While the last handful of years have seen cultural legacies like Johnny Cash posthumously exploited, the digital age has allowed for some deserved archival resurrections.

Likewise, 2008 bore witness to Alex Gibney’s revered documentary, Gonzo, The Life And Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. The film was put together to ensure the journalist/notorious hedonist’s existence and exploits weren’t relegated to fanboy hysteria and reductive conjecture. The movie’s greatest resource, fittingly, was Thompson himself-- or at least, the writer’s ghost, as exhumed through self-recorded cassettes dug up in Colorado by Gibney, Gonzo producer Eva Orney, and Thompson archivist Don Fleming.

These tapes, spanning the decade between 1965 and ’75, from his nascent stages writing for publications like The Nation to the peak of his counter-culture notoriety, are being released (October 28) in a five-disc audio box set, produced by Fleming, under the title The Gonzo Tapes: The Life And Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

Without the aid of a visual narrative, cinematic editing, and talking-head testimony, The Gonzo Tapes can become arduous listening. There is plenty of requisite madness, particularly as the chronologically structured set meanders into its halfway stretches. But Disc 1, recorded during Thompson’s year on the road with the Hell's Angels (later published as Hell’s Angels: A Strange And Terrible Saga) is the most coherent, concise distillation of the intellect, instinct, and charisma that ultimately endeared him to editors, readers, and subjects alike.

Like an undercover agent infiltrating the mafia or a drug ring, Thompson engenders the Angels’ trust by effortlessly empathizing with their dilemma (modern outlaw in search of the American Dream through radical means). And Thompson’s ability to communicate the complexity of their mission was a product of his non-judgmental thoughtfulness. After interviewing Angels chapter leaders like Terry The Tramp about everything from the law to non-violent intake of peyote (while listening to Joan Baez), Thompson concludes they are not thugs, but merely a part of the grand tradition of outsiders.

Unfortunately, by Disc 2, Thompson’s descent into neuroses, addiction, and megalomania take grip. Both Discs 2 and 3 play out over the course of he and Oscar Zeta Acosta’s (the inspiration for Benicio del Toro’s role in Terry Gilliams’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) misadventures during the National District Attorney’s Conference On Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs in Las Vegas. While these might represent the most titillating portions to Thompson followers, they make a sobering impression in the larger context of the collection.

Including a lot of hotel-room and road-trip antics, Thompson excoriates Acosta, saying, “You’ve put that fuckin Chivaz Regal in the coke. What have you done? You asshole... That’s a crime against nature,” or Acosta doing a faux-politicized, glorified "Crank Yankers" style routine when he badgers a phone operator for several minutes for the location of the American Dream, because a friend told him that, “If you’re in Las Vegas, look for the American Dream, cause that’s where you’ll find it.”

However, the further Thompson removes himself from journalistic objectivity and inserts himself into the story, the more valuable the tapes for allowing listeners to step in as fly on the wall. Throughout stretches of excessive mumbling are humanizing touches, like Brewer & Shipley’s “One Toke Over The Line” rollicking out of his convertible’s radio, or Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” blaring behind him during a particularly wacked-out, blacked-out hotel monologue. Given how Thompson always seemed to be hip by his own definitions, it’s bizarre to listen in on his selective musical interests, and how they parallel the spirited highs and near-despondent almost-lows of his travels.

There are also moments of priceless, unplanned irony. When Neil Diamond’s “I Am, I Said” can be made out beneath Thompson’s diction while he urinates and declares, “Anybody that is in search of the American dream needs a lawyer, a doctor and a bodyguard, because there’s no other way to look for it without that sort of guidance and counseling,” you can’t help but smile at the kismet collision.

The final two discs in The Gonzo Tapes require the most attention. Disc 5, in particular, is largely negligible as eavesdropping, outside of casual, agitated references to Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee and its publisher, Katherine Graham, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner and conversation with renowned reporter Gloria Emerson that should satiate journalist geeks. But given the abbreviated 1975 tapes cover a relatively fruitless Thompson tenure in Saigon, the snippets lack even the nostalgic meat to chew on that sustains the box’s midsection.

Disc 4, then, could have arguably been The Gonzo Tapes’ cutoff. At this point, burned out following the 1972 presidential campaign and generally drug-addled, Thompson regressed into his most tangential thought comas. In the midst of putting together a Rolling Stone piece titled "Cocaine Papers By Sigmund Freud," Thompson, having been abusing the drug quite liberally, makes feral animal noises for seconds on end, and responds to visitors with paranoid threats. That is, when not musing on a never-completed masterwork dubbed Guts Ball, about which he concluded he “may as well just make a Broadway play out of it too. Screen, live drama, novel, the whole thing. Guts Ball: The Great American Novel. Use flashbacks and dialogue. [People] mumbling back and forth to each other about lost dreams and memories, nightmares that come back on them, so nobody knows who’s crazy after a while.”

But as evident in that last stream of consciousness, the central themes from seven years earlier in Bass Lake are still there, as they were during his travels with Acosta in Las Vegas: the search for dreams and happiness, even if they fall outside of others’ boundaries of comprehension.

This is ultimately where The Gonzo Tapes prove most useful, both as self-contained prose and historical artifact. And why it almost helps that these cassettes posses enormous chunks of narcotics-induced candor. We get the motivation behind the madness that created the man’s mythos. And a keener sense of sympathy for why the American Dream ultimately failed him, even if the totality of the recordings is served better in a theatrical medium that can tighten his decades of musings like a screw. It’s all too poignant, then, that these fossilized reflections and observations emerged in 2008 (a week prior to Election Day no less), a year in which Thompson’s hope may have finally been restored, and his fear and loathing may have been given cause to subside.

~Kenny Herzog

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:43 PM | Permalink

These New Puritans-– consisting of brothers Jack and George Barnett on vocals and drums, and Thomas Hein and Sophie Sleigh-Johnson, on bass guitar and keyboard-– hail from a place just outside London called Southend–On-Sea. Mention Southend to the average scenester, and you’ll more than likely to hear a story about a messy gig by garage-punks The Horrors or a night of drunken debauchery at the legendary and now defunct Junk Club. With These New Puritans, you’ll be greeted by clunky, stop-start tracks like "fff" that sound aggressive and confusing, but still make you want to jump up and down like a kid OD'ing on candy. The fashionable four-piece band, who even composed a song for a recent Christian Dior runway show, also recently played the Iceland Airwaves festival, alongside bands like CSS, Vampire Weekend and Simian Mobile Disco.

psychoPEDIA spoke to Bennet about being in the industry and what he would do if 50 Cent beefed with his band:

How would you describe your music to someone who's never heard it?
It's sort of prog, but it's better if you listen to it. Like our song "Swords Of Truth," or a newer one called "fff."

What was your first album about?
It's roughly about cycles and things. It only really means anything when you listen to it with the music. There is one song about love, death and Milton Keynes.

Being in this tough industry, do you ever think about how your next release might pay for your mortgage or a new car?
I think about that kind of thing- got to eat and live. By law, I'm classed as a small businessman. Only bands who are funded by their wealthy parents, which they are lots of, can afford not to think about that kind of thing. Although, I never change what we sound like in response to it. I don't think we could even if we tried.

What are you views on the industry as a whole, so far-- specifically, the politics surrounding the music?
It's all quite amusing. I suppose it confirms all the stereotypes about people whose puerility and egotism outweigh their ideas-- those kind of people are all around music. "That’s showbiz," as they say. But there are a lot of dollars involved, if you know what you're doing. Unfortunately, we're all shit at interviews and ingratiating ourselves with the wealthy and powerful. But there are good people, too. The people involved with us are good.

If you could be Prime Minister of the UK for one day, what changes would you make to the country?
I'd separate the whole country into principalities and city-states, like the Holy Roman Empire.

The rapper Fat Joe calls 50 Cents G-unit crew 'Gay- Unit'. That's pretty funny, don't you think? How would you feel if somebody called your band "These New Pussies?"
No comment.

What do you think of guys wearing leggings? Gay, don't you think?
I don't think I've ever seen it in real-life. I can imagine it being quite life-like.

What are your views on gay marriage?
It's fine. The more the merrier.

Do you think that people are born gay, or that it's a personal choice?
Probably a mixture of both. Just like it is with straight people. I’m starting to sense a pattern with these questions…

Why people should love your band and buy your album?
We accidentally make music that bridges pop-type music and has bits of experimental-type music without being beardy.

