LA CANVAS V2 3 by LA CANVAS

MAR

APR

ART MUSIC

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Vol 2, no 3 MARCH // APRIL 2012 Creative Director/ Publisher Dante Colombatti Editor-in-chief Rebeca Arango Art Editor Shana Nys Dambrot STYLE EDITOR ERIN DENNISON Food Editor Kat odell Senior Account Managers Matt Olson Mike QuitiQuit design jimmy MNOIAN Luis Fierros David salazar photography Emily Bradley CHRISTOPHER CAPTAIN Nicolas Corradi PR/MArketing DIRECTOR DINA PROVatas +CREW SHIREEN ALIHAJI, Stephanie Chen, Marilyn Chiu, Justin Fitzwater, DJ Raylus, Stampz WHERE 1778 N, Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90031 P:(323) 352-3250 E:PR@LACANVAS.com

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Copyright 2012, by LA CANVAS. All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from LA CANVAS. LA CANVAS makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but is not responsible for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. LA CANVAS is not held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions.

photography christopherdibble.com

NO TIME FOR LACES

CONTENTS LA CULTURE MUSIC

ART NOTED

10 ROAD TRIP // PALM DESERT

19 TECH IT OUT // MUSIC GADGETS

54 LA STREET ART

ART EVENTS

GALLERY // YOUNG PROJECTS GALLERY

BOOK // UNPAINTED FACES by Henry Diltz

ARTIST // BRANDON BOYD

LAST LOOK // SHAWN HARRIS

PLAYLIST // THE BOTTOM LINE

RADAR // ISLANDS

VENUE // EL PRADO

BAND // BLEACHED

STYLE

FOOD MARCH EVENTS

58 APRIL EVENTS

EDITORIAL // AND THE BEAT GOES ON

ACCESORIES // YOUTH IN REVOLT

STORE // KLEUR

DESIGNER // ASHTON MICHAEL

CHECK OUT THE EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS ISSUE AT LA CANVAS.COM

FOOD SCOOPS // FOODY TUNES

RESTAURANT // MOO DAE PO II

DRINK // SILVER SCREEN QUOTATIONS

BAR // FREDDY SMALLS

CHEF // SCOTT QUINN

PHOTO // TEGAN GAAN

NOTE

The first issue of LA CANVAS magazine said

illustrate right on top of the spread—which turned

ARTS, FASHION and TECH on the cover. MUSIC

out amazing. But of course there’s more music

But now we have

where that came from. Inside, we chat with up-

an entire issue dedicated to it, (this one) and

and-coming rock band Bleached; go inside soulful

I’m probably happier about that than anyone.

singer Nikko Gray’s new nail-art salon Kleur; party

Before I arrived in Los Angeles, I was in New York

listen to records at El Prado in Echo Park. In the

City, and as far as the music scene goes I can

fashion section, we have my favorite LAC editorial

wasn’t even a section yet.

to pop-videos at our favorite Korean BBQ joint; and

offer a few points of comparison. Being a musician

to date, shot by Mark Oberlin in Downtown LA

in NYC often means ‘schlepping gear to gigs in

with illustrations by our very own Erin Dennison.

taxis and then unloading it dangerously across an ice-covered sidewalk while your fingertips are

For the cover of our inaugural Music Issue,

stricken with sleet. It means paying way too much

local artist and musician Shawn Harris (of alt-

for a rehearsal space with mics that feed back like

pop duo Maniac) hand-drew us an image on his

crazy. It means making sense of a million crappy

iPad and then silk-screened it. I think it sets

clubs with crappier sound systems and crowds

a pretty spot-on, quintessentially Californian

spread too thin. And there are no free Monday

scene—especially with Coachella on the horizon

night residencies. We have it so good here in

and everyone dreaming about the Desert. For

LA—I can’t imagine a better place to make music.

those of you who’ve managed to scour tickets

You might be giddy to learn that artist, author,

we’ve put together a Palm Desert guide and

to the most hyped music festival in the universe, surfer and rock-star Brandon Boyd is the featured

a playlist for the drive out. But even if those

visual artist in this issue; the Incubus front

coveted passes sold out faster than you could

man and Venice resident was photographed by

type 9-0-0-whatever, has a little road-trip ever hurt

Nick Corradi in Manhattan Beach. Rather than

anyone? Possibly—but a good playlist never did.

