#67 FREE
[ LIF E A F T E R S K AT E ] [ LIF E A F T E R S K AT E ]
2010 2010
WeActivist CHRIS PASTRAS SHOT BY CHERYL DUNN www.wesc.com WeActivist CHRIS PASTRAS SHOT BY CHERYL DUNN www.wesc.com
CONTENTS Volume 8 Number 6 Issue 67 14 18 68 70 71 72
Editor’s Letter Fall fashion tips for you! Of The Month More fashion info than you can shake a stick at. What does that even mean? Poster Art: Handiedan Hot pin up girls! And no, it’s not those annoying ones that are always trying to get you to go to their stupid burlesque night. ION the Web We feel up Zachary from Touchpuppet. Horoscopes What’s your sign, baby? Comics
CULTURE 22 24 28
Your Piñata We’d hit it! Art + Sole 2010 We dare you to try and wear some of these sneakers! Gavin McInnes The creator of the Dos and Don’ts talks to us while seeding his lawn.
FASHION 30 32 34 44
Palladium Lace up for your battle with style. Herschel Supply Co. Best bags ever! Room With A Crew Fashion editorial is shot by Olivia Malone and styled by Toyo Tsuchiya. Let’s Get Out Of The City Fashion editorial is shot by Edwin Tse and styled by Toyo Tsuchiya.
WHERE TO FIND US WEB www.ionmagazine.ca FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ionmagazine TWITTER @ionmagazine TUMBLR www.ionmagazine.tumblr.com ISSUU www.issuu.com/ionmagazine
MUSIC 54 60 64 66
Chromeo One of our favourite bands gets interviewed by another one of our favourite bands. Win! Women Like Girls but with a more grownup sound. Grum Grum tells us all about his mafia connections. Album Reviews
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Publisher/Fashion Director Vanessa Leigh vanessa@ionmagazine.ca Editor in Chief Creative Director Art Director Music Editor Fashion Editor Office Manager
Michael Mann editor@ionmagazine.ca Danny Fazio danny@ionmagazine.ca Tyler Quarles tyler@ionmagazine.ca Trevor Risk trevor@ionmagazine.ca Toyo Tsuchiya toyo@ionmagazine.ca Natasha Neale natasha@ionmagazine.ca
Copy Editors Editorial Interns
Steven Evans, Marisa Chandler Zia Hirji, Sinead Keane
Writers
Marisa Chandler, Stefana Fratila, Nick Hanekom, Zia Hirji, Alex Hudson, Sinead Keane, Love & Electrik, Jeremy McAnulty, Jules Moore, Kellen Powell, Ian Urbanski, Taz VanRassel, Natalie Vermeer
Photographers and Artists
Claire Arman, Toby Marie Bannister, Kin Chan, Jessica Chanen, Tyler Fast, Jamal Hodges, Jenny Kanavaros, Javier Lovera, Grace Lee, Olivia Malone, Eduardo Mella, Stephanie Peterson, Charlotte Stokes, Edwin Tse, Julia Visentin, Vittorio, Felix Wong
ABOUT OUR COVER Chromeo SHOT EXCLUSIVELY FOR ION MAGAZINE On the cover of this issue is Dave 1 and P-Thugg from Chromeo. Being retro in the Western world ain’t easy. Having busted through the plexiglass window of sophomore slumpery with the hit LP Fancy Footwork, Chromeo are sticking to their guns—not re-inventing themselves, but rather sticking with the sound that they hold so dear. The new record, Business Casual, is a classic Chromeo record (yes, by the third record a band’s sound can be classic) that will delight both fans of their earlier work and fans of electro funk pop from decades past. ION was lucky enough to have Love & Electrik, a young and popular act of a similar genre, interview Dave1 and P-Thugg. Never again shall these two bands be in the same room, as any catastrophe would drain the Canadian funk pool down to zero. Business Casual is out September 14 on Atlantic Records. [www.chromeo.net]
ION is printed 10 times a year by the ION Publishing Group. No parts of ION Magazine may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written consent from the publisher. ION welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for the return of unsolicited materials. All content © Copyright ION Magazine 2010 Hey PR people, publicists, brand managers and label friends, send us stuff. High-resolution jpegs are nifty and all, but they’re no substitute for the real thing. Clothing, liquor, PS3s, CDs, vinyl, Blu-rays, video games, and an iPad can be sent to the address below. #303, 505 Hamilton Street. Vancouver, BC, Canada. V6B 2R1 Office 604.696.9466 Fax: 604.696.9411 feedback@ionmagazine.ca www.ionmagazine.ca | @ionmagazine www.facebook.com/ionmagazine | www.issuu.com/ionmagazine Advertising enquiries can be directed to sales@ionmagazine.ca
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Cover Photography: Felix Wong, Styling: Toyo Tsuchiya, Photo Assistant: Julia Visentin, Hair and Makeup: Eduardo Mella, TRESemmé Hair Care, judyinc.com
CONTRIBUTORS WRITER [Love & Electrik]
Writer [Marisa Chandler]
ILLUSTRATOR [Ryan Romero]
Photographer [Olivia Malone]
Love & Electrik are Roxy Aiston and Kevin Mah and they are one of ION’s favourite bands. They’ve been featured in the magazine before and they even played our seven-year anniversary party. Love & Electrik play fun, Eighties-infused, bubblegummy electrofunk and that makes them the perfect band to interview Chromeo for us. They did an outstanding job and it made us love them even more. Love & Electrik are also adorable and, chances are, if you saw them in the street you’d want to grab them, stick them in your pocket and take them home with you.
Marisa Chandler wrote the article on Meaghan Kennedy. Marisa is a Vancouver-based freelance writer with a lot of time on her hands. She previously worked for a variety of now-dead magazines, and is currently sporting a nice part-time employment tan and generally living out loud (as quietly and unobtrusively as possible.) Her greatest achievement to date is being listed in the “I saw you” section of Craigslist for her “lithe body and almond skin.” In her spare time she also illustrates and plays the glockenspiel (very badly.) If you want to catch up with her she is probably napping on a park bench covered in a multitude of day-old snacks.
Ryan Romero did the illustration for the Gavin McInnes interview. Ryan’s hair is 12 3/16 inches in length. He got an intern to measure it. When asked to submit a bio, Ryan got all nostalgic about his past. He thought about sour mangos and watching chickens roam in his backyard. He remembered putting on his school uniform in the morning when he was eight. He also thought of this girl named Cecilia from his kindergarten class. Cecilia was sweet. Ryan remembered feeling that this was probably the first time he’s ever met anybody so charming. Ryan currently resides in Vancouver above a toy store.
Olivia Malone shot the Room with a Crew fashion editorial. Olivia was born in 1982 and raised on the east side of Los Angeles. She now divides her time traveling between Los Angeles and where she lives now in Brooklyn. She has exhibited her photography in group shows in Edinburgh, New York, Los Angeles and Austin, while her editorial work has been featured internationally in Elle, Elle Girl, Nylon, Dossier, Pig and Neon Magazines. She enjoys other people’s pets, afternoon light, road trips and the company of her muses.
[www.myspace.com/loveandelectrik]
[www.ryanromero.ca]
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[www.oliviamalone.com]
EDITOR’S LETTER
Michael Mann “Untitled” by Toby Marie Bannister
This is our fall fashion issue. But let’s get real for a moment here. There conceivably could be no fall at all this year. Sure, leaves will drop off the trees, people will go back to school and clothing companies will release brand new lines with heavier fabrics and different designs. But it could be 30 degrees till mid-October this year and we could hop straight from summer into winter. Thank you global warming. Or Jesus, who is very angry because gay people can join the military and get married... Whatever rational and perfectly plausible scenario you subscribe to about why it is so bloody hot out... Don’t want to alienate anyone. Maybe we should amalgamate the seasons and take it down to a more reasonable and manageable two: sprummer and finter.