~Donald Crunk @ Styleslut

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:22 PM | Permalink

The colder months are upon us, inspiring more time spent indoors by the fire or huddled in bed under layers of blankets. But before the many fall holidays invade the calendar-- often signaling a hectic schedule of cross-country travel and obligatory family gatherings-- it may be the ideal moment to take some personal time for yourself or with a loved one, away from the daily stresses of home. While many might only think of traveling south of the Equator for warmer, tropical weather, from the Northeast to the Southwest, hotels offer environments tailor-made for convenient, winter weekend retreats.

To achieve the utmost in unique and secluded lodging, psychoPEDIA selected five spots that will allow for pampered peace and quiet in a quick getaway:

Lazy Meadow Retro Motel (begins at $150 per night)
For a guest looking to escape the fast-paced, modern lives and retreat to an easier going lifestyle of the past, the Lazy Meadow Motel in Catskills Mountains is an ideal antidote. Decked out in true retro fittings, owner and B-52's band member Kate Pierson has applied her personal touch to each rustic cabin. Each cabin has an authentic ‘50s full kitchen’s and mid-century furniture, combined with beautiful views of the Catskills Mountain and Esopus Creek. While cell phone service might spotty—befitting to the retro atmosphere— land lines with voicemails are therefore available. Other features include designer bedding, linens and towels, private bathrooms for each room, and high speed internet access and cable TV for those who may still need their connections to the modern world.

Winvian Helicopter Cottage (begins at $1700 for two per night)
Even if you’ve experienced everything money can buy, chances are, staying in a refurbished 1968 Sikorsky Sea King helicopter has yet to be crossed off the list. Although housed in an enormous barn-like structure, spa luxuries are situated just outside your helicopter cabin. The Winvian Cottages, located in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut, boasts a group of nineteen specialized cabins—including a Maritime Cottage, Greenhouse, and Medieval Fantasy lodge– designed by fifteen different architects. Winivan’s top-level amenities abound from the room bathrooms to their spa treatments. Rates include all meals, picnics, drinks, snacks and unlimited use of bars.

Cedar Creek Treehouse Hotel ($300 per night for two)
For those looking to return to the spirit of childlike fantasy and adventure, the Cedar Creek Tree House retreat has you covered. Rated as one of five of the best tree house hotels by London’s The Guardian and The Independent, Cedar Creek offers a unique lodging experience in scenic Washington State. Starting with a boardwalk, a foot bridge suspended in the trees marks the beginning of the adventure, where guests can experience Mount Ranier’s forest from a rare bird’s eye view. The tree house itself is built in a 200-year-old Western Red Cedar tree, suspended 50-feet above the ground. With access to a 360-degree view of forest and mountain ranges, the room’s amenities include a sleeping loft with sky lights, bathroom, kitchen, dining area, and observation room. One room accommodates up to five people, and the five-story stairwell includes a fourth floor space for observation of wildlife, stargazing, or simply lounging in the hammock for reading.

Kokopelli's Cave Bed & Breakfast (starts at $240 per night for two)
Surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges-- the Shiprock and Chuska mountains on the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico and Carrizo Mountains in Arizona, the Kokopelli’s Cave Bed & Breakfast not has a more than unique view. Although not a natural cave, this man made home was originally made to house geologist Bruce Black and his family, who lived there for a year from 1996 to 1997. With such a unique setting, to gain access, you must first follow a path of steps in a downward spiral that leads 70 feet below the surface to the entrance. At end of the path, there is a ladder and three wooden steps that lead into the room—in which accommodations include all standard B & B amenities with a waterfall style shower and a flagstone hot tub.

Library Hotel (begins at $370 for single room)
Getting a chance to curl up in bed and catch up on some reading during a break is a luxury all its own. Adding the lavishness of a boutique hotel to the mix equals one cozy getaway, even if it’s only a skip away from your own city apartment. New York City’s Library Hotel is the first hotel to provide 6,000 volumes of books to their guests based on the categories of the Dewey Decimal System. The ten floors of the hotel represent each of the ten subjects in the DDS, with each floor holding art and books according to their theme-- Social Sciences, Literature, Languages, History, Math and Science, General Knowledge, Technology, Philosophy, and Arts & Religion. Special offers include The Erotica Package, which includes all the standard hotel romance package trimmings, such as wine, roses, chocolates and plush robes, but throws in a Kama Sutra pocket guide to stay within the library theme.

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:24 PM | Permalink

The British Film Institute’s London Film Festival, now in its 52nd year, will host an usual selection of new talent and groundbreaking films across an array of specific genres. However, what sets this festival apart from the others, is that the BFI famously has the largest film archive in Europe, not to mention the world’s largest specialist collection of printed materials on film, television, and video-- amassing to something in the region of 7 million stills and over one million transparencies. The BFI also claims that it will eventually make available the majority of this impressive archive in a digital format for the British public to enjoy. In the mean time, the only place to see some of these priceless gems from Britain and worldwide cinema is at the London Film Festival.

Film has always been and will continue to be an important documentation and reflection of its day’s social condition. Andrew Bergman director of films like The Freshman and It Could Happen to You, also wrote wrote in his dissertation, “Every movie is a cultural artifact…and as such reflects the values, fears, myths, and assumptions of the culture that produces it.”

With Bergman’s theory in mind, psychoPEDIA has chosen five films from the London film festival that not just the reflect times they were made, but also give insight into the current period of political change, economic downturn, and individualistic escapism:

High Treason (1929), Directed by Maurice Elvey
Written and most likely funded by wacky, right-wing politician Noel Pemberton Willing, High Treason is a camp, sci-fi caper set in the future, which, in this case is 1950’s London. Taken from the British Institute’s archives, it was one of the first films with spoken dialogue. Unfortunately, the sound has since been lost, so the London Film Festival will be screening it in Trafalgar Square with a live piano accompaniment. The film centers around an organization called the Peace League, who are actively trying to prevent a catastrophic war between the Atlantic States and United Europe. With Pemberton’s history as a paranoid supporter of warfare, particularly air warfare, and his altogether strange conspiracy theories regarding homosexuality (He believed during WWI the Germans were using 47,000 “British perverts” to crush Britain from the inside), it’s hazy whether the film is in support of peace or, in fact, sending up the worlds peace-makers and diplomats with its camp overtones. Nevertheless, the film is visually intriguing and should rustle up some blitz-era comraderie in the audience.

The Living Corpse (1928-29), Directed by Feder Ozep
This film adaptation of the play Zhivoi trup by War and Peace’s famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy, is one of seven incarnations on this story of “injustice, suspicion and revenge” but is certainly the finest. Note that this film was the first Soviet/German co-production and was originally released with a magnificent score that has only just recently been re-discovered and re-recorded, adding to its sense of gloom and suicidal stricken plot. Suicide is almost a taboo subject in the Western world at the moment, and this flick is certainly no “It’s a wonderful life.” There are no guardian angels for this film’s protagonist, although on the upside, once he blows his own head off, his wife does admit she loved him all along.

Touki Bouki (1973), Directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty
During times of hardship, one shouldn’t just expect cinema to reflect the tensions of desperate times, but also vast escapist and surrealist flicks designed to take the movie-goers minds away from the world outside their popcorn-scented pews. Touki Bouki represents one of the 1970’s greatest psychedelic films. Once a staple of European art house cinemas and fondly discussed this Senegalese wonder has long since been forgotten. Its theme of young Africans migrating from their homesteads to more prosperous fields still runs true today, and the BFI have made a superb choice in showing this re-mastered version as part of their archive screenings.

Sur le Passage de quelques personnes a travers une assez courte unite de temps (1959), Directed by Guy Debord
Guy Debord and his fellow situationists would be having a ball in the fall of 2008. Although the demise of capitalism and consumerist culture may leave them with little to revolt against in their very unique way. Sur le passage… or On the Passage of a Few Persons Through a Rather Brief Unity of Time much like Debord’s most talked about piece The Society of the Spectacle revolves around just a handful of disembodied voices discussing and sharing their situationist sensibilities, all of which are illustrated by a series of still and slightly moving images. The situationist movement’s back catalog of work is difficult enough to get hold of or view anywhere on screen, let alone with English subtitles, but the BFI are bringing this 18-minute rarity and another from the opposite end of Debord’s career, In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni (1979) to the London Film Festival and a whole new generation of 21st century situationist enthusiasts.