printing images of his artwork, we asked Boyd to

// REBECA ARANGO Editor-in-Chief

NOTED. ON THE DL It’s not of ten that we go out clubbing in Beverly Hills, but Thursday Nights at C onfidential are definitely changing that. C onfidential’s new bi-monthly Electric White par t y brings in the hot test electro DJs from around the world, like Danish Superst ar Mar tin Bruem, who kicked things o f f t h e re l as t m o nt h. H e re’s a t ip: do n’ t t r y an d g o waltzing in the front door—you’ll need a password to get in through the back alley of this slick modern speakeasy. http://www.CONFIDENTIALBeverlyHills.com/

RAEN OR SHINE

SO REFINED

If you think it rains in Southern California, you obviously haven’t ever lived any where else. And constant

According to some people we know, the definition of a

sunshine requires constant shades—so most of us have developed quite the collection of sunglasses.

cocktail is vodka on the rocks, hold the rocks. But really,

Currently, our favorite pairs are handmade in Encinitas by Raen Optics. Classic yet fashion-forward, Raen

there are other ways to work up a buzz without having to

glasses are crafted from premium acetate and fitted with Carl Zeiss Vision lenses. We’ll take one of every style.

work off the calories. Refine cocktail mixers are all natural,

http://raenoptics.com/

sugar free, zero-calorie and come in margarita, mojito and cosmopolitan flavors. And the best par t is they’re a quick, hassle-free way to pull together a bar at your next house party. http://www.refinemixers.com/

DEF SOUND

HANDSOME BOYS

Last year, we listened to L A rapper Def Sound’s “(A)gain” What happens when three world-class professional coffee again and again and again…and, well, again. The catchy

fanatics join forces, roasting in a DTL A warehouse? Simple,

sample aside, Def ’s definitely got sick st yle, swagger, and

accessible, and amazing cof fee. You can find Handsome

a mellowed- out, clever flow. His most recent single “A

Coffee Roasters’ brew at cafés all over Los Angeles, or order

S ong C alle d Any thing ” fe aturing A lex Isley w ill mo s t

beans online from a concise, sophisticated menu. But if

definitely find it’s way onto our poolside playlist this Spring. you’re Downtown, make sure you stop by the brand-new sleek and simple Handsome Cof fee bar on Mateo street.

http://defsound.bandcamp.com/

http://www.handsomecoffee.com/

LAST AMERICAN BUFFALO Local rock band Last American Buf falo

caught our at tention earlier this year during their Tuesday night

residency at Har vard & Stone. To celebrate the series of gigs, L AB released three free mp3s of beautiful, hear tbroken

cowboy

indie-rock, all impeccably per formed and produced. Lead singer Kevin Compton’s war y,

soulful voice trembles over steady rolling toms and rat tling tambourines that evoke old Western melodramas. Break out the bourbon—this is the kind of music you drink straight whiskey too —no cranberr y vodkas allowed. http://lastamericanbuffalo.com/

AN AUSTRALIAN CLASSIC Rumor has it Australians wear Volley sneakers like we wear Chuck Taylors. That is— everyone we ar s them, all the time. This ye ar, you c an get Volley s at a numb er of L A ret ailer s and online. We would rock these classic 50s canvasan d - g u m l o w - t o p s e v e r y w h e r e f r o m t e n n i s c our t s to DTL A to the b e ach. They ’re ul tra sof t, ver y comfor t able, and like Chucks, you c an throw ‘em right in the washing machine . http://www.volley.com.au/

DOT COM LA’s BEST ART, MUSIC, FOOD, STYLE AND EVENT SOURCE. WIN BIG If you aren’t following us on twitter, it’s either because you don’t have a twitter account or you hate free stuff. @LACANVAS

TOP TALK

is constantly giving away concert tickets, and swag—so pay attention! @L ACANVAS: “We have tix 2 see WU TANG

PHOTO ALBUM: HANDSOME COFFEE

If you’re left wanting more at the end

CLAN this S aturday at C lub N o ki a! G et

ROASTERS GRAND OPENING PARTY

of this issue, don’t worry—the digital

5 of your friends to follow us and tweet

Check it out at facebook.com/lacanvasmag

issue of LA CANVAS is even bigger and

#wutangclan to win!”