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But let’s hope fall doesn’t get its season status revoked any time soon. It’s been two years since the economy officially went down the toilet and magazines have been hit hard. You might have heard that print is dying. You might have even heard me say that. Some magazines you like might have gotten thinner and some may have even gone out of business or said they’re going “online only” (which is also out of business). I feel like an idiot saying this, but it needs to said. We pay to print and distribute the magazine with ads. Magazines make their money selling an audience to advertisers and September is the best month of the year to do this. The September issue is such a big
deal, they made a movie about it called The September Issue You’d be surprised how many people think newsstand sales are a magazine’s main source of revenue. Magazines don’t make very much money from newsstand sales. Magazines haven’t been making very much money with ad sales either these days. But it’s more than they make from you plopping down $5 at Chapters. Fashion magazines, the industry barometer of how well ad sales are doing, are getting fatter again. And this is a pretty fat issue for us. You might think advertising sucks but here’s the reality: our ads look good, advertise products you want, and allow us to stick more great stuff in the magazine. Hopefully the economy
really is making a comeback as there are a lot of great magazines out there right now. Did you know Canada makes the most interesting small magazines in the world? Pretty confident it’s either us or Holland. I’m not being cocky or tooting our own horn either. There’s a halfdozen terrific independent magazines being produced in Vancouver alone right now. This is good for everybody because the reality is this, magazines are awesome and you look great carrying one around. People who use iPads in public or even just walk around with them smugly tucked under their arms look like complete dorks and are begging you to punch them in the face. That is my fall style tip for you.
ION THE PRIZE BEN SHERMAN This month’s prize is all about helping you stay fresh, even if you don’t tan or hit the gym, with a Ben Sherman button up and cardigan. Ben Sherman was founded in 1963, championed by the Mods and has been a trusted name in British fashion ever since.
Photography: Felix Wong, Hair and Makeup by Grace Lee for TRESemmé Hair Care/Plutino Group. Model: Eamon at Elmer Olsen Models
To enter visit [www.ionmagazine.ca]
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pf flyers.com
AVA I L A B L E AT E L K A R T E L , G R O O V Y, H E E L B OY
AN AMERICAN CLASSIC: THE 1947 SUMFUN
OF THE MONTH [Book] Faile [Website] Catorialist [Festival] Puces POP! [Fashion] Proenza Schouler x J Brand
[2]
[1]
[3]
[4]
[1] Book—Faile: Prints + Originals 1999–2009 Faile have been on fire lately. You remember Faile from ION
[3] Festival—Puces POP! POP Montreal is known as a music and art festival but there is a portion of the
issue #50, right? They put a mural on the front of the Tate Modern, recently built video arcades in New York
festival that you might not be as familiar with and that is Puces POP. This two day DIY festival takes place
and London and a bloody temple in Portugal. Ring any bells? Well now the street art duo from Brooklyn have
on the final days of POP Montreal and features all kinds of independent creations. You will find over 100
a book out documenting a 10 year span of their amazing career. You probably can’t afford to hang their
local and national crafters, designers and even some indie record labels just to round it out. POP Montreal
work on your wall so this 224 page book is the next best thing.
runs September 29 to October 3 and is well worth checking out if you are in Montreal. [www.popmontreal.com]
[2] Website—Catorialist If the Sartorialist is the go to site for all things cool in street style, then get ready for the Catorialist. This site highlights, you guessed it, cats. I am not a big fan of cats because of horrible
[4] Fashion—Proenza Schouler x J Brand If you have ever wondered what a pair of J Brand jeans would look like
allergies that send me into an asthmatic fit but this site is pretty great. They treat cats like fashionistas and
if the designers over at Proenza Schouler got their hands on them you are in luck. The latest collaboration
the comments on the subjects’ fur as if it is clothing will bring a chuckle to anybody, even those of us that
between a highend designer and a street brand is definitely worth a mention. These high-waisted, skinny
cringe at the site of a new cat in a friend’s apartment. —Vanessa Leigh
jeans are made from 11oz Japanese denim, which are then printed and painted to create the unique pattern
[www.thecatorialist.blogspot.com]
that has a definite Eighties vibe. Available in select specialty boutiques.
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www.g-sus.com
[Fashion] JNBY [Hotels] Ace [Book] TORSO T-Shirt Graphics Exposed [DVD ] The Jonses [7]
[6] TORSO
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T-SHIRT GRAPHICS EXPOSED
Ed ited b y Dan iel Eckler. With their catchy messages and bold artwork, T-shirts are
a reflection of and petri dish for current styles in graphic design, illustration, and fashion. Focusing
TORSO T - S H I R T
on T-shirts created by the most innovative and style-setting brands, Torso presents T-shirts that can be seen as projection screens for the most original contemporary visual codes.
G R A P H I C S E X P O S E D
TORSO
T-SHIRT GRAPHICS EXPOSED
Compiled by Formatmag.com founder and editor-in-chief Daniel Eckler, this book is a definitive guide to today’s T-Shirt culture.
[8]
ISBN 978-3-89955-309-3
[5] Fashion—JNBY JNBY (Just Naturally Be Yourself) is one of the newest and most fashion forward imports
[7] Book—TORSO T-Shirt Graphics Exposed A book of t-shirt graphics can be a pretty hokey concept; the
to hit North America with its first Canadian locations in Vancouver. Boasting over 500 locations internation-
strength of the book would largely depend on the individual who curates it. Luckily Gelstaten got Daniel
ally, including the newly-opened Soho NY store, this company is an influencer for women and men
Eckler formatmag.com’s founder and editor-in-chief to compile Torso. The graphics found in this book come
around the world. JNBY focuses on multi-functional dressing with contemporary separates and innovative
from a varying array of influential graphic artists for forward thinking brands. Beyond simply being a book of
silhouettes. The detail-oriented designs will give your wardrobe the modern edge you are looking for.
t-shirts Torso serves as a great resource for graphic designers and an even better snapshot of t-shirt culture
[www.jnby.ca]
and early streetwear. If you have an empty coffee table that is in need of a book Torso is for you, if you want a snapshot of t-shirt culture Torso is for you, if you need some design inspiration Torso is for you.
[6] Hotels—Ace If you find yourself travelling and are in a city with an Ace Hotel you should probably stay
in it. Ace Hotels are the definition of what a boutique hotel should be. All are located in interesting areas of
[8] DVD—The Jonses Your favourite sex addict, David Duchovny, has a new movie out on DVD and it’s
town and feature a number of artist-designed rooms from the likes of ION favourites Kaws, Kenzo Minami
pretty darn great. Duchovny, Demi Moore and their two kids movie into an affluent town and immediately
and Shepard Fairey. Ace have also managed to offer the boutique hotel experience at a fair price point.
win over the neighbours. They’re charming, they’re sexy and they have the latest and coolest shit. Problem
Beyond all this, the Ace New York let us use the facilities for our “Room with a Crew” shoot. ION basically
is, they aren’t who they say they are. Turns out the family are all employees of a guerilla marketing firm
loves Ace.
trying to move product. Surely the neighbours won’t care when they’re exposed for who they really are. Or
[www.acehotel.com]
will they?
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CULTURE
YOUR PIÑATA
Hit Me With Your Best Shot Words: Marisa Chandler
Photography: Kin Chan
If you’ve ever wanted to bash someone’s head in, Meaghan Kennedy, creator of the Vancouver-based company Your Piñata, can help. “I began making piñatas as sort of like a joke. A friend challenged me to make one for a local talent show in Vancouver—I kept bugging him to get a poodle piñata and he said just make one, and I did and it was super-duper fun,” says the 30-year-old self-taught craft maven. After spending years working in retail, the tall willowy redhead has turned what seemed like a fun crafting hobby into a full-fledged homegrown business. “I took a really big leap leaving my job,” she says, tapping her acrylic nails on a cup of peppermint tea, “but I really think if you take a really bold move it’ll manifest things, and if you are actively pursuing then things will happen.” She’s already made piñatas for some big names: a Perez Hilton likeness for Black Eyed Peas singer Will.I.Am inspired by their now famous feud, and a handdelivered piñata for the wrap party of The Vampire Diaries in Atlanta. Looking through her window from outside. Meaghan’s apartment looks like a macabre torture chamber, but the figures hanging throughout her one-bedroom apartment are all actually drying works-in-progress.