Citizen Havel (2008), Directed by Pavel Koutecký, Miroslav Janek
As America creeps ever nearer to the potential dawn of a new era, and if Obama claims his place in the White House, one would do well to watch this documentary of the Czech Republic’s first president. Not only was Vaclav Havel a spearhead for the peaceful and inspiring the Velvet Revolution, a winner of the Prize For Freedom of the Liberal International, but also, he was also a playwright of high regard, relentless essay writer, and friend and influence to many international celebrities and politicians. By the request of Havel himself, Pavel Koutecky was brought in to document his reign as the Czech president and the coverage collated for this documentary spans ten years until his death in 2006. Following the day-to-day life of a respected, charismatic, and outspoken politician by a revered documentarian can only result in a fine and insightful 112 minutes of film.

~Kevin Soar

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:33 PM | Permalink

Mason Proper is a Michigan-based five piece— comprised of Jonathan Visger, Zac Fineberg, Garrett Jones, Brian Konicek, and Matt Thompson— who make unavoidably catchy experimental pop music. Despite having formed post-high-school days in the small Michigan town of Alpena, the boys really made a name for themselves after setting up shop in neighboring Ypsilanti, where they cut their first album There is A Moth in Your Chest on the NYC indie-label Dovecote Records. Now joining forces with Chris Coady (famed producer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio) on their newest album Olly Oxen Free (September 23), the quintet recorded in a tiny wooden house outside Ann Arbor to create a cohesive and well-rounded second release, which includes playfully psychedelic tracks like “Friendship” to eerily atmospheric songs like “Safe for the Time Being.”

Before kicking off their extensive Fall tour in New York with a CMJ showcase for Dovecote (Oct 21), psychoPEDIA joined MP’s lead singer Visger to find out more about their quirkily-named small Michigan hometown:

What inspired the album title, and while you're at it, the name of the band?
The title is from the lyrics in the song, "In the Mirror." The term "olly olly oxen free" made everyone nostalgic and curious about its origins and thought that matched the feeling of the album. We’re also big fans of nonsense literature, like Edward Lear, Edward Gorey, and Lewis Carroll, and felt like it represented that influence well. The band is named for a very obscure phrase relating to Freemasonry. All that fun secret society stuff, you know?

Assuming that your town's name gets butchered often, what's the funniest pronunciation you've heard?
I've heard "Yip-soo-lan-tee" more than once. As if a tiny, overexcited dog were saying the name.

Is your sound influenced by the atmosphere of your hometown?
Michigan has a very down-to-earth sound that manifests in different ways. For Detroit, that real grime that permeates through the city makes its way into garage rock. Everything's dirty there, and most of the music takes on that flavor. In a lot of other places, there's a warmth that binds it. The scenes of Michigan are bonded more by real community than by sound usually. It's pretty accepted that being from Michigan, you're not poising yourself to be the hot thing everyone knows about, so it's more about having fun with your friends. At best, you're poising yourself to be buried in snow. You can take that as a metaphor. There's probably one in there.

How is the experience unique recording there?
We've always basically recorded ourselves in basements we were renting at the time. We prefer taking time and doing things our way, even if it's the wrong way, than being under the gun and recorded through the same $10,000 preamp as everyone else. There's a lot of "do something, then meditate on it for a while, then come back to it fresh" that we could never afford to do anywhere else.

What is Ypsilanti's claim to fame?
Iggy Pop? Or this huge tower in the center of Eastern Michigan University that's a major navigational landmark, but unfortunately looks like a giant phallic symbol.

How would you describe the underground scene budding in the area?
I'll combine Ypsilanti with Ann Arbor, because they're very closely linked. With two universities in immediately juxtaposed towns, every year, there are new transient bands, performance art groups, coming and going all the time. You could find something interesting to see every day of the week and never see the same thing twice, if you're really tapped in.

Favorite galleries or concert venues to see up-and-coming artists or bands?
For Ann Arbor, the Blind Pig is pretty much the place, and in Ypsilanti the Elbow Room is a mainstay. The Dreamland Theater is the place to go for things more out of the ordinary than just a band playing—weird puppet shows and stuff.

Favorite places to grab a bite in between recording sessions?
This one's easy: Big Ten Burrito. The original one is basically a closet where a couple bucks gets you a huge, amazing burrito. They've since expanded to have other locations in the area, but you can't beat this place. When I first moved to Ann Arbor, Matt told me, "I know a secret. Do you want to know?" And I said, "Is it sick? Why are you acting so weird?" Then he took me to Big Ten, and I was a changed man.

Are you big pizza fans, as Domino's was founded there?
Humans are big pizza fans, and we're humans, so yes. There are so many places to get good pizza in town. Backroom for a big greasy wonderful slice for almost free. I just had Pizza Pino for the first time today and it was superb. Mr. Pizza for a super late-night cheap large 2-topping. Pizza House if you've got a few extra bucks to spend. The list goes on and on. Domino's Farms is pretty creepy, though. It's this huge complex with buffalo roaming free outside, and eerie green lights all over the buildings. Someone told me there is a cult inside and they eat people? They also have a petting zoo there, and I don't think people with a petting zoo would eat people. Cannibalism and loving cutesy-wootsie baby animals don't usually go hand-in-hand.

What's one thing you can only get in Ypsilanti?
Potentially eaten by a petting zoo employee.

What's the first thing you'll do when you get home from the tour?
Fill the bathtub up with pennies and roll around in it. Probably more like fill a cereal bowl with pennies and put my face in it.

As smaller towns often do, does Ypsilanti have any crazy legends that get passed around the community?
There's a guy that has no face. I don't know if he's still here. Matt told me about him a long time ago, and saw him a bunch of times. I went out of my way to try to see him. I got obsessed. I was just so curious but never found him. Probably for the best.

What would you put in a time capsule to future Ypsilanti-ans?
One of those cans of nuts that a spring-coiled snake springs out of when you take the lid off.

~Leann Peterson

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:45 PM | Permalink

No Pain in Pop throw monthly parties in South London’s New Cross-- the home of Goldsmiths University and knock-off KFC fast food joints. Known for being messy and chaotic explosions of youthful revelry, you can hear anything there from Wiley’s electro-grime to Friendly Fires’ glistening indie-pop. Their recent New Cross-based festival “Nail The Cross” has gone down in the history books as the most lively events that’s ever happened in New Cross. The party collective of four also have their own record label, which has released tracks by acts such as Health and Telepathe, as well as a compilation featuring No Age and Crystal Castles.

psychoPEDIA spoke with No Pain's Tom, who filled us in the parties and his love of 7-inch Vinyl records:

Where does the name "No Pain In Pop" come from?
We came up with it on a rainy day in a New Cross tube station. We were trying to fit the word "pop" in our name. It’s less about "pop" as a genre, but more about how music is perceived by others. We'd like good music to become the mainstream, so everyone can enjoy it. No Pain In Pop is all about inspiring people with the music and art we like, so others will go out and make more music themselves.

What projects are you up to at the moment?
Currently, we're sorting out our "Gentle Friendly" and "Banjo or Freakout" 7"s, which are due out at the end of November and January respectively. Beyond that, we're compiling the track listing for our next compilation album and slowly building up our blog.

What was the idea behind your Nail The Cross festival?
Basically, everywhere else in London seemed to have a festival, apart from New Cross. We wanted to throw a memorable party on our doorstep with acts and art we were proud of. We also wanted to match the melting pot tradition of the area by including a wide range of genres.

How would you explain your nights to someone who's never been?
They're really eclectic-- often not by design-- and range from anything noisy to the more dancey stuff, but there’s always with a party vibe.

Do you have any wild stories from one of your nights?
At a show with Wiley, security caught a couple fucking in the corner of the dance floor. They didn't even get thrown out.

Where do you see No Pain in Pop in five years?
Learning from the kids.

How long have you been into 7 inch vinyl and how many do you own?
Between the whole of NPIP, we probably have a couple thousand. Our dads all had big collections, and I guess we grew up playing with them.

Can you talk us through three of your favorite 7 inches?
I honestly don't think I could do that. There’s too many. But, if you interpret favoritism as remembering the experience of buying the record and getting a kick out of owning and holding it, then probably a dewy-eyed nostalgia trip trio of Dinosaur Jr's "Just Like Heaven," Pavement's "Gold Soundz" and the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Just Like Honey."

Which are your favorite Vinyl cover sleeves?
Old Lead Belly EP with a bizarre characature of him smoking and playing guitar. It looks like it could have been made yesterday.

What’s the worst vinyl cover sleeve you have?
Anything with a blank sleeve that isn't a white label. Blank canvases are to be filled.