READ UP

better; it’s packed with juicy extended interviews, killer photo-shoot outtakes,

LISA PE ARL X DIRTEE HOLLY WOOD

ARTIST // CANT STOP GOODBOY

“...of course we’re super excited to announce

and much more.

the latest collab with renowned photographer/

GET INVITED

designer Lisa Pearl. You may have seen

Thinking about ordering pizza and

Pearl’s high-impact line of home decor in

watching Family Guy tonight? You’ve

Fred Segal, Barney’s, celebrity homes, or

got better things to do. Find an up-

even at the movies...”

to-date, comprehensive but carefully selected list of concerts, art shows, parties, restaurant openings and more on our online calendar.

BLOG IT UP

GOT A MINUTE?

For sneak previews of art shows, up-and-coming

musicians, round-ups of where to eat

DOSE OF LA’S BEST EVENTS SENT STRAIGHT

interviews

with

and photos from your favorite designers, visit LACANVAS.COM/BLOG.

TO YOUR INBOX EVERY THURSDAY. (LACANVAS.COM)

TAG IT Been to one of our parties recently? Visit facebook.com/lacanvasmag— there are probably some seriously hot pictures of you and your friends up there, and everyone should see them.

TALK BACK

BECAUSE YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY COME IN SO MANY COLORS. LA CANVAS WILL BE GIVING AWAY

Come on, don’t be shy. Submit your

ONE PAIR OF URBANEARS EVERY DAY

music to the LAC Soundcloud, leave

FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH —

a comment on the LAC blog, or take

FREE HEADPHONES!

a picture of your dog and tweet it at

us. Seriously, anything goes.

TO FIND OUT HOW TO WIN!

PLAYLIST

THE BOTTOM LINE OF COURSE WE ALL LOVE RADIOHEAD AND SNOOP DOGG, BUT THIS YEAR’S COACHELLA POSTER IS FULL OF GREAT BANDS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. HERE’S OUR GUIDE TO ALL THE SMALL-FONT ACTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS; THE FULL SPOTIFY PLAYLIST CLOCKS IN AT ABOUT TWO HOURS—SO THERE’S YOUR DRIVE OUT, SOUNDTRACKED.

“Get it Daddy” Sleeper Agent

“I Know What I Am” Band of Skulls

“New York” Le Butcherettes

“Gay Thoughts” The Growlers

“Up Up Up” GIVERS

“Ronald Regan Era” Kendrick Lamar

“Easy” Dragonette

“212” Azealia Banks

“Everything Goes My Way” Metronomy

“Heartbeat” Childish Gambino

“Money Grabber” Fitz and the Tantrums

“Peso” ASAP Rocky

TO STREAM THE EXTENDED VERSION OF OUR PLAYLIST. CHECK OUT LA CANVAS’S PROFILE ON SPOTIFY 14

RADAR

PHOTO // Captain

A FREE FLOATING ISLAND ISL A NDS’ FRONTMAN NICK THOR BUR N W R ITE S HIS MOST PE RSONAL ALBUM Y ET It was a minor epiphany, a perceptive jump from disgust to acceptance that allowed Nick Thorburn to revise his stance on olives. Potently acidic and quite salt y, he never enjoyed the taste, “until I just accepted the fact that they were olives, and that ’s what olives taste like. Then I figured it out— Los Angeles, it ’s kind of similar; kind of sour and kind of briny but, once you just deal with it, you kind of like it.” Nick has been floating around L A for over a year now, never really commit ting to his move but inadver tently set tling in. Originally from a small town in British Columbia, he began his career in Montréal fronting the Unicorns, who disbanded af ter just one album of ef for tlessly magical, lo-fi pop. 20 03’s Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone was and is an indie cult favorite: bizarre, punk, and spastic; heavy with