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“I use balloons and paper; it’s just like when you were at school,” she says. These labour-intensive creations range from two feet tall to life-sized and take a few days to make including drying time. “Six feet tall is the largest I can do, ‘cause that’s as high as I can get out of my apartment. I live on the eighth floor, any bigger than that and it would have to be lowered off the balcony.” “A lot of people think piñata and they think SpongeBob SquarePants, 10 dollars. That’s not what I’m doing,” she says. These are “couture piñatas,” retailing from $300 and up, and custom-ordered to look like whomever or whatever the customer wants: from exes to celebrities. In fact, there’s a three-foot-tall version of BP CEO Tony Hayward hanging from her ceiling right now, along with a variety of sea-inspired creatures and people for a pirate-themed art show being held at Aphrodite’s, a local organic pie shop. The mermaids and pirates are based on the staff, says Kennedy, and all of them will be smashed at the end of the run. That’s right, even though they’re couture piñatas, you’re still supposed kick the crap out of them. “Oh I want them to be smashed; that is the purpose. I have some
people that order one to break and one to keep, and I charge a fee for putting them back together again.” The cathartic effect of smashing a piñata has an appeal, but Kennedy also thinks that her business has taken off because people connect to the whimsical, fun aspect of the piñata, “I think there’s something from people’s childhood about them that they really like and this is taking that to the next level.” Not all the piñatas are for profit alone. “I hang them randomly around Vancouver as well, not for promotion, just to see how people will react to having a piñata hanging.” She’s already hung a dragon in Stanley Park in Downtown Vancouver, as well as a merman at the Vancouver Aquarium. Here’s hoping that piñatas take off as the ultimate new form of street art, even if Meaghan’s papier-mâché creations don’t come with any lofty artistic ideals, “they’re piñatas, so they’re not super serious,” she says with a shrug and a laugh. [www.yourpinata.com]
CULTURE ART + SOLE
COLLECTIVE SOLE Words: Nick Hanekom
PF Flyers laces sneakers and art even closer together with Art and Sole 2010—an art shoe project and auction taking place across Canada during August and September. With no-fewer than 40 artists on the roster, it’s of little surprise that this four-city art project is gearing up to be one of the most influential events of the season. There are no limitations set on the background, or the approach of the contributing artists; the common goal is a simple one: put a unique twist on the classic sneaker silhouette. Forty per cent of the proceeds from Art and Sole 2010 will be donated to various organizations around Canada; the rest goes back to the artists—some of whom we’ve profiled below. [artandsole2010.tumblr.com] [1] Lupe Martinez Born in Buenos Aires in 1980, Lupe Martinez is a talented Vancouverbased illustrator, painter and conceptual artist. Her work ranges from dream-like landscape paintings to textile-based installations that are founded on a philosophy that art is a medium for creating awareness and igniting the exploration of one’s inner self. With a BFA at the National University of Arts (IUNA), the 30-year-old artist has an extensive list of exhibitions to her name, not to mention a stint at Emily Carr in 2007, as well as myriad workshops and seminars in Europe, South America and Canada. Today the award-winning artist works from her permanent studio at the Dynamo. [www.lupe-martinez.com] [2] Zema Lam Comic-cum-pop artist Zema Lam calls Montreal home and as such, the streets are adorned with her unique graffiti murals and
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illustrations. Working in tandem with husband Frank Lam, the multidisciplinary artist is as comfortable painting in Montreal’s back alleys as she is with canvas and other media. Her style has been described as “pop-surrealist” and “lowbrow cartoon-trash,” yet whichever way you choose to look at it, Zema is on the cutting edge of Canada’s contemporary arts movement. From video to graphic design and everything in between, Zema’s creations are exaggerated and emotive. There is simply no avoiding the charming allure of her work. [www.zema-ink.com]
Award for best packaging, the young artist is on the fast track to great things. Her work is both multi-faceted and vivid, without being overly involved or complex. It is therefore no wonder that the likes of Exclaim Magazine and Element Skateboards are commissioning work from this bright young star. Along with her work in books and magazines, Juliana is preparing for her first solo show, which will be hosted by Toronto’s Sleeping Giant gallery in September. [www.juliananeufeld.com]
[3] Andrew Tong Vancouver’s own Andrew Tong is a fine artist in every sense. Born and raised in London, England, Andrew is a graduate of Reigate School of Art and Design and has had a pencil or paint brush in-hand from an early age. His work varies from the fantastic to the horrific and captures the imagination in a twisted fashion. Each image, character or scene has a life unto itself. And while his work is technical and multi-layered, Andrew creates portraits and still-life studies that are approachable and enticing. Well versed in the ways of the Old Masters, Andrew Tong brings a philosophy of exploration and self-discovery to the masses. [www.andrewtongart.com]
[5] Peru Dyer An avid traveller and linguist, Peru Dyer (aka Peru143) is originally from Lima, Peru, but he now calls Montreal home. His moniker, as you might gather, is an homage to the country of his birth; the ‘143’ inspired by the self-assigned number of the home he grew up in. Now firmly entrenched in the Canadian art world, the freelance illustrator and muralist is making his indelible mark on the streets and in galleries alike. His work ranges from vibrantly colourful lettering and pop-art characters on the streets to images of geometric shapes and figure studies on canvas and paper. A humanitarian at heart, Peru Dyer gives particular focus to issues affecting the environment and aims to “educate and inspire” through his God-given talent. [www.peru143.com]
[4] Juliana Neufeld Torontonian Juliana Neufeld is a talented artist whose illustrations, paintings and mixed-media creations grace the pages of many local and international magazines, packages and gallery spaces. Recently voted the winner of Applied Arts Magazine’s Photography and Design
[6] Calen Knauf This resident of East Vancouver is an industrial design student at Emily Carr who finds great pleasure in examining the natural and built spaces that surround him. A self-described ‘stickler for furniture,’ Calen has been featured in numerous ‘creative spaces’ profiles—his
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being meticulously organized, which can be seen as an almost direct contrast to his organic flowing artist style. His design work has been commissioned by the likes of Adidas, Stüssy, Trakstar, Color Magazine and ION. And when not working on something creative, Calen can be found mentally preparing for the day when aliens invade earth—he’ll be the only one well and truly prepared. [ www.calenknauf.com] [7] Dan Climan Dan is another Vancouver-based artist who focuses on hand-drawn illustrations, but with a grungy New York City skate-punk aesthetic. Originally from Montreal, Dan is now enrolled at the Emily Carr where he is studying painting. To make ends meet, he also designs flyers for weekly parties and events in the Vancouver area. Dan’s vibrant and humourous design work consists mainly of his signature script and character based themes; not surprisingly, this sneaker enthusiast is also a regular contributor to Color Magazine. When not working on his personal projects, Dan is known to collaborate with Calen Knauf (with whom he shares a creative live/work space) and punking friends around town. [www.dancliman.blogspot.com]
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CULTURE GAVIN MCINNES
AIN’T NO NICE GUY Words: Kellen Powell
Illustration: Ryan Romero
Interviewing Gavin McInnes is for a 25-year-old magazine writer, sort of like interviewing the architect of your personality. That said, you’d think I’d have been more prepared. I leapt at the chance to interview Gavin when it came up, thrilled at the opportunity to talk one-on-one with of the neatest people in the publishing industry ever, and then was completely terrified when I found out the article was meant to be for the fall fashion issue, since I know nothing about fashion, other than a vague understanding of things I like or don’t like to wear. Gavin is the now 40-year-old co-founder of Vice Magazine and former writer of the infamous Dos and Don’ts. He now maintains his own project, Street Boners and TV Carnage, where he does more or less what he did with Vice. So instead of doing any real research on what kinds of things I would ask about fashion, I just came up with some really general questions and watched all of McInnes videos on YouTube. Gavin was generous with his time and gave a long phone interview while seeding the grass of his upstate New York home with his with his wife and two children. Lets start with what a typical day for you is like? What do you get up to? Well, it’s rare to have a typical day for me. Today for example, we decided the city was too hot. We drove upstate. Uhm, I have a place up here, and I’m just focused on my lawn. I’m at a weird point with it, you know, where I feel like giving up. Cause the soil up here is so shitty. Some people just kind of accept that their whole lawn is going to be clover but I feel like I don’t wanna accept that. I feel like I can fight it, you know? If you can get to a point where the soil is fertile enough, where the grass can have a fighting chance, then you’re good.