If you were making your own Vinyl cover, what would it look like?
I'd probably pass up the opportunity and instead get someone who's actually talented. Tobias Warwick Jones, our designer, for example.

What’s the one piece of vinyl that you wish you owned?
Joe Crow's "Compulsion."

~Donald Crunk @ Styleslut

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 09:47 PM | Permalink

Many things spring to mind when considering Reykjavik, the city: capital of Iceland, populated by Vikings, home of the midnight sun and Northern Lights, exquisite design aesthetics and gorgeous citizens. However, when pondering Reykjavik!, the band (note the exclamation point), these preconceptions are obliterated by trademark killer ear-crunching metal riffs and over-the-top energetic live gigs-- the type that would swing from the rafters if you let them.

Formed in 2005 and critically acclaimed in their home country, Reykjavik! sprang up on the international radar almost immediately and have been slaying audiences around the world since. Between putting the finishing touches on a new album and gearing up for the 10th annual Iceland Airwaves (October 15th through 19th), psychoPEDIA asked member Bóas Hallgrímsson what audiences can expect at this year's event, and exactly what it's like to get up to no good with one of the Icelandic bad boys:

Could you introduce the band members?
Gummi and Haukur are in charge of the guitars, with a little backup from Valdi who also plays keyboards and electronical fans. Kriss plays the drums, Geiri the bass and I take care of the singing with a great deal of help from Haukur and the rest of the band. But you never know. Tomorrow Geiri might have become a guitar player and Kriss might be playing the trombone.

Do you have secret professions other than musician?
Our dayjobs are as follows: Youth-center. Bookseller and internet manager, actually manages the internet. Journalist and freelancer. Electronic wiz-kid. Modern dancer. Teacher.

Is it true that two of you are cousins?
It ain´t no lie. Two of us are part-time lovers as well.

Though the band's only few years old, would you consider yourselves ambassadors of the Icelandic music scene?
We have played our share of international festivals in about 7 or 8 countries recently. As fun as festivals are, we would love to play short tours in whichever country will take us in and feed us. It seems like the next few weeks, months, years, might be difficult for us Icelanders. Our economy is currently as stable as that kid Solomon from the Gummo movie. But we will see. I would like to go to Australia, Sweden and Tibet.

What would you tell people who've never attended the Icelandic Airwaves Festival, now in its 10th year?
I would like to tell anyone that's coming over to be ready for anything. When you gather 5000 music lovers into a downtown area that already loves the night live with a vengeance, you are bound to be in for a surprise. It becomes a zoo. Make sure that if there is a band you would love to see, that you make it in time. Sometimes queues can become insane, and it is no picnic for those used to warmer climates.

Any recommendations for first time festival-goers?
Show up in time to avoid hanging out in the cold and maybe not even being able to see your band of choice. Second, try and get to know the locals and get your drink of choice at people's houses, it is less expensive. Try to visit as many off-venue events as you can, and come to our place. We have at least three shows at our space. Performances by 701, Arnljótur, Borko, and Skakkamanage, to name a few.

Which bands are you most excited to see?
I'm looking forward to seeing our friends from FM Belfast, Retro Stefson, Mugison, and Sudden Weather Change. Skátar are great as well. Of the foreign bands, I would love to see Familjen, The Ghost, Crystal Castles, and Vampire Weekend. There are only three bands I have no intention of seeing.

You are notorious for your energetic live performances. Ever sustained any injuries from a gig?
Like 40 times. Cuts, bite wounds, torn muscles and broken teeth to name a few. And bruises the size of Texas are common.

Ever been shut down by the police?
Not by the police, but we have been attacked by security and sound men. We have a pretty solid fan-base within the police force, but we did get pulled over on our way from Boston to the Canadian border. Like a scene from a movie, he pulled us over around one after midnight, in the middle of nowhere. He is looking at Haukur's Icelandic license for quite a while and then comes the following classic [dialogue]: Officer: "Do you know what you where doing?" Haukur: "Driving?" Officer: "A little fast?" Haukur: "For most of the trip we have just been following traffic. But it is so late now, we have no cars left to follow." Officer: "Well, I don't know what you call it in Britain or Europe or whichever country you are from! But here, in America, we call it speeding!" Then he left, leaving us confused and laughing.

For a country with a modest population, why is there such high concentration of good music from there? Has the water supply been spiked?
I think it has something to do with the fact that people here tend to do what they want to and when they want to. We don't seem to talk about our ideas until they evaporate into thin air. Bands that are formed here usually play the weekend after, call all their friends, distribute flyers, and send out invitations. Nobody talks about making the best album known to mankind, and nobody pays much attention to the fact that they might be judged by their music. That, right there, is a winning formula. Just going for it and paying no attention to anything, but the fact that you are doing something you love with people you like or love!

Any details on the new album?
Ben Frost, the genius that he is, produced the album and did a hell of a job. When we went into the Greenhouse studio, we never hoped for these songs to come out the way the did. This is a new chapter for Reykjavík!. It is a deeper closet then any we've opened before. The music recorded somehow climbed to higher grounds, and we often had our jaws drop while listening to what we had just done. The sound is rough and violent, without being too much. It's hard to get into words. It is like being caught in a car crash for 45 minutes, straight.

How does the insane live energy between all of the band members translate to actually recording an album in studio?
It's hard to imagine Bóas not scaling the walls, or Valdi like, playing with a shirt on. Recording what Reykjavík! does has to drag parts of the onstage persona into the studio. Like now, for The Blood, we recorded every single note in the same room. Basically the whole album was recorded live and overdubbed within 48 hours. It was mixed and mastered in that same room as well. While recording the skeleton, we behaved like we would on stage. There where shirtless sweaty men that laid that foundation. Every vein ready to pop on every forehead. It was intense.

What would the Native American spirit animal of Reykjavik! be, and why?
I would have to say the manatee or cougar!

~Abbey Braden

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:31 PM | Permalink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and besides the yearly rituals of the national Race for the Cure for the athletically inclined and offers from clinics for free mammograms, this also means most young girls' fantasies are fulfilled-- when a host of products all over stores pop up in a shade of bubblegum pink. As the epidemic of breast cancer is the most common form of the disease to claim women's lives today and will inevitably affect most women or a female loved one within their lifetimes, these items are just a small part of the effort to find a cure, as a percentage of the proceeds from every item go to fund breast cancer research.

Whether you're shopping for your mother, sister, daughter, or partner, psychoPEDIA has six pink presents that will not only make the female recipient happy, but might just help to save her life someday:

Smashbox Pink Powder Eye & Lip Kit ($46)
If you’re the type to jump to buy all the latest cosmetic products, contributing towards a good cause is another great reason to succumb to your indulgence. For this month, Smashbox has created a Breast Cancer Awareness portable make-up palette with a mirror and double-ended make-up brush to apply three shades of eyeshadows and lipglosses. The "Celebrate" eye palette includes an ivory sheen, pink champagne shimmer, and olive shimmer, while the "Inspire" lip palette comes in pink shimmer, neutral pink, and pink beige shimmer. Smashbox will donate a part of the proceeds to Young Survival Coalition, who focus on the concerns of young women dealing with breast cancer.

Sony 4GB Walkman Video MP3 Player ($89.95)
Despite the fact that iPods now come in almost every color in the rainbow-- including pink-- this portable Sony MP3 player is a less expensive way to enjoy your favorite songs while on-the-run, as well as make a point of your support in the discovery of a cure, as 85% of the proceeds go to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness. While slim enough to slip into your pocket, the player also comes with a large 2" LCD screen, the Sony 4GB Walkman Video MP3 Player has an FM tuner for radio, stores photos, and up to 8 hours of videos and 45 hours of music.

Ojon Pink Ribbon Revitalizing Mist ($26)
For the busy, multi-tasking woman, grooming often happens on-the-go. Fortunately, Ojon Pink Ribbon Revitalizing mist-- infused with a special formula of hair treatments from the Tiwara Indians of Central America-- can refresh your tired hairstyle as well as detangle your hair and prevent breakage in mere minutes with a few sprays. It’s weightless formula allows it to be an ideal leave-in conditioner for those days when you don't have time for conditioning in the shower. As it's ideal for all hair types and alcohol-free, Ojan works for any woman and can also be used as a hair prep. With Ojan's Revitalizing mist, feel good to help a cause that runs deeper than your hair roots.