Lyrically confessional, honest and clear, A Sleep and A Forgetting is sonically just as straight for ward. Ambitious instrument ation, elab orate rhy thms, and eccentric synthesizers are stripped away, replaced by a surprisingly classic arrangement of piano, bass, guitar, and drums and mostly recorded live at Kingsize S oundlabs in Glas sell Park. “ We had ver y limited time and resources, so we went in really prepared and just played. It was an awesome experience; we just had to commit to sound. People get hung up I think— producers especially— on making things sound as good as they can. They lose their way and forget what makes the song good in the first place, which is the song itself and the way it’s per formed. Ever y thing else is secondar y.” Nick has reigned in Islands’ live sound as well, pairing down his once extensive line-up to just four musicians, including Canadian brothers Evan and Geordie Gordon and local drummer Luc Laurent. You can catch them at the Bootleg Theater on March 14th; it’s the last stop on their tour of intimate, seated piano venues, which they most likely won’t be repeating.

// Rebeca Arango

death and twisted with myth but buoyed by synth squeaks, spunk, and humor. CHECK OUT THE FULL Q& A AT L ACANVAS.COM Since the Unicorns’ demise, Nick has taken par t in more musical projects than we can list here (including Mister Heavenly, the indie-rock supergroup he star ted with Man Man’s Honus Honus), but his main thing has always been Islands, a band that with each successive record has shif ted st yle and shape to both critical acclaim and confusion, their four th presenting the gre ate st shif t yet. Rele ased this past Valentine’s Day, A Sleep and A Forgetting is Nick Thorburn at his most vulnerable, stripp ed of face paint, enigma, or fantasy. It was writ ten following a break-up that drove him to wind up here in L A. “It was a good reason to focus on get ting to the hear t of what I was tr ying to say in ways that I never would before. I would always shroud feelings and emotions, clo ak them in a kind of metaphor. [This time] I was really tr ying to get to it. I don’t even know if I succeeded, but I was just tr ying to approach song writing in a dif ferent way.”

MORNING BECOMES

Hosted By

JASON BENTLEY

ECLECTIC

Hear intimate live performances with your favorite bands.

RECENT SHOWS GOTYE RYAN ADAMS HONEYHONEY SHELBY LYNNE ADELE Watch highlights from recent performances online at: www.KCRW.com/instudio

VENUE

OFF The

RECORD

EL PRADO SPINS ECHO PARK’S COMMUNAL VINYL COLLECTION ONE LP AT A TIME

“There’s no iPod in here, no playlist, none of that shit,”

You could walk along Sunset between Glendale and Echo Park hundreds of times

While few would classify El Prado as a “venue”—live music is not performed

before noticing El Prado—which is just how owner Jeff Ellemeyer wants it. It’s

here—there is something quite venue-like about a public space set on preserving

not about exclusivity or secrecy, but subtlety. Ellemeyer doesn’t need a neon sign

a dying musical form: the full-length album, and more specifically, the vinyl LP.

to invite you into his bar. From the street, Prado is identifiable only by the bold

“There’s no iPod in here, no playlist, none of that shit,” says Ellemeyer. “I’m not

1805 printed in white across the blackened windows. Inside, the lack of signage

going to geek out about the quality. Digital music is probably more consistent

continues; printed writing or imagery can be found only on the LPs leaning

than vinyl—vinyl can sound really amazing—but I do like the form. I like the

against the back wall. Understated, casual and refined, the Prado experience

pregnant pauses when the record’s done and the bartender looks for another one,

was thoughtfully executed from the wine, beer and snack program to the design

and I’m okay with playing it in its entirety, good and bad songs alike. There was

and music. Drawing inspiration from European small-town bars, beer halls, and

a lot of effort put into albums in the day, and I think it really shows when you’re

elemental Nor-Cal style, Ellemeyer spent over six months turning what was an old

allowed to play the whole record side by side, the way it was meant to be played.”

rough-and-tumble beer joint into the homey yet elegant watering hole it is today. The bar’s vinyl collection started with Ellemeyer’s and expanded over time with contributions from bartenders, customers, and Origami Vinyl’s Neil Schield (who selects new releases for Prado). Anyone can bring one in any time and have it played, and on Tuesday nights, Schield hosts Record Club, a gathering that began in a private living room and is now open to the public, playing half-albums from the first eight people to sign up in advance. “Lots of unique and rare records come through,” explains Schield. “There’s always something that we’ve never seen or heard.” Attendees discuss the selections on Twitter using the #recordclub hash tag, but the interactive aspect goes beyond the digital. “We’ve had a couple of relationships blossom from Record Club. It’s cool to see girls and boys get their nerd on and then start dating. Maybe we’ll start the Record Club Matchmakers or something.” Now there’s a dating service we could get behind. //Rebeca Arango