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The grass is like a skinny boxer. You don’t think he’s gonna win, but if you keep him fed, clothed and trained he can beat up Mike Tyson. But anyway, what I do in the city is I rent an office with a bunch of people. Like-minded people and uh, just hunker down. I just write a lot, just hunker down. Back in Vice days, I just lived at the office. If I had an idea at four in the morning I could just crawl over to the computer and hammer it out. But now being a dad, it’s weird to me. I have more of a schedule. It’s like, “Now its time to be funny.” So what’s ION about? It’s a free magazine, you know arts and culture. We do ten issues a year. National publication… So you copied me. Yeah, more or less… I think we’re less scathing than Vice though. You copied me and you did a weaker job. You know if this was grade four, we’d be fighting. It’s a big deal copying in grade four. Remember? I’m talking about in grade four where like, someone would discover Chuck Taylor’s, and then someone else would wear them? And would be like, “She copied me!” Where do you think good style is? Like, what’s the foundation of your approach? Well, my background is punk rock and there was a thing in the Eighties with skinheads, who were really scary, where you’d get beat up for your Doc Martens. I remember kids getting jumped for their Nikes in high school. Well that was because they were so expensive and people wanted
them. With the Doc Martens it was more like, “You can’t have them.” So that sort of started a culture of rules. Where we were all about the rules, and maybe that sort of bled over into my fashion philosophy of today, where I’m obsessed with rules. But I think anyone who’s really making a living at it, I mean you talk to anyone at Vogue or any sort of fashion editor and they’re obsessed with rules more than the skinheads were. Right that makes sense. Where do you fit into that? Well 99 per cent of the time it’s women. They’re so inside of it that they’ve lost all humor. And I guess women have pretty high stakes. They’re trying to find a mate, to reproduce. They pretend it’s something else and they just like the clothes, but… Well that’s sort of what men are trying to do too right? Isn’t it just peacocking? Sure, but men are just trying to get a blowjob. So they’re sort of nervous about it but I don’t know how important it is to them. They’re not freaking about “if they look good in these shoes.” But don’t most women claim to dress for other women? Yeah, but that’s still for men in a sense because you’re competing. You’re competing because you wanna get the best mate. I mean it all goes back to primal stuff. And then with the gays it’s the exact same, except they don’t have to worry about procreation. So what I think is unique about my angle, is that it’s the perspective of a male that doesn’t see it as that serious and can joke around about it.
You seem just as interested in writing jokes as you do writing about fashion in Street Boners and the Dos and Don’ts. Is it more about one than the other? Well, what happened was, back when Vice started we needed ads. We were totally new to magazines—none of us went to journalism school and everything was, “Well, what do we do?” So we actually asked the advertisers “Well, why aren’t you advertising with us,” and it was because we didn’t do fashion shoots. We didn’t like doing them. Even people that I respected, you know, editors I liked that would do them—they were still so pretentious and shitty and pointless. Anyway, so we said, “We can’t do that. Maybe we can do a comedy version.” So we’d have someone dressed up in our advertisers clothes and that would be a do, and then next to them would be someone dressed in stuff we found at the Salvation Army, and then we’d make jokes about how bad
they looked. And that worked and everyone was happy. We didn’t feel like total sell-outs and the advertisers got what they wanted. You were nominated for hipster of the decade by Gawker. That’s kind of dumb, but I’m curious how you perceive your relationship to hipsterism. You don’t have the Street Boners book do you? This is all well covered in the book. You know it obviously doesn’t matter; its just a silly game. All that shit is just a backdrop so kids can party and get laid. It’s not like its classical music or opera. It’s just a type of partying. So it’s not important? I was talking to a guy in New York and he was like. “What’s the hipsters legacy?” And I don’t understand why young people need provide us with a legacy. All they have to do is have fun. All young people need
to do is get laid and listen to music and party. They don’t even have to know what they’re doing at the time. So don’t say that you’re mad that hipsters haven’t given you a legacy, or they’re shallow or something. I want kids to be shallow. What do you want them to be? Shut the fuck up. Baby boomers like to pretend they were all hippies. Hippies were a relatively small movement. Kissinger stopped the war by the way—not hippies. He ended it by blowing it up. Then won a Noble Peace Prize for it. A lot of people were kind of mad about that. [www.streetbonersandtvcarnage.com]
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Stylist: Toyo Tsuchiya. Hair and Makeup by Vittorio for TRESemmé Hair Care/Plutino Group. Model: Sam at Elmer Olsen Model
FASHION
The Palladium by Neil Barrett
Sir, Yes Sir Words: Max Renn
Photography: Javier Lovera
The French and English are collaborating on military apparel and fashion is the victor. This fall, Palladium, an 80-year-old French footwear brand that got its start making aircraft tires for Europe’s fleets, and Neil Barrett, an English designer and fourth-generation military tailor, are collaborating on the aptly titled The Palladium by Neil Barrett. Palladium got into the bootmaking business after WWII because of a decrease in demand for fighter plane tires. As you might have guessed, Palladium’s boots ended up being pretty durable. If they can handle landing on a tarmac, they can handle anything you can
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put them through. The boots were such a hit that the French Foreign Legion started sporting them. Neil Barrett is a celebrated designer who has worked for the likes of Gucci, Prada and Puma, where he was the creative director. He also has his own line that’s complemented by a string of mono-brand stores in Japan and Korea. His designs are equally at home on runway models walking the catwalk, and normal people, like you and me, walking down the street. The result of these two fashion powerhouses collaborating is a durable, stylish and comfy boot. The boots feature ultra-flexible soles,
which provide for a noiseless walk perfect for exploring the city or going on solo stealth missions. The design is also available in two materials: waxed leather and nubuck (think more durable suede). Keep your eyes peeled for these in select stores this Fall as Palladium was recently re-launched in Canada. [www.palladiumboots.com]
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FASHION
HERSCHEL SUPPLY CO.
Bags of attitude Words: Sinead Keane
Photography: Tyler Quarles
People judge you by your bag. Diamante-encrusted clasp equals trashy valley girl. Expensive looking leather satchel empty save for a copy of Kerouac’s On the Road is a sure sign of a non-prescription eyeglass-wearing hipster. Oversized backpack wearers identified by a slight hunch as they bear the brunt of their schoolbooks are often sadly identified as nerds. Regardless of what group you identify with, Vancouver based bag company Herschel Supply Co. may be able to take some weight off your mind with their range of simple, classically designed backpacks and bags for adults. Co-owner Jamie Cormack set up shop with his brother Lyndon and
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the pair kept it in the family by naming the company Herschel after the adopted hometown of their great grandparents who emigrated from Scotland to Canada (and yes there is a tartan bag in their collection). The brothers draw inspiration for their bags from vintage mountaineering, American heritage, world travel and fashion. “I have been traveling a lot of late and really pulling ideas and inspiration for all type of places,” explains Jamie. “I have been looking at everything from footwear to old vintage flags. But really inspiration comes from just building things that we like.” As they launch their Fall line with new styles, fabrics and designs,
Jamie is confident that the future looks bright for Herschel. “We are already out growing our office in Gastown and are looking forward to introducing a few new brand extensions for Fall. So in the next year we have a new work space, more bags, kids’ bags, more fabric options, wallets and luggage coming up.” The best thing about these bags is that they are durable, affordable and they look good. That’s all you need to know really. [www.herschelsupply.com]
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Styling: Charlotte Stokes, Model: Julian at Liz Bell
FASHION
ROOM WITH A CREW with a
Photography Olivia Malone Styling Toyo Tsuchiya Art Direction Daniel Fazio Hair and Makeup: Jenny Kanavaros, TRESemmĂŠ Hair Care, judyinc.com, using MAC Cosmetics Models: Rila at Trump Model Management, Emily at VNY Model Management and Axel at Red Model Management Photography Assistants: Claire Arman & Jessica Chanen Styling Assistant: Mitchell Kaufman Shot at Ace Hotel New York Ace is a friendly hotel for the people who make cities interesting. 20 W 29th St, NY NY, 10001 [www.acehotel.com/newyork]
Left: Striped leggings - Enza Costa | Pink socks - H&M. Right: Green cat tee - Numph striped bodysuit - American Apparel | Purple tights and pink studded bracelet as anklet - H&M | Bow headband - American Apparel
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Left: Denim jacket w/studded back - Citizens of Humanity | Printed one piece - WESC | Striped knee socks - American Apparel | Necklaces - H&M. Above: Corduroy Shirt - Oliver & Spencer | Maroon tee - Lifetime Collective | Hat - Kangol
Dress - Lifetime Collective | Pink blouse - American Apparel | Purple knee highs - H&M | Bow headband - American Apparel
Left: Cream blouse - 212 | Floral leggings - American Apparel | Coloured socks - H&M. Above: Blue cardigan - WESC | Plaid shirt - Lifetime Collective Linked triangle necklace - CHRISHABANA.