Sony VAIO Breast Cancer Awareness Bundle ($1499.99) For a feminine addition to your electronics, pick up the new Sony VAIO Notebook that comes in the Breast Cancer Awareness Bundle, including a pink laptop, matching protective case and pink blue-tooth mouse. Your laptop can do double-duty by making a fashion statement with the trademark pink-- an accessory which Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw would undoubtedly have sported to show her support for her breast cancer-surviving friend Samantha. Not to mention, you can pave the way for urban fashionistas by educating yourself on breast cancer online while showing your social consciousness.

AirPod-Pink Blue Air ($99.99)
Everyone can breathe a bit easier with an AirPod-Pink, as the sleek air purifier doubles as a home or office ornament as well as extremely quiet running air purifier. BlueAir, which will donate 5% of its profits to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, introduces the Airpod Pink with the symbolic pink in a subtle design to show support. On top of contributing to one cause, it's also Energy Star rated for low energy consumption for an eco-friendly element. You can appreciate the benefits of clean air while backing a cause that effects all of us much as quality of air we breathe.

Everlast Pink Boxing Gloves ($29.95)
For the fiesty femme, aid in the fight against Breast Cancer, symbolically and physically, with Everlast's limited-edition pair of pink boxing gloves. Made with women in mind, these Everlast gloves not also mold to the natural shape of your hands for a more comfortable fit, they are also shaped to help with learning the right technique, providing padding on the front and back of the wrist. As a sponsor of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Everlast will donate 5% of it’s proceeds for the sale of every pair of Pink Training Gloves. With a cause worth fighting for, every boxing enthusiast and neophytes can now show their support while staying fit and healthy.

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 05:51 PM | Permalink

CMJ Music Marathon, now in it's 28th year, continues to be one of the music industry's biggest yearly events and the known hunting grounds for discovering music's next big things-- where R.E.M. and Eminem were both acts discovered and signed. This year's five-day-fest, starting October 21st and running through the 25th-- whose unofficial motto is "sleep is for the weak"-- will cram in an action-packed schedule of around 1000 acts, ranging from the well-to-do bands to the still relatively unknown, and combine a mixed crowd of music enthusiasts and industry insiders.

As CMJ's line-up can be overwhelming for even the most in-the-know concert-goer, psychoPEDIA honed down the options to highlight six of this year's not-to-be-missed acts:

Róisín (Row-Sheen) Murphy is set to unveil her first live performance in the United States. Touring in support of her acclaimed solo album, Overpowered, hardcore fans will remember her as the former lead singer of Moloko. Their first album-- Do You Like My Tight Sweater-- was a phrase Murphy employed as a pickup line upon meeting fellow band member Mark Brydon. Alas, the love affair dissolved along with the musical partnership, but lucky for fans, she forged ahead with her kinky disco siren songs. Her avant-garde outfits are the cherry on top of this modern day chanteuse act. While you may have already heard her new work-- her rendition of "Slave to Love," featured in the new James Franco Gucci commercial-- be sure to download her title track "Overpowered" and "Primitive" to hold you until her performance.

The King Khan & BBQ Show is comprised simply of King Khan (aka Blacksnake) and BBQ Show (real name Mark Sultan), former members of Montreal bands Les Sexareenos and the Spaceshits. This two-piece outfit now make sweet music together under the quirky moniker. Prone to wearing anything from loincloths to WWI military paraphernalia during their raucous live shows, they've left a trail of crowd surfing fans swearing allegiance in their wake. The enthusiasm surrounding the group far outweighs the gimmicks and obscene gestures: they produce some of the freshest garage rock (think the Troggs and the Yardbirds on MDMA) this side of the 21st century-- especially on tracks like "Teenage Foetus" and "Waddlin' Around." One thing's for sure about King Khan & BBQ Show-- this duo should come with a warning label.

One might pass over Amazing Baby simply because of their name. But once you hear the music, it will become a head-over-heels knee jerk response. These Brooklyn Boys are the next big thing. Each one of their songs-- all available to download for free on their website-- are like magic. What could be described as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club having a quickie with Simple Minds, their tracks like "Supreme Being" masquerade as the end credit soundtrack from classic '80s movies, and "Pump Yr Brakes" will make you want to drive with the top down. They even riff on Zeppelin on their heavy metal folk jam "The Narwhal." Be sure to see them this time around, so you can say you "knew them when."

All hail Yo Majesty. The queens of queer crunk-- straight out of Tampa, thank you very much-- are due to set it off in style. Shunda K, Jwl B and Shon B are notorious for their live sets in which the borders between audience and performers dissolve. Rapping over the most infectious dance beats in ages, bumping, grinding, and shout-outs amongst the crowd are all fair game. Songs such as "Club Action" and "Kryptonite Pussy" are guaranteed to bring down the house. That, and the fact that they are known for taking off their tops.

When word that guitarist Benjamin Curtis was leaving the Secret Machines came last year, it was quite a shock. But now that his new endeavor has launched, the logic behind his move is clear. Curtis has enrolled with twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza in School of Seven Bells who are set to release their debut Alpinisms next month. The sisters, formerly of On! Air! Library!, bring their trademark ethereal harmonics to mirror Curtis' swirly psychedelic pedigree. Be sure to listen to "Half Asleep" and "Connjur"-- which evoke fairy-tale ballads sung from the top of a mountain, as mixed by a wizard on a MacBook.

The Whip are currently on the cusp with music in the digital age. This Manchester UK four-piece couple heavy riffs and stellar back beats with a futuristic laser bass sound-- best displayed on their single "Trash." As a result, their marriage of headstrong pop and buzzy electronics have completely won crowds over. Thankfully, their album X Marks Destination will finally see the light of day with a US release. For those yet to experience them live, squeeze into one of their showcases, because hearing the dreamy track "Sirens" live (like early New Order) will be a highlight of any concertgoer's career.

~Abbey Braden


Other acts not-to-be-missed:
Fiasco
Passion Pit
Little Boots
Friendly Fires
Gang Gang Dance

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 10:20 PM | Permalink

While he’s now cut a career for himself as a turntablist and music extraordinaire, Tittsworth started out bouncing from country to country as an Air Force brat, eventually landing stateside in Washington, D.C. “It’s the only city that I can actually call home,” he confesses. The young DJ initially began his professional career in music through the D.C. rave scene. Within that subculture, he DJ'ed and threw legendary parties at abandoned warehouses and scattered venues for over ten years. From there, he carried on DJ'ing professionally, bleeding genres of music and trying out new ways to form sounds.

Ultimately, inquiring ears caught up with him, and out of the blue three years ago, Plant Music approached Tittsworth to do an album. When Stretch Armsstrong, partner in Plant Music and legendary DJ within his own right, picked up the phone and contacted Tittsworth, it came as a complete surprise. “I almost didn’t even believe it was Stretch! I wasn’t putting two and two together. I really didn’t think that what I was doing in D.C. was actually good enough to be sought after,” he says.

At the time, Tittsworth was in the middle of creating a slew of bootleg remixes which had captured the label’s attention. The original concept for his album was to translate those bootlegs into an album. Plans changed, however, and he ended up creating a more formal and original album with vocalists-- the outcome of which was his first full-length, Twelve Steps. “Having been in D.C. at a very critical time, musically speaking, I was able to experience a many historic happenings that were currently going on: the indie-rock and hardcore movement (references of Black Flag and Fugazi), which had a profound affect on how I look and think about music in a creative concept; the rave scene of course; club music; the break-movement,” Tittsworth recalls. “I found myself oddly tying all these movements together while making the album. It’s getting to the point where there isn’t a ‘genre’ per se anymore.”

Through the years of Tittsworth creating music and throwing parties, he has quite a regular routine of city hotspots. After any show or DJ night, his favorite restaurant to grab a bite to eat is Florida Avenue Grill. It’s a famous late-night soul food spot. Tittsworth unveils, “You can go there at 2 am and have waffles and chicken. Total comfort food. It’s close to the 9:30 Club, which is quite convenient.” And for a more formal night where he would take a date or just relax from a stressful day, Tittsworth drops by Makoto. “It’s a very formal Japanese restaurant, by reservation only. Makoto seats maybe 15 to 20 tops. It does a regional tasting menu with a 10-course menu where in-season food selections are served.”

However, gentrification throughout the years has changed the atmosphere, not to mention Tittsworth’s own favorite hangouts. Many areas once known for cool clubs that he frequented are now parking lots. He recalls, “The one that comes to mind is right near the Capital where I used to go to raves almost every week at this placed called Nation. It used to be known as The Capital Ballroom Walking out of a rave at 6am, having been in such a loud environment and then seeing the Capital and then watching people going to work, it was a trip! That whole area was wiped out due to waterfront condominium development.”