LOCATION: 1805 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026

SWAG SUNSET JUNCTION SWAG SUNSET JUNCTION SWAG SUNSET JUNCTION SWAG SUNSET JUNCTION SWAG SUNSET JUNCTION SWAG SUNSET JUNCTION

A WELL-DRESSED HANDSOME BOY BAND A L A SILVERL AKE? LE SIGH. LA CANVAS CAUGHT UP WITH DREAMY LESANDS FRONT MAN AUSTIN TAYLOR TIRADO TO ASK HIM A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS SOUND, STYLE AND WHICH OLSEN SISTER HE PREFERS.

DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND. WHAT SCENE

DO YOU WASH YOUR JEANS?

IS THE LESANDS TRACK PLAYING TO?

Not everyday—two or three times a week.

Think a romantic pop you c an listen to when you break up with someone or while

MARY-KATE OR ASHLEY?

you’re making out with someone.

I lean MK for sure.

DOES MUSIC INFLUENCE YOUR STYLE?

WHAT’S NEXT FOR LESANDS?

Yes completely. I feel cer tain songs make

F inishing up o ur f ir s t re c o rd, w hi ch

me want to shop.

should b e out in the nex t 3 months, Making music videos, and then tr ying to

GIVE US A MENTAL SCREEN-SHOT OF

be the most romantic/chic band possible.

YOUR SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS?

Bowie to New Radicals to Mariah Carey to

Rufus Wainwright to Tribe Called Quest to Ace of Base

Favorite designers right now?

Helmut Lang for girls, Thamanyah for guys.

Stor y// Erin Dennison

ROAD TRIP PA L M D E S E RT

ROAD TRIP

We realize you won’t have time to do all of this stuff on Coachella weekend, but the music festival is really only one little (okay, massive) reason to drive out to the desert. Whether you’ve got tickets or not, here are our favorite things to do and places to see in the Coachella Valley. // Rebeca Arango Illustrations // Erin Dennison

BEST COFFEE KOFFI www.kofficoffee.com

BEST MEXICAN L AS CASUEL AS www.lascasuelas.com

SISSY BINGO If you stay at the Ace, chances are you’ll run into a stylish, bespectacled lady named Linda Gerard. Actress, singer, and fashion icon, Gerard hosts Sis sy Bingo on Monday Nights, enter taining gue s t s with s candalous s ong s and fabulous prizes. But if you can’t make it Monday, try and grab dinner at King’s Highway—you might get lucky halfway through a plate of fish tacos as Gerard is known to spontaneously burst into song. www.acehotel.com/palmsprings/calendar

CHEEKY’S

THE ACE HOTEL & SWIM CLUB Of all the pools in Palm Springs, the one at the Ace

The bad new s is, there’s ne arly

Hotel & Swim Club is undoubtedly the most exciting.

always a wait to have brunch at

A re -vamped ve stige of the old Ho Jo’s, this jag ged

Cheek y’s, but the go od new s is

saltwater watering hole is kept at an ultra-comfortable

there’s an adjacent outdo or bar.

87 degrees and stays open ‘till 2 am. The Ace always

D rink a b e er o r t wo, and you’ll

throws down for Coachella, and this year they’ve teemed

be chowing down on some locally

up with footwear brand Generic Surplus and artist Steven

sourced comfor t food in no time.

Harring ton to bring you Roadside At tr ac tion, a 9-day

www.cheekysps.com

multimedia installation and kickback party. Make sure you stop by to relax, re-charge and check out all the awesome shoes. www.acehotel.com/palmsprings

PAPPY & HARRIET’S PIONEERTOWN PALACE Pappy & Harriet’s is probably one of the most magical places in the desert. Once a saloon set for 1950s Westerns, this old-timey BBQ joint and bar now hosts bands ever y night on the patio under the stars. Grab a mason jar full of booze and cuddle up by the fire to catch some great indie-rock, jazz, or folk any night of the week. www.pappyandharriets.com