Above: Striped sweater - Numph | Striped bra - H&M | Purple bow headband - American Apparel. Right: Rila Vest - 212 | Shirt - Ezra Costa Necklace - H&M | Pink tights - H&M. Emily Blouse - American Apparel | Bra - H&M | Linked positive necklace - CHRISHABANA | Striped tights - H&M
FASHION Let’s Get
OUT O CITY of the
Photography Edwin Tse Styling Toyo Tsuchiya Art Direction Daniel Fazio
Makeup: Stephanie Peterson Hair: Jamal Hodges at B Agency NY Model: Alyssa at Major Model Management Shot at Rockefeller State Park Preserve
Velour top - WESC | Velour leggings - Numph | Feather necklace - H&M
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Printed dress - Numph Cream tights - H&M
Knit cardigan - 212 | Top - WESC Navy skirt - Lifetime Collective Leggings - Enza Costa
Cowichan sweater - Lifetime Collective Navy velvet dress - Numph| Ballet flats - Top Shop Fur hunting hat - Kangol | Cream tights - H&M
Cream jacket - American Apparel | Sweater - 212 | Olive green trousers - Citzens Of Humanity | Lace up boots - Top Shop
Draped sweater - Numph | Leggings -Lifetime Collective. Right: Scarf - Numph Blouse - 212 | Trousers - American Apparel
Photo Assistant: Julia Visentin. Styling: Toyo Tsuchiya. Hair and makeup: Eduardo Mella, TRESemmé Hair Care, judyinc.com
MUSIC
CHROMEO
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS Words: Kevin and Roxy from Love & Electrik
So we got to listen to your album Business Casual. What was your inspiration musically on this record compared to previous records? Dave 1: I’d say we were listening to a lot more classic rock—late Seventies classic rock, soft rock, Toto, Boz Scaggs, but I mean… P-Thugg: Still a lot of funk, but the soft rock kinda gave us a bit of a new direction. Dave 1: There’s also songs that sound like nothing, kind of. “Don’t Turn the Lights Out,” to me, the only influence was, like, maybe Sade for certain melodies.
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Photography: Felix Wong
You guys are both spokespeople for Bushmills whiskey. Do you drink it dry or on the rocks? P-Thugg: On the rocks. Dave 1: It’s actually quite good. I don’t know much about whiskey so the fact that I can drink it… I mean, here’s the thing, when you’re a band like us, and you’re not on radio and you’re not on mainstream television, there’s only so many ways to finance a tour and also get any kind of promotion money. I know a very traditional sort of indie minded person might think that’s kind of a sellout thing, but that doesn’t really mean anything in this day and age. How I see it is like this: record
companies give out these new deals where they have your publishing, your merch and touring rights and they give you this huge advance. We said no to that because for us that’s important. That’s ours. For us, I feel like if you sign that deal you’re just as much of a sellout as someone else who licenses something to a commercial. I mean, I would feel more like a sellout if the record label was making money off our live show. I’m happy to talk about this. We actually got a couple comments. I mean, you don’t see us drinking. There’s nowhere you see us drinking. It’s not like, “Whoa, soo good Bushmills.” You don’t see us drinking it anywhere. The pictures are just cool photos. We had
“IT FEELS GREAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT PRODUCTION WITH PEOPLE REALLY INTERESTED IN WHAT’S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES... IT’S VERY REWARDING, JUST AS MUCH AS BEING INFRONT OF A SOLD OUT CROWD DANCING.” —P-THUG
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all the approval of every artistic dimension. It’s about friendship. Every time they have a little clip of us we’re not talking about Bushmills. Like there’s no mention of us doing anything with their product. P-Thugg: It’s kind of a win-win situation—the three-way win-win. The Bushmills people win, we win and the fans win. We get to put on a better show. Dave 1: We put all the money back into everything, the videos, the album. We reinvest back into stuff so that everyone benefits. When you first recognized success back in the She’s In Control-era, are there any regrets or things your would do differently? P-Thugg: The whole thing! [laughter] Dave 1: I listened to it the other day and I mean, it was dope, it was alright. There was no precedent for that back then. Sometimes I look back and I’m like, “Ugh, the artwork. Ack it’s terrible.” But, like, it’s our first album. P-Thugg: We were still kind of looking for our sound. Dave 1: We had no managers; we didn’t know what a booking agent was. She’s In Control didn’t blow up. It was pretty much a failure at all levels. But we had “Needy Girl,” and “Needy Girl” was like a musical passport. That song went all around the world and DJs played it everywhere, but there were no remixes on She’s In Control but one— actually lousy one: Paper Faces. P-Thugg: Our best remix was two years after. Dave 1: The label put all their money into getting a DFA remix for “Destination Overdrive,” and they were like, “We spent everything” and we were like, “Oyyyy.” So it was a tough learning experience but I look back and actually in a way I’m proudest of what we did, ‘cause it was just me and P, schlepping everywhere. Just the two of us. P-Thugg: Recording everything, mixing everything… Dave 1: Now that I look back, our band sort of chronicles the coming of blogs or YouTube. When we came out with our first
album, MySpace didn’t exist yet and YouTube didn’t exist yet. Our “Needy Girl” video was almost one of the first viral videos... but people had to send a crazy link. It’s weird ‘cause we kind of saw all that happening. DJs were the first people to support us. At first that’s really how it got around. With the first album it was the DJs and a snowboard video. So many kids learned about us through that. How many videos have you guys done with Surface to Air? Dave 1: Two. I like Surface to Air a lot. We owe a lot to them— they’re kind of part of our image. We collabed closely with those guys. The logo was them, the legs were their idea, the album covers for Business Casual and Fancy Footwork was them. The guy who owns the whole company is a good friend. A lot of credit must be given to them... we have fun with the videos but our videos are not very self-indulgent, it’s really a service. I mean, I have fun, but I really hope that the millions of people that watch the videos, like “Night By Night,” had more fun than me. We see it as something to really show people a good time. How does it feel to have such an influence on young musicians? P-Thugg: It feels great, especially when we get questions, you know, about production with people really interested in what’s going on behind the scenes... more specifically asking me about the talk box or the synths we use. It’s very rewarding, just as much as being in front of a sold-out crowd dancing. Dave 1: I agree with P. It’s really humbling, and we talk to musicians all the time and give advice and P’s geeking out with all the guys and stuff. I feel like, at the same time, when the smoke clears, I hope that at one point people realize that we were one of the first to do it—as far as the Eighties funk. Obviously there’s Daft Punk—they hinted at it. But in terms of really trying to rehabilitate the Rick James, the Hall and Oates thing, the squiggly
“THIS GUY’S GOT A TUBE IN HIS MOUTH; I’M TALKING ABOUT CHICKS. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I’D HAVE MY SUSPICIONS TOO. BUT I THINK THAT FANCY FOOTWORK KIND OF DISPELLED THAT.” -DAVE 1
synths and stuff… you know, we were some of the first. Not that we want a special achievement award or anything, but that recognition feels good when we get it. Even at our shows when we first started, P having a synthesized voice was a curiousity. He would go, “What’s up?” and people would be like, “What’s that?” We never get that anymore. Now, people barely react. But back when we started, it was like. “What’s that? It’s a tube! It’s a robot! It’s a guy!”
the work, P can do a lot of stuff in my absence and then I can come in and we can do binges. Hopefully by the next time we do an interview with ION I’ll be a full-on professor.
