sleek, black packaging-- promoting themselves as quality-driven, but at affordable prices. Besides it’s glossy exterior, and that it pairs well with picnic spreads serving mezzi plates and fine cheeses, the best thing about Black Box is that it lasts up to four weeks after opening.

Papamama Vinho Verde
If you've ever wandered too fashionably late into a party with a bottle in hand for the host, you'll most often discover there aren't any clean cups left. Designer Viktor Pucsek, having foresight for these very moments, designed a bottle for the PapaMama Design Competition, which turns the label of the wine bottle into a set of handy, single-use paper cups. Extremely convenient and eco-friendly at the same time, now all you have to remember before leaving the house is: keys, camera, and corkscrew.

~Angela Adriano

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 05:04 PM | Permalink