SCOOT PALM SPRINGS Ditch the car and the fixed gear— as long as you’ve got an out- of-state or motorcycle license, the nice people at Scoot Palm Springs will show you how to see the desert in style for just $60. www.scootpalmsprings.com

THE NEST The Ne s t is the kind of place that ’s bustling before 10pm, the piano bar full of happy people dancing to a cover band playing nothing but the classics. Plus, the food is consistently great and the service is top notch. www.gotothenest.com

DEJA-VU VINTAGE The desert is known for its great thrift stores, but if you’re in the market for some high-end, gently loved leftovers, look no further than Deja Vu Vintage Finer y. They’ve recently moved their premiere collection of vintage Dior, YSL, Chanel and more to a brand new space in the Uptown Design District. Whether your looking for a 70s caftan or a mod mini dress, you’ll probably find it here. www.dejavuvintagefinery.blogspot.com

RADAR

SISTER ACT

THE CLAVINS HIT THE ROAD AND THE RADIO WITH THEIR NEW BAND BLEACHED

STORY // Rebec a Arango

PHOTOS // Nicolas C orradi

JEN AN D JESSIE C LAVIN ar e t h e L A l a di e s

LAC: HOW DID YOU GUYS BECOME MUSICIANS?

b ehind lo -f i punk-p op out f it Ble ache d, a b and

JEN: Our dad plays guitar and bass, and our mom sings, so we grew up around that— but we never

that in the ye ar since its inception has alre ady

thought it was cool, because we were into punk. I remember one day we were at some show at the

released three 7-Inches, been featured on major

Glasshouse and we were like, “Wait— why can’t WE be in a band?” So Jessie star ted playing bass, I

blogs like Pitchfork and Stere ogum, racke d up spins on KCRW and Sirius XMU, and completed t wo national tours opening for buzz bands like the Smith Westerns. All that success sounds sudden, b u t i t ’s n o t a s i f du e s w e n t unp ai d — b e f o r e

star ted playing guitar— I didn’t even know how to play guitar, just how to strum. JESSIE: We were like a thrash-punk band. It was called D.B.L. JEN: Recently I found this envelope that had all our potential names writ ten on it— we went with Dead Banana L adies. That was in high school…then we ended up dropping out and star ting Mika Miko.

Bleached, the Clavin sisters were tireless road-

LAC: WHAT HAPPENED TO MIKA MIKO?

dogs, touring California and the countr y for years

JESSIE: I feel like we were all so young, so when we got older, ever yone star ted branching out, doing

with their 5 -piece punk band Mika Miko. We sat

their own thing. We were even talking about Bleached during the last Mika Miko tour. I can remember

down with Jen and Jessie on the Santa Monica Pier to talk hear tbreak, sur f-wave, and star ting over.

thinking, “I’m really excited to just go home and practice countr y.” JEN: Yeah, we wanted to star t a band where we could write the songs — just us — and make them more involved, less punk. We were excited to tr y writing in other genres.

MUA // Mariah Nicole

RADAR

LAC: WHAT ARE YOUR SONGS ABOUT? JEN: They’re mostly about breaking up and still being in love. LAC: WHAT ABOUT “ELECTRIC CHAIR”? JEN: That one’s about…I’d been touring with my boy friend’s band, Cold Cave, and we were broken up. It just got to this point where I was like, I can’t do this anymore. So I came back to L A, really depressed and still in love, but also really wanting to do Bleached, so I star ted writing the song. Now it ’s all good though because we’re dating again. And I’m doing Bleached, so it all worked out. But it was a hard time. JESSIE: Is there writer’s block now that you guys are back together? I feel like I’ve noticed it because it seemed like — JEN: — all of a sudden the songs stopped? I know. That ’s what I’m scared about; I have to put myself back in that mindset. LAC: SO YOU DON’T THINK YOU’LL EVER WRITE A HAPPY LOVE SONG? JEN: I probably will. I haven’t yet though. I’m into Bleached having this dark side…I’m really into music like that— Siouxsie is one of my favorite bands. I’m drawn to writing depressing songs, but making them sound kind of poppy. So maybe if I write a happy love song, then it has to sound dark. JESSIE: Really dark. Like, the darkest-sounding song.