What was it like collaborating with Yo Gabba Gabba! and writing a song that was kid friendly. Dave 1: P always answers the “What was it like?” questions, but another thing we should clear is that we didn’t write that song. Believe it or not, they have their own songwriter over there. So all the songs for Yo Gabba Gabba! is like one dude. I think his name was Ken Lee, this Asian hipster guy with, like, big glasses. He’s dope. He writes all the stuff and sent us, like, three songs, they were like demo quality so we took the songs, picked one and made it into a funky Chromeo thing. P-Thugg: All three of his ideas were actually very compatible to us.
Chromeo has been around for eight years, which dismisses any kind of novelty act assumptions people might have about you. What are your thoughts on that issue? Dave 1: It’s understandable. I mean, look at what we look like. This guy’s got a tube in his mouth; I’m talking about chicks. I mean, obviously I’d have my suspicions too. But I think that Fancy Footwork kind of dispelled that. When we started we just looked at the White Stripes. I mean, Jack White’s wearing red pants, he’s got swirls everywhere, he does like retro music too. How come nobody thinks they’re a joke band? They’ve just been doing the same thing and the image is über consistent. Maybe subconsciously we tried to apply that. And if you look at what we’re doing now, the legs everywhere, the chromed out logo everywhere, everything is consistent. We’re trying to create a universe that’s between us and our album covers and our lyrics and theme. The more you do that the more it makes it harder for others to imitate you. That’s why, by the way, you can’t imitate Jack White, Like what are you gonna do? I mean, who can walk around imitating Jack White? He’s untouchable. He’s the only guy who wears the red pants, sings the way he does, and has that retro sound and crazy artwork. So I think it’s a cool model for us to follow. That’s what leads to credibility in the long run.
So he had you guys in mind when he was creating the tunes? Dave 1: Definitely, especially the one we picked. A couple of the songs they might have had already sitting on the shelf, but that one was already very funky. So Dave, you’re earning your PHD in French literature and now teaching in NYC. How do you manage to balance this with music and what’s it like when students recognize you? Dave 1: I don’t really know. You need to ask my students, but I think it’s kinda funny for them. I don’t think about it when I teach class because there’s so much to do. It’s tough balancing them. At the same time, with a band, you have time when you’re not touring. Writing music for us luckily comes fairly quick. And the way we split
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Have you ever taught in your leather vest? Dave 1: I’ve worn other leather jackets, but that one is a little too sleeveless, you know?
[www.chromeo.net]
MUSIC WOMEN
NEVERMIND THE CRITICS... HERE’S WOMEN Words: Alex Hudson
Photography: Tyson Fast
Back in 2008, Calgary’s Women became a surprise success with the release of their gritty, art-rocking eponymous debut. Produced by eclectic pop maestro Chad VanGaalen, the album’s brittle guitars and swampy production struck a chord with fans and tastemakers alike, getting the band signed to indie heavyweight Jagjaguwar. Now, the group is preparing to release its sophomore LP, Public Strain, on September 28. While at home in Calgary, frontman Patrick Flegel answered ION’s call to discuss the new album, the critics, and why Women definitely, definitely shouldn’t be classified as lo-fi. Did you go into recording your second album with a mapped out idea of what you wanted it to sound like, or was it more of an experimental process? It’s kind of weird, ‘cause we intentionally experimented with things, and then ended up doing the same thing, which is pretty much setting up some kind of ideal and completely missing the mark. Sometimes it works out, like you’re happy with it. Sometimes you’re not Was this a time that you were happy with it? Yeah, I think so. I have a hard time listening to my own music. But yeah, I’d say I’m at peace with it, y’know?
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You took quite a while recording this album I understand. Yeah. I think we played around 200 shows and we came back to town and everyone sort of got to work and that was it. I think part of it might have had to do with the fact that I was working the graveyard shift pretty much full-time while we were tracking. Plus, it’s hard to just get any of us in the same room, so it’d be like a week on, a week off, one day here, one day there kind of thing. I don’t know what it says on the piece of paper people are getting, but I think, in my brain, it took three years. Seasons came and went and we were still recording, and then one day we decided to stop. The album has quite a few drones and feedback jams. What inspired that? I just like hearing one note being playing over a bunch of other notes. It sounds really good to me, just a melodic drone, like a harmony hovering above everything. Well, at the same time the album’s got quite a few mellow, pretty moments. It sounds like you were going in a couple of different directions. That’s something that appeals to me about recording an album over a long period of time—you’re in different moods and using different setups. Getting that kind of variation on a record is kind of cool. It really just depends on what kind of day one of us is having, as far as what’s going
to happen. You never really know. Typically, if I’m just sitting there with a guitar, then I’m probably going to write a slow jam. I don’t usually, alone in our practice, just turn up an amp to 10 and freak out. Your last album was partly recorded on boomboxes and other nonprofessional recording equipment. Did you use the same setup this time around? We actually used a Tascam 388 8-track that Chad [VanGaalen] has for most of the record. It’s a beautiful machine, man. Was the whole thing recorded in Chad VanGaalen’s studio? Yeah. Well, it’s his garage. There are a bunch of machines in a garage. “Studio,” quote-unquote. Yeah, it was all recorded there. It’s two levels. Upstairs it’s all wood. The basement is all concrete and it’s very cavernous. He’s got a couple of rooms separating things, and then if you want to get some really roomy sounds we could record down in the basement. What kind of pressure did you feel with your sophomore album after the success of your first one? People always say this, but we’re way harder on our music than anyone
MUSIC else could possibly be, me in particular. The band was formed out of my frustration with bands I was playing in and bands that I would see, and so it’s pretty much trying to make the music that you wish other people were making. Which is extremely difficult, especially when you can’t really hear your own music, in a way, unless you’re extremely intoxicated. Sorry, what was the question? Was it hard to write the album knowing you had a guaranteed audience? Oh yeah. I’m incredibly hard on myself. What happens after it’s done—I’m actually indifferent. Someone decides to approve what you do, and then other people decide to follow suit or whatever. Everyone’s looking to the certain sources for validation, for permission to listen, y’know? So I guess if you’re lucky enough for people to decide that what you’re doing has any merit then you end on a record label like Jagjaguwar or something like that. Which is a dream come true. It’s amazing. But we never looked at those things as relevant to actually making music. It’s a by-product. Your band has often been associated with the so-called “lo-fi movement.” How do you feel about that label? I think it’s stupid. I just don’t think it sounds blown out at all. I mean, obviously it’s not high-end studio gear, that’s clear. But I just thought it sounded old, or home-made. Anyone who says we sound like Times New Viking doesn’t actually listen to music. I just feel like using those words, “lo-fi”—that label’s going to apply to other bands that I don’t think we sound like. I find all that stuff nauseating. But what do I think of it? I think, as we’re concerned, we have nothing to do with it. Would you ever make a really clean-sounding recording in a hi-tech studio? For sure. We just want it to sound a certain way. I was listening to [Wire’s] Pink Flag today—that’s an amazing recording! All that old postpunk stuff—there’s just a certain quality to everything. For whatever reason they were producing things that way. I guess the reason I’m using that as an example is because those are my favourite recordings. I relate to those sounds for whatever reason. [www.myspace.com/womenmusic]
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MUSIC
Grum
GRUM OF THE EARTH Words: Zia Hirji
Photography: Tyler Quarles
Have you been to a club where dance music has been played in the past year? Have you read one of the many music-related blogs that exist on the internet? Do you enjoy your dance music with catchy pop-filled vocal hooks? If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes,” then you have probably heard the music of GRUM. Scottishborn/Leeds-based Graeme Shepherd and his laptop have produced a series of disco-influenced burners that will surely have you leaving the club with a bass line or two of his stuck in your head. GRUM’s latest album, Heartbeats, is a synth-filled odyssey and a great soundtrack to a night out. ION recently got to sit down with Graeme and have a chat about music, touring and dial-up modems. So, you’re from Scotland. What was it like growing up there musically? How did you find music when you were coming up? Well, I think it was like when I was 12 or something like that when the Internet got popular, and you downloaded music on a 56 Kbps modem. I used to leave it on overnight and just download music. I must have been maybe 13 when I actually started caring about music. For some reason I really liked club music and something about it, you know, the way it was put together just did that for me. I’d say the first album I
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got into was the first Stone Roses record. I really liked that. Obviously I go through phases of liking different music; I don’t really listen to The Stone Roses now but at the time I thought it was great. What did you hear originally that pulled you into club music? Do you remember, like, 1999-2000 when there was lots of trance around? I remember that stuff and it was kind of interesting. That got me into it. I had a few Ministry of Sound comps, the annuals, that sort of thing. Around that time it was really big, I just got into it. As far as your sound goes, where do you see it going next? Well, when I started making music I was doing a little bit more noisier, heavier stuff. I find, as I get older, I’m listening to more classic pop music and it’s going more towards that sound, like Hall and Oates. I’ve had some production offers from some bigger people and I’d like to go down that route and try it because I think it would be funny to make a really camp disco tune and have some rapper on it. Now with chart music things are going a bit more dancey, but it still has that hip hop thing where it’s a little bit simple and rushed. I think people want to hear things with a lot more feeling with it. That’s where I come in.