However, D.C. does have its advantages, especially when “the suits” venture out of town for the weekend. “The thing about D.C. is that we’re a political town,” Tittsworth says. “Our hotels are more for the Congressmen tip. The good news is that you can stay in these ridiculously incredible hotels that are relatively cheap, because everyone leaves the city on the weekends. You can stay there for a couple of hundred dollars. We don’t have many boutique hotels. We used to put DJs up at The Westin and The Fairmont all the time when I threw parties.”

In the midst of the tizzy that is the upcoming Presidential election, it's a wonder how the citizens of the Capitol escape daily political bombardment. While in most cities it’s more than often taboo to openly discuss opinions on religion or politics, in D.C., it’s the opposite. Especially to the point when it’s an election year. According to Tittsworth, “Trash talk has gotten so bad that legislation passed a law for government employees, where they can no longer talk about politics within the office setting! Water cooler discussions about the president are no longer legal!”

~Jessica McMenamin

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:29 PM | Permalink

Picture the scene: You’re at a club; you’ve had a few too many beers, and you’re dancing like John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever on an off day. The last thing you want is a photographer shoving his camera in your face, so you can see yourself in all your goofy glory on some party blog, the next day. But, if someone like London-based photographer Billa was taking your photo, you probably wouldn’t mind. A contributor to magazines like i-D, Vogue, and XLR8R, Billa is one of the key documenters of London’s colorful club-scene. One look through his Flickr, and you’re transported into a world full of extravagant club-kids and cross-dressing queens-- all in glorious technicolor. A courier by day and photographer by night, Billa also recently shot the new cover for Super Super Magazine of singer Santogold.

psychoPEDIA grilled the photog about his love of bikes and fake Chanel goods:

What have you been up to lately on the photography front?
The main thing was being in the "3am Eternal exhibition alongside Wolfgang Tillmans, Nan Goldin and Mark Leckey, to name a few. Also, I just covered backstage at London Fashion Week for the British Fashion Council again.

Do you ever get bored of going to clubs all the time?
That’s like saying, “do I get tired of boozing?” I must admit, the clubs don’t seem as good as a few years back, but there are still a few that I enjoy a lot-- "Nuke Them All" being one of my favorites. What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever seen in a club?
I think the craziest thing I saw was at the last "Nuke Them All." A naked guy was just swaying from side to side whilst stroking his huge schlong, all night long.

What's something about yourself you want the public to know that they might not know already?
I get rid of my hangovers by working as a cycle courier in the daytime.

Why are you so fanatical about bikes?
I hate public transport and find that having a bike is essential to living in London – there’s no hanging around and they’re quicker too. I was on the Tube the other day to pick my girlfriend up from the airport and the guy opposite was constantly grabbing his crotch whilst the man next to me was cleaning his ears with a bit of torn up newspaper. Need I say more.

What bikes do you own?
I own four bikes. In descending order of cost: the Eai Bareknuckle track bike (fixed gear) which I built up, the Iro Angus track bike (fixed)-- also built myself, the Azonic Steelhead Pro single speed (fixed), once again, built by myself, and then the pub bike, which I found without a front wheel around the corner from my house. Having had so many bikes stolen, I now only use the pub bike when venturing out on an evening.

What is your dream bike?
I’ve recently been looking for a Colnago 80's frame, so I can build a classic racer. There’s too many fools riding around Shoreditch on fixed gears these days.

How did you first get into bikes?
I got into them seriously after seeing my first Tour de France on TV. After that, I got a cheapish racer and used to ride 400 miles a week on it when I lived in Wales. Then I got into mountain biking when I moved to London and started riding fixed gear bikes.

Are bikes more important to you than women?
Certainly not, but they’re definitely more reliable.

On a different note, how did you get into an obsession with fake Chanel?
I think I saw an old photo of Boy George wearing a fake T-shirt and I foolishly went into a Chanel shop and asked them, “Where are the T-shirts”?

What pieces do you own?
My favourite is my original 80’s fake white T shirt, with the Chanel logo screen-printed. It’s falling apart now, so it rarely see’s the light of day. I just came back from holiday in Greece, where I got a cool belt for £10. Then there’s my Chanel necklace, which I made from some earrings I bought from a market a few years ago. I always love telling people my necklace is a fake when they tell me how nice it is. I also have a Chanel surgeons mask, which I made from a scarf bought from petticoat lane market.

What’s your dream fake Chanel item?
A Chanel baseball cap from the 80’s that I saw in a shop on Brick Lane. It’s £150. I do always look when I’m on holiday, but I can never find it. I will be turning my Eai bike into a Chanel bike soon, as my friend who designs vinyl stickers is going to do some Chanel ones.

~Donald Crunk @ Styleslut

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:15 PM | Permalink

Ferry Gouw must have a tough time when filling out the "occupation" section on questionnaires. The modern-day Renaissance man can easily claim the role of musician, artist, and video director. The West London resident is known to most as the front man of the dreamy genre-hopping, prog-pop band The Semifinalists, but he also finds time to create trippy and beautifully fucked up art. If that wasn’t enough, his video work for his friend Dev Hynes, of the band Lightspeed Champion, are similar to mini-psychedelic trips through the mind of Jim Henson on Sizzurp. We don’t think he touches the stuff though-- he’s more into Spongebob Cereal than mind-altering drugs. In his own words:

What have you been up to?
Been doing so much stuff, it’s kinda taken over my life. I’ve been fixing up my house too - buying lamps and stuff.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?
I go to bed at 6 in the morning, so I don’t usually do breakfast. I eat dinner, then I snack through the night.

What’s your favorite cereal?
When I was living in NY for a summer, I was hooked on Spongebob Squarepants gross marshmallow cereal. I’m kind of over cereals now, though. I’m lactose intolerant, so I don’t feel like buying soy milk just for cereals. It’s too luxurious.

What projects are you involved with at the moment?
I just finished a poster for Late of the Pier’s tour. I did Mad Decent’s tour t-shirt, as well as tees for El Guincho and Holy Fuck, tons of flyers. I’m working on my friend Tom James’ album cover and Emmy the Great’s single cover, club projections, writing music constantly and I might get back into doing videos. Videos are super tough to do independently, so I’m inclined to only do ‘em for people I dig.

How did you first get into art/design?
I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember, so there was no specific time. Reading comics when I was a kid kind of forced the issue a bit more.

How old were you when you realized you were so talented?
The talent thing is debatable. I keep working on the craft of it, observing different styles, etc. Talent is too big a word for what I do, I think.

How would you describe your style of art?
I’m still finding my style. It’s great having people ask me to do different styles, because it pushes me out of my comfort zone. I just did a super classical illustration for Late of The Pier. I’m pretty proud of that, mostly for the endurance. But nothing beats the pride of designing/shooting/making stuff for Semifinalists. It’s more personal and ultimately, more rewarding.

Is your work at all inspired by Salvador Dali?
I am a fan of some Salvador Dali stuff, but I went to his museum just outside Barcelona, and I almost puked. I mostly steal stuff from comics. Al Columbia is a hero of mine, the For Thunder collective, Johnny Ryan, and the Bibliodyssey blog is always good to check out. Chipp Kidd is probably my biggest graphic design hero at the moment.

Do you still have your early pieces and do you ever look back at them?
I don’t have my really early stuff, from when I was a kid. I remember those being awesome. Then I got shit in my teens, and unfortunately, I do have them and they’re excruciating to look at. I sent my early comic to Jeffrey Lewis, and he told me to learn to draw. That was a burn.

How are things with the The Semifinalists?
I don’t feel like disclosing all the personal/inner workings of the band, but after we stopped being film students, life as a Semifinalist became real heavy. We’re all foreign, so financial and time demands are sometimes too much.

How would you describe your music to a ‘semi-newbie’?
We keep morphing into different sounds, so the scope kind of stretches from folk, shoegaze, funk, disco, indie and power pop… that kind of thing.

Do you think the band should be a lot more popular than they currently are?
We can only do stuff from our side of the bargain. Ultimately, if more people are listening to the stuff, then the purpose of communicating our ideas becomes more fulfilled. If people are on board, that’s cool. But, either way, I’m happy.