Who was the production offer from? Atlantic. They have a few people and they want to get me to do something. One of them was BOB, so I want him to rap over a Flashdance style song. What’s your weirdest experience on tour? I was in the Ukraine last week at an outdoor club. Before the party the promoters took me to eat some traditional Ukrainian food. They had this cold soup with bits of cucumber in it that tasted like milk gone off. At the venue there were a bunch of reserved tables and one of them was for the mafia. The sign actually had MAFIA written on it. When they were paying after the gig they gave me 75 Euro of my fee in shekels or whatever. I can’t exchange them anywhere. I have no clue what I’m supposed to do with them. [www.myspace.com/grummmusic]
MUSIC REVIEWS 1
Black Mountain [Wilderness Heart] Kathryn Calder [Are You My Mother?] Chilly Gonzales [Ivory Tower] Grinderman [Grinderman 2]
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[1] Black Mountain Wilderness Heart Jagjaguwar I lay back down on my bed. Black Mountain’s follow-up release to 2008’s In the Future begins to play. I remember a PowerPoint presentation about Mars coming closer to Earth, about space (keyboards) and metal (mostly recorded in LA). I feel underwhelmed although I know that this album has an exciting enough story: Stephen McBean fell in love with a California girl, Dave Sardy reunites with the band for the first time since producing their Spiderman 3 track and Randall Dunn joining in alongside his past work with Sunn O)))—the two of them sharing the title of producer. I imagine loving this record. I have to imagine because apparently what I find boring, Black Mountain doesn’t. - Stefana Fratila [2] Kathryn Calder Are You My Mother? File Under Music I imagine Kathryn playing piano and singing as her mom clasps her hands to her heart, grateful to witness her daughter’s songs in the living room. Kathryn’s crisp and sweet vocals receive compliments from the harmonies of friends (like NP bandmate Neko Case, ahem) who come over and pick up a guitar or tap on some drums at different points in the evening. There are cookies baking in the oven, the wood-burning stove is glowing and a scrapbook of Polaroids is being passed around. The
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arrangements are simple and the melodies last long into tomorrow’s hums while cleaning up. Everyone is happy for their time together but there is a hint of sadness apparent, knowing this moment won’t last. -Natalie Vermeer [3] Chilly Gonzales Ivory Tower Arts & Crafts Well this was an unexpected treat. Gonzales, (or now Chilly Gonzales), had the lead single off Ivory Tower produced by Boys Noize, and instead of the “lathe sawing a drum machine in half” sound I was expecting from the song, it sounds more like a collaboration between Phillip Glass and Juan Esquivel. The album is a soundtrack to a movie about chess (which is awesome), so many of the tracks are mainly atmospheric piano melodies with little or no drums. However, “You Can Dance” is a nice little boogie track that stands out on its own and will probably be well received on dance floors in the months to come. -Kellen Powell [4] Grinderman Grinderman 2 Anti Half-naked 50-year-old men thrusting their pelvises in bronze armour. And so goes the first publicity shots for Nick Cave’s post-punk, post-Birthday Party, post-Bad Seeds, postGrinderman (1) album, Grinderman 2. Owner of one of the most recog-
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nizable voices since Elvis, Cave is still singing in the key of doom and writing lyrics that suggest we humans are, and have always been, a sad and lonely bunch of heathens worth nothing more than our weight in stories and scar tissue. In a recent interview, Cave and his weirdybeardy-brother-grim, Warren Ellis, said that forming Grinderman was “a way to escape the weight of The Bad Seeds.” Really? I didn’t get that from this at all. Grinderman’s sound and subject matter are heavier than Santa’s bowels on Boxing Day. “Worm Tamer” and “Beringer Blues”— while viciously good—are the sonic equivalent of chewing raw flesh. That said, if a Bad Seeds-esque love ballad is what you’re after, one “When My Baby Comes” is sure to lick the wounds left by the other eight. -Jules Moore [5] Of Montreal False Priest Polyvinyl Outrageously camp Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes has a habit of stripping mid-set, slathering shaving foam over his naked body and jumping into an eagerly awaiting audience. Listening to the latest oversexed offering from the Georgia art freaks can have the same effect on you. Once I managed to pick my pants up from the floor and sat down to listen to the record again I got that feeling you get when you realize that something you really
Of Montreal [False Priest] Salem [King Night] Superchunk [Majesty Shredding] Various Artists [Scott Pilgrim Versus The World OST]
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want to be good, well it just isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, there are some gems hidden in the band’s follow-up to 2008’s Skeletal Lamping and Barnes’ lyrics are as witty and brazen as ever (“Hooked up with one of your cousins / Just to feel somehow closer to you”), but do yourself a favour, save the cash you would spend downloading this album, haul your ass to your local record store and buy (most likely on special offer) Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust which is a full fat version to what is in retrospect a diluted tribute from Of Montreal. And then you suddenly realize that you only took your clothes off because everyone else did... -Sinead Keane [6] Salem King Night Iamsound By the time I had finished listening to the opening track of Chicago trio Salem’s debut full-length, King Night, I had been swept through an array of urges from getting lost, to dropping acid, to throwing a party, to banging, to having a heart-toheart with my best friend. Salem has somehow figured out how to capture my favourite aspects of Animal Collective, Explosions in the Sky, Timbaland, MGMT, and DJ sets all at the same time while maintaining an ability to be darker, weirder, and more interesting. While the bass is often ready to uproot trees and the high-hat falls in broad circles inside your head, Salem keeps melody hanging around with the subtlety of your older sister’s mysteriously cool boyfriend. It takes skill and
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tact to be this intense and interesting while also preserving playfulness within your album, and Salem does just that. All this combined with an origin story that includes prostitution, crack, art-school, and a Dutch gay magazine called BUTT, Salem is definitely one of my top bands to watch in the near future with King Night one of the top albums of the year. -Jeremy McAnulty [7] Superchunk Majesty Shredding Merge God, can we all finally stop listening to chillwave and witch house and celt-a-billy or whatever now? I mean, Teenage Fanclub just released a new album, Scott Pilgrim Versus the World is basically one big Nineties indie rock song up on the silver screen, and Guided By Voices are playing shows with their early Nineties lineup, so it’s about time we get back to some major chord, heartfelt, guitar driven songs about girls in the midwest. America is only going to get out of their economic and social crevasse by sticking to what they’re good at: baseball, movies and stuff on Merge Records. Superchunk just made an album that compares to any release since their self-titled debut back in 1990, and all the Weezerlooking guys out there had better be pumping up at the gym getting ready to help out with the genocide of people who think the party is better than the music. -Trevor Risk
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[8] Various Artists Scott Pilgrim Versus The World OST Abkco I have always hated having soundtracks in my music collection. The “Various Artists” thing wreaks havoc in a perfectly organized OCD iTunes like mine. There are a few exceptions that I deal with however: High Fidelity, Rushmore, Death Proof and one or two others that are too embarrassing to print. The reason I put my debilitating condition into check for these soundtracks is because they remind me of the brilliant parts of their respective movies. What the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack does so perfectly is remind me of everything I loved in the comic book. The author of the comic book, Bryan Lee O’Malley, always included suggested listening for his books. These songs, however, are (mostly) not his suggestions. They are artists’ interpretations of what the garage bands from the comic books sound like. And if there is one thing I love, it is grimy Canadian garage rock mixed with some indie rock standards. Plumtree’s “Scott Pilgrim” obviously had to be included, but one of the more inspired choices is Frank Black’s “I Heard Ramona Sing.” It is a criminally overlooked song that I’m glad will finally get some widespread airtime. This soundtrack will be added to the list that makes my iTunes OCD boil over. It is absolutely worth it. -Ian Urbanski
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POSTER ART
HANDIEDAN
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Handiedan makes wonderful mixed media artworks of pinup girls. Why pinup girls? They’re “a perfect combination of sexy, humor and style,” says the 29-year artist from Amsterdam. For Handiedan, her art is “one big personal experiment in how
photographic images and drawings can interact together.” It’s safe to say there’s a lot of interacting going on as the collages contain paint, ink, sheet music, playing cards, money, stamps, wood, rusty metal, doodles and whatever else she can get her hands on to help
give the work a lovely antiquated feel. Handiedan has a background in fashion and photography and she says this aids her with her compositions. But the desire to create started at an earlier age. “I’ve always drew since I was young and it runs in the family. I always said
I wanted to become a designer, a photographer and a drawer.” And now she gets to be all three. [www.handiedan.com]
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ION THE WEB WWW.TOUCHPUPPET.COM Touchpuppet is one of our favourite sites on the interweb. It’s a slick and carefully curated site that posts the best fashion editorials from around the world. We talked to one of the site’s founders, Zachary Hayes, about how Touchpuppet came about.
What’s your background? I’m 25, born and raised in Texas, and the son of an artist. I’ve been involved with the internet since I was about 14. The first website I ever did was for my high school when I was 15. I’ve maintained some kind of web presence since then. After graduating high school I decided I wanted to build engines for race cars. I saw that idea through to graduation, only to realize I had completely lost interest somewhere along the way. After that I set off for college with no direction, just trying to make sense of life as it went. Eventually I found a passion for photography and ended up in art school, where I spent 4 years studying film photography. During that time I worked a lot as a freelance web designer and photographer. When did you come up with the idea for it? The idea came about in late 2008. My close friend Aly is a fashion designer and we always talked about doing some kind of art-centric website together. Eventually we sat down and started formulating the basic idea, and it seems like overnight the site came into existence. What’s Touchpuppet all about? Touchpuppet is a cultural resource for lovers of art, fashion and photography. But more than that, it is the culmination of everything I’ve been interested in for the last few years. The site is very much a reflection of its original creators; one being a photographer, me, and the other being a fashion designer, Aly. As for the name, we originally wanted something vague enough to allow us to do anything we wanted with the site. We are rather absurd people in real life and the name is fittingly appropriate for how weird we are. I won’t say that the name means nothing, but I also can’t tell you exactly what it means. It is best left to the imagination. When did you know it was going to take off? I can’t really say that there was ever a distinct moment, but I was always confident in what I was doing. From the beginning I focused a lot on brand identity and quality content. I wanted people to be excited by not just the content, but also by the site itself. To me, the most successful websites are the ones that can transcend their
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web presence; they can exist in the real world as something that people can be proud to associate themselves with—just like any successful brand. If a website sends me 60,000 visitors in one day, it’s very exciting. However, it is infinitely more exciting if one person tells their friend about the site while sitting at a bar. To me that’s an indication that a real connection was made. So I guess I’ll realize it’s starting to take off when I run into a fan of Touchpuppet in the real world. What keeps you going? I really like what I do, but besides that, it’s knowing that there are people that truly enjoy the site. If they’re happy, I’m happy. What’s the best compliment you’ve received about your site? I always appreciate getting emails and tweets from fans. I’m also always thrilled when the site gets linked from somewhere unexpected like CNN, The Huffington Post or Kanye West’s site. Its just sort of surreal to imagine someone at CNN looking over the website. Where do you see the site going? I’ve always wanted to create projects for the site’s community to participate in, and it looks like that is something that will be happening soon. The site is also about to give birth to three new web projects, but I can’t really talk about them yet. Anything else you’d like people to know about the site? I want people to know how much I care about the site. I have literally spent almost every day and night for the last two years working on it. At this point the site feels like a family member. [www.touchpuppet.com]
HOROSCOPES THIS MONTH: Taz VanRassel Taz VanRassel is a Vancouver based actor/improviser/comedian/jerk. Catch him every Sunday at the Hennessey dining lounge with his group The Sunday Service. Also observe him with other such groups as: Vancouver Theatresports League, Urban Improv, Hilari-YES!, the Vancouver Comedic Players and countless more wacky named ensembles. [www.thesundayservice.ca] VIRGO: Get out there, Virgo. Think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to be seen, get noticed and turn a few heads this month. Wear Crocs with your suit. Ride a unicycle to work. Get two cockatoos, name them Merlin and Arthur, then wear them like shoulder pads all around town. Live your life out loud! LIBRA: Stop living in the past Libra. I don’t care if the flux capacitor now runs on garbage and it’s super economical and green. It’s irresponsible. Also, there are studies that have linked time travel to Parkinson’s disease. SCORPIO: Here’s something you don’t need this month, Scorpio: authority. Wriggle your little wrists out of the zipties of society. Kill your TV. Eat the rich. Freebase the internet. Blowjob the government. Swine flu the HST. Newspaper box through a bank window the police. Rip up and burn the indie fashion zine… no, no wait! Oh fuck, am I fired? SAGITTARIUS: Quit your job Sagittarius. Tell no one. Instead of going to work every day, compete in outdoor paintball tournaments. Before you know it,
this will be your new job! Now you can finally say to your dad, “I make more money than you now, old man.” This is how Jack Johnson made it, except he competed in beautiful song tournaments. CAPRICORN: An innocent child sits beneath a waterfall made of dreams. This image best describes you this month, Capricorn. A naked woman bursts through a wall of skulls onto a horse comprised of Chinese characters, all of which is inside a tribal sun wearing a top hat and smoking a joint. This image best describes my tattoo. AQUARIUS: Settle in at home this month, Aquarius. Get a good book, do a Costco run, and prepare for a little fall hibernation. Light a candle, turn on your Roomba and let it glide. Run a hot bath, put on some Amanda Marshall and snort your body weight in fine-grade Colombian cocaine. You deserve it! PISCES: I heard you never went to your prom, Pisces. Well, it’s never too late. Get a Baby Phat dress, Skyy vodka and some ecstasy. Now you just have to make out with your Grade 11 lab partner, have a cry fight with your BF and,
finally, enjoy the sunrise from the comfort of a rented cruise ship covered in streamers, vomit and memories. ARIES: Don’t jump Aries! You have too much to live for. Think about your family, your friends… uh, your blog? Who will post rare MF Doom tracks and wax poetic about the similarities between Jamie Oliver and Raekwon? Your weird rap blog needs you,. Also, Devin the Dude is relying on your links to his MySpace. TAURUS: It is said that Zeus once took the form of a bull, went to earth and sexed up a woman, siring a hybrid son that was half man, half bovine. This freak of nature was appointed guardian of the fabled labyrinth. Only to be slain by Theseus. So, that’s a lesson right there, Taurus. Keep your gross sex stuff to the internet.
CANCER: This month is great for important decisions involving travel, education, animals, love and diet. So go ahead, Cancer. Take that trip to China. Take a course on etiquette. Meet a panda. Fall in love with and publicly have an affair with the panda. Then eat the panda and any subsequent sex tapes, all the while using the appropriate chopsticks. LEO: Cats were considered very holy in ancient Egypt. But guess what, Leo? You’re a human! No amount of body modification is going to change that. I hope you feel dumb for getting yourself spayed and neutered now. Also, just pick one operation. Unless you’re a hermaphrodite, which is a totally different issue.
GEMINI: Be a good neighbour this month, Gemini. Trim those rose bushes that are infringing on the property line. Put a robe on your creepy wife. Take down your Confederate flag window curtain. Shut down operations on your rooftop opium den. Most importantly, for the love of Gaia, recycle better.
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COMICS
DINOSAUR COMICS BY RYAN NORTH
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www . qwantz . com