~Donald Crunk @ Styleslut

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 03:02 PM | Permalink

As it's less than a month away from one of the most important elections in United States history, now more than ever, American citizens should show timely support for their candidate of choice. With one Presidential and VP debate each complete, there are now only two debates left-- second Presidential Debate at Belmont University (Oct 7) in Nashville in a town-hall format, and final Presidential Debate at Hofstra University in Hampstead, New York (Oct 15), focusing on domestic and economic policy-- to show the public who is ready to be the future president.

The economic crisis doesn't seem to be enough to stop the consumerism that the current Presidential campaigning benefits from, and with power players like Rupert Murdoch even admitting to being part of the disdain the majority of America's population has for politicians, being shy about your political favor is a thing of the past. As the elections move steadily closer, citizens can play a part in informing themselves about the options or display support to increase either party's popularity. psychoPEDIA looks into six political products get more informed about the candidates and promote their candidate of choice, without sacrificing style:

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama ($16.50)
While it’s hard not to get carried away with the idealistic notions The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream can inspire, Obama’s passionate articulation also reads sensibly, clear, and well thought out. Chapters such as "Values," "Opportunity," and "Faith," are able to touch all walks of life, and give the now age-old American dream a much needed face lift. From sensitive topics such as teen motherhood and “gangsta life” to anti-Americanism abroad, Obama uses his first-hand experience to bring a deeply moralistic take on these issues. Resembling his memoir, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, this text combine his own humour and often proposes humane solutions to the country's problems.

Worth the Fighting For: The Education of an American Maverick, and the Heroes Who Inspired Him by John McCain ($10.17)
Mark Salter, McCain’s administrative assistant, helps put together an autobiography that deals with his personal experiences from Vietnam to the “Keating Five Affair” which nearly ended his political career. With themes such as heroism, sacrifice, stoicism and redemption, McCain relegates his time in public office and his witness to acts of indulgence and acts of principle. After five and half years as a POW, he regained health and his flight-eligibility status, which has enabled him to travel and educate himself even further, politically. McCain’s autobiography also includes sentimental profiles of his heroes, from Ted Williams and Theodore Roosevelt, to Billy Mitchell and Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!

Rachel Roy Be the Change Scarf for Obama ($95)
With a background that reflects a modern American dream, it’s no wonder Rachel Roy is an Obama supporter. From humble beginnings as a stylist to being the Creative Director for Rocawear and now with the success of her own line Rachel Roy New York, it's the classic tale of hard-earned success. Her scarf, in support of the Democratic candidate, carries the inspirational message of "Be the Change You Want to See in The World" in an all-over print. With this accessory, you can do double duty by showing support while keeping warm for the cooler months ahead.

Marc Jacobs Obama '08 Button Tote ($75)
While not one of his most recent "Marc by Marc for Marc Jacobs" (on into infinity) eponymous bags, designer icon Marc Jacobs shows his support, quite simply, for Obama in a button tote with a quirky edge. Notorious for his success with the fashion elite, Jacobs also stays at the forefront of socially conscious designers with his tote, showing that fashion can have substance, too. Keep well-informed of the candidates' latest updates as you can carry the latest newspapers and respective memoirs in this original tote.

Sarah Palin Maternity Shirt ($32.99)
In the tradition of MILFs-- a term brought into popular culture from the teen comedy American Pie-- Sarah Palin has inspired the VPILF T-shirt by Flippin Sweet Gear. As McCain’s sidekick, who has been getting as much press as the next B-level paparazzi victim, Palin's hockey mom image is not only fueling the media for her word-tripping during debates, but also for her unashamed small-town personality. Perhaps as a nod to her pregnant teenage daughter, or her non-pro-choice political policy, this maternity shirt is sure to get new mothers through an entire pregnancy term-- or at least to the November election.

McCainine T-Shirt ($14.95)
A twist on the idea of dog as man’s best friend is yet another gimmick to add to the campaigning madness that has culminated in the country's current political climate. While a dog owner may have endless things to say about McCain's take on the economy, the McCainine dog tee is a one-word statement, as pets don’t have a clue about politics, and therefore, can’t be held in contempt. Sizes range from XS to 2XL for almost all-sized breeds, and go to show that, like this year's Republication candidate, every dog can have it’s day.

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 08:18 PM | Permalink

She is a no rest woman: Erica Elektra, lead singer of the LA all-girl band Hearts of Palm UK, whose new album, For Life, comes out October 14th on Hypenote, works her sleep and dreams our future. As the band’s main songwriter, she was gracious enough to provide psychoPEDIA with a footprint of her former profession, astrologist and psychic, but cast in a dream that states our course.

The Dream:
So, in my dream, it was a given fact that we'd all turn into fish someday…kind of how in real life we know that we are all going to die someday, it's just something that's known. In the dream, everyone just went about their regular life, and really had no idea when their time would come to turn into a fish. And it wasn't something that seemed to bother anyone really.

But it was quite disconcerting for me. I remember feeling uneasy… like how is it that we're supposed to go on living our lives, when at any moment we could turn into a fish!!! And I was talking about this to a friend, and just philosophizing about it… and telling him how weirded out it made me. And I remember out of the corner of my eye seeing it happen (people transform into fish) just right there out the window, on the street, wherever…

And it wasn't regular fish that people were turning into. They were like weird gingerbread fish with painted on smiles… they looked more like cookies. And some people turned into fish that looked like toys. Or fish that looked like candy. But the gingerbread/icing fish were the most clear in my head. Once you turned into a fish, you were lifeless… until someone was able to throw you into some water, at which point you'd come alive and swim away.

The Analysis:
Erica is a no-nonsense knower, who constructs with a centered finality her prognostication of humankind’s designated future, an outcome, not necessarily wholesome unless one is abetted by the mysterious life enabler referenced at dream’s end.

However, there is nothing cryptic about the dream’s narrative, structured to unfold with its first word, “So,” the result of an unstated preamble, a continuum, now formed to a proclamation, moving to the not debatable, “a given fact we’d all turn into fish someday,” a backdoor acknowledgement that from the landed fish humans evolved.

Life’s enter and exit signs have fuzzy, seemingly contradictory placement settings for our guide’s orchestrated scenario, but rendered in cozy lettering – all that gingerbread fish stuff – to mitigate, yet paradoxically further, our disorientation. Erica has the hand wipes to clean the slate when she chooses to, and she does. She sees what does not “bother anyone,” and everyone should be troubled, she implies: turning into fish, not knowing when, an act analogous to dying, but not. Nevertheless, this occurrence, happening “someday,” so dated for its inherently unregulated capacity to fit all, be it fish life or no life, known as death, straddles well an astrologer’s predilection for the undeclared specificity.

She is a sensitive foreteller, flipping disconcertion on its gill, heading us to that back door, relabeled entry – the beginnings of life – perceived with a soothsayer’s nonchalance and rapidity, a prowess untainted, “seeing it happen.” The lead singer is an artist, of course, who can counter death with a pool-girl’s play: life’s end is a configured fake out. The beginning is the finish, a baroque climatic. She is totality’s exactitude, a front and back: the fish-people variants look like this and that, “candy” et al, but hang in pre-k simile limbo. The unadorned component is designated as “fish,” now “alive,” to “swim away,” a maturated immediacy catapulted by the unnamed “someone.”

Modest and efficient Erica switches creation and reinvigorates a retired resume entry with a buttressed self-advertisement at a most opportune time. Her dream is For Life.

~I.E. Statement

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:48 PM | Permalink

Photographer Sebastian Mlynarski’s favorite emotion is nostalgia. Maybe it’s because of the abrupt way he left his native Poland for New York at the age of 14. Tricked by his parents, Mlynarski arrived in the streets of Jamaica, Queens anticipating a summer job at McDonald's only to find out his stay was permanent. Now, the artist has made his second life in New York City, as a successful photographer that regularly contributes to Vanity Fair and Vogue, and has shot the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Blonde Redhead, Elijah Wood, and P Diddy—in addition to his personal artistic pursuits.

Mlynarski’s nostalgic sensibilities are evident in his latest show, an evocative photo series titled Against Nature, after a novel by French author Joris-Karl Huysmans. Collected during Mlynarski’s international and local travels, these photos could be described as landscapes, although he refers to them otherwise. “They’re self portraits, in a way. Things that really exist, but shown the way I experienced them,” he states, describing the oeuvre as a re-visitation of the Romantic idea of nature-- albeit one which draws a different conclusion. The show includes photographs ranging from a Lynchian car burning on a desolate upstate highway to an oil-painting-esque white horse ambling through the Costa Rican jungle.

On a break from setting up for his Oct 3 opening at Live With Animals in Williamsburg for some borscht and dumplings at Bedford’s Polish diner, Mlynarski spoke to psychoPEDIA about where to eat, shop, and spend a spring day in Warsaw:

How would you describe your hometown?
What I love most about Warsaw is what’s not there-- the things it hints at. There are other more beautiful cities in Poland, with more historic buildings. But Warsaw was destroyed during WWII, and what’s there now is elusive. During the war, the ghetto was huge. Of that whole area, only one street remains, with two original buildings. The Old Town was razed, and the way they rebuilt it looks like paper-mache. But it’s endearing that they take pride in it. If you visit, people will take you there and say, “Look at our old town!” It’s bizarre, but amazing.

Is there a cultural or art scene?
There’s a lot of strong video art in Poland these days. Katarzyna Kozyra did a piece called “Mens’ Bath House” where she disguised herself using prosthetics so she could sneak into a mens’ bath house, and filmed it.

Any galleries you frequent?
There are some great galleries, including older avant-garde ones that started in the ‘60s like Foksal. They’ve had shows by international artists like Matthew Barney, Joseph Beuys. It survived through communism and maneuvered so it was even funded by the communists. The founder was a multimedia artist named Kantor-- a painter who became a playwright and director. There are also small new galleries. Włodzimierz Zakrzewski, will be showing at Galerie Le Guern. The show is called Bang Bang and uses Polish maps of military conflict over history. Also, the Center for Contemporary Art-– now showing Yoko Ono’s video installation Fly. The space is amazing, like MoMa in a 17th century castle. The Center catered to art even during communism. The director would dress up as an aristocrat with a saber and have the staff refer to him as “Herr.” And, Warsaw Rising Museum is an interactive museum that creates a sense of actually being in the WWII-era during the uprising.

As you also DJ in NYC, playing Polish cold wave music, where would you pick up music in Warsaw?
Hey Joe, a hidden treasure of a record shop tucked behind a supermarket. The space used to be a janitor’s closet, and the people that work there are great. They both have a particular smell— Polish Patchouli. It smells like dirty hair. They sell all the Polish vinyl ever created. That’s where I get my cold wave records.

Other good places to shop?
Stadion Dziesieciolecia. Go early in the morning and buy stuff from the Vietnamese and Russians. You can get anything from tea kettles to machine guns, There’s illegal stuff too. And if they don’t have it, they can get it for you. Another flea market I like is in a parking lot, on a dodgy street called Brzeska, of a dangerous neighborhood called Praga North, the only neighborhood in Warsaw that was not razed. Literally, it’s like the scene in The Pianist where he comes out of the building and everything is destroyed. People sell screws, thermometers, hairdryers, someone’s used socks. Randomly you’ll find a beautiful statue or a phrenology head. It’s full of old-time thugs drinking and dealing. Old world hooligans, but very elegant-- they’ll wear suit jackets, but nothing will match.

Where do you go for a good time?
There is a lot of great theater in the Palace of Culture. Praga North remains a must. And, a nice place to have a coffee and enjoy a spring afternoon is Saska Kempa-- a neighborhood where the hip coffee shops are-- very green, fashionable. It’s away from the center and the hoi polloi.

What’s to eat in Warsaw?
In the recent past, there’s been a huge resurgence of ethnic cuisine. But what excites me most is milk bars.

Like in A Clockwork Orange?
They don’t actually drink milk in them. They’re cheap restaurants that cater to retired people, the working poor, and students. They’re known for their dairy-type dishes--pierogies and such-- but they have some meat too. You get a great cross-section of people in there—some who lived through WWII, communism, changes of government. And the food is really good. Polish food should not be fancy. When people try to get fancy with Polish food, it’s a mistake. They’re all more or less the same, but I always go to is Spilka one of the only places open till midnight. Warsaw pretty much ends its existence at 10 pm. Mom and Pop food remains the best.

What traditional Polish dish should you order there?
Red borscht with mushroom dumplings, Christmas style. And stuffed cabbage with rice and meat, things like my mom would make.

~Christine Whitney

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:11 PM | Permalink

Gentrification in the east end of London is spreading faster than Lyme disease on a tick-invested nudist camp. By 2010 the massive concrete monstrosity that is the new Shoreditch Station will be finished, just as the currently palpitating financial square mile of London engulfs everything in its wake, stopping only to top up on overpriced sushi and glance at itself in the ever-multiplying mirrored bars and clubs.

As the world slows, the building carries on. London is tittering on the edge-- the same as everywhere else. Either the poor will be pushed out to more secluded areas of rife, crime, and poverty, or alternatively, the financial core of London will crash and burn and the buildings now buzzing with tapping keyboards and jingling pockets will soon be abandoned and buzzing with the sound of squatters hammering themselves into their new abodes.

In every affluent area, pitched between the working classes and the posh, are the artists-- living off the scrapes of the capitalist corporations, alongside and within the poorer areas where rent is cheaper and inspiration thrives amongst the harder-end of society. When the cultures clash, it can be beautiful or brutal. There is a fine line, but like anywhere in the world where these forces meet, a mutual respect and compromise is essential.

With this in mind, a traditional East End ‘boozer’ The Victoria has been taken over and revamped by a group of musicians, artists, and other various young types. Situated in an area drenched in local history-- Grove Road, Mile End is within spitting distance of the site in which the first flying V-Bomb hit London during World War II, and for more than 100 years, the area has struggled to bring the down-trodden area a much deserved boost in morale and happiness. In the 1880’s, social commentator and novelist Walter Besant proposed and successfully built a "Peoples Palace," bringing the area a complex that included concert halls, an art school and gallery, and a library creating an impressive social and creative meeting place for the local people and artists alike.

Alfie Smith lead singer of London punk band The Skallywags and the head of this merry group of pub revitalizers has set about bringing a similar center to the area, although the locals have thus far only tentatively glanced through the windows to meet equally tentative glances back from the cream of Shoreditch’s arts and music scene.

The Victoria was once a place where locals came to partake in the usual pub activities of darts, pool, watching football and singing karaoke. Now, they are more likely to find an impressive schedule of London’s top parties, club nights, and bands all crammed into an exhaustive calendar that already reads like a Who’s Who of what’s hot in London right now.

Despite the addition of a stage and impressive DJ booth, the pub has remained faithful to its previous incarnation in set up. The Victoria bursts with surprises around every corner, from the intriguing taxidermy and beautifully decorated toilets to the tasteful artwork that adorns the walls. It’s clear that proprietor Smith and his partner Hannah Margaret Stewart have gone all out in making this public house strikingly individual, yet with its odes to the past, it remains warmly familiar. It’s a pub tourists can only dream of: with all its quirky paraphernalia and English charm, it should interest both the scene-hungry youth and the thirsty elderly equally.

Although, it still remains to be seen what will happen when the locals trickle in (as they inevitably will). As it’s clearly aimed at London’s younger more liberal drinkers, where the venue and the clientele are more important than all else. Unfortunately, there isn’t a great choice of beers, and the lineup of super alternative and scene-popular nights hints that the pub is aiming more to attract those from farther reaches than Mile Ends “born and bred.” Still, the inspired interior is inviting enough for the locals that just want a swift pint during the week.

Bonus points go to Smith for roping his mum in to make the majority of the pub’s food, a touching ode to home cooking. The menu, still in its infancy, (only carrot and coriander soup was available on our visit) has the potential to garner its own influx of visitors, especially if the delicious soup is anything to go by.

The Victoria has promise and by all means could go as far as becoming the People’s Palace for the new millennium. Plus, no fancy Thai dishes, no mirrored bars, and no funky house music is always a bonus. If the locals are patient and respectful of the new owners’ attempts to bring something interesting, exciting, and non-exclusive (not just for rich people) to the area, and the new owners and patrons are equally as inviting to the locals (if, of course, well behaved) as they are to the artists and punk rock singers—then it can guarantee a harmonious and successful future for this adventurous new drinking hole.

~Kevin Soar


The Victoria, 10a Strathearn Place, W2 2NH. 0871 984 2996.

Rating:
Trendiness: 5 pints/5
British Pub Atmosphere: 5 pints/5
Beer Selection Deliciousness: 2 pints/5
Location: 3 pints/5
Clientele: 4 pints/5

Total ... 19 pints/25

Posted by psychoPEDIA at 04:57 PM | Permalink