GO TO L ACANVAS.COM FOR THE E XTENDED VERSION OF THIS INTERVIEW.

LAC: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR OTHER FAVORITE BANDS? WHO INFLUENCED YOU GUYS? JEN: I’m really obsessed with Siousxie, Blondie, Johnny Thunders, Ramones, Misfits—those are like my top. JESS: I’m really into Gun Club, Depeche Mode, Real Hag gard…a lot of music that ’s really dark, kind of t wang y, kind of countr y…single-note stuf f on guitar. JEN: I’m also really into Fleet wood Mac, Rolling Stones. LAC: WHAT ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA-SURF-ROCK WAVE— LIKE BEST COAST AND WAVVES — DO YOU GUYS FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A PART OF THAT? JEN: We’ve all grown up together in the music scene, at the Smell, and with No A ge too, you know. I can see similarities, but a lot of people are like “Oh, Bleached sounds like Best Coast,” and I feel like that ’s just because we’re both girls. JESSIE: Girls play ing gui t ar and living in L A under the sun! Bu t they are jus t re all y clo s e friends, and we’re all going through the s ame thing right no w, w anting to play music and live of f of that. Bu t we’re inf luenc e d by di f ferent b ands.

LAC: DO YOU PLAY WITH DIFFERENT DIFFERENT DRUMMERS AND BASSISTS FOR EVERY SHOW? JESSIE: Yeah, it ’s hard to find somebody who’s really dedicated to the band, but not as fully in the band as Jen and me. I think we just found our drummer though. JEN: Yeah our friend who’s playing drums for us now is so good and he’s so excited, I don’t think he’s going any where any time soon. LAC: WOULD YOU EVER WANT TO INTEGRATE SOMEBODY ELSE AS AN OFFICIAL MEMBER? JEN: If anything, the only person we would do that with would be a drummer. Any other instrument we can do.

LAC: JESSIE, DO YOU PLAY BASS ON THE RECORDINGS? JESSIE: Yeah. And any synth part, usually Jen will add. That’s another thing, do we want somebody to play synth live? JEN: I’d be totally into a synth player live. One day we were practicing with our friend, and he was playing all the bass lines on synth and it sounded SO GOOD. JESSIE: It did sound really good. What if we had a synth player who played the synth parts and the bass parts? JEN: That ’s like the Doors! LAC: ARE YOUR PARENTS SUPPORTIVE? BLEACHED IS YOUR FULL-TIME GIG NOW, RIGHT? JESSIE: We pick-up some lit tle side jobs to make money, but Bleached is our main priorit y. And our parents are totally suppor tive. Our mom is a huge fan. And whenever we go visit them — they live in the deser t now — our dad is like, “So, I figured out how to play one of your songs — JEN: —this is how you play it in the Jazz notes.” I told my Dad he needs to make a Jazz Bleached cover album. JESSIE: Yeah: John Clavin covers Bleached.

LAC: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY IN LA? JEN: The Smell — it ’s just SO craz y. Kids just go so crazy and star t crowd sur fing. JESSIE: And sometimes, especially during the summer, it gets so hot there, and you look out, and ever yone is just DRENCHED, but they seem like they don’t care — they’re just so excited. LAC: NO VENTILATION? JEN: No, and it ’s funny because they keep having benefit shows to get an air condition system, but still we haven’t seen this air conditioning!

LAC: WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO ON YOUR DAYS OFF? JESSIE: This kind of feels like a weird day of f to me. Going to the beach — we used to do that when we were kids all the time — it ’s such a familiar thing. So this is really fun. JEN: My friend from England was just in town — I was so excited — I took him to Venice, and then I took him to where Nicole Simpson was murdered, and then I took him to the Menendez brother’s house, and then we drove through L aurel Canyon, and got in-and- out. I was like, you’re going to have the most L A- day. I’m tr ying to convince him to move here and marr y my sister. JESSIE: O h ye ah, I think i t ’s gonna happ en. I’m thinking mayb e like, summer time. Bu t no, he had to go b ack to his mum.

RADAR

H EY MS.

D E E JAY HM SOUNDSYSTEM’S

AMY PHAMOUS

ON STYLE, MUSIC, & SLEEP

Okay, model-slash-DJs—you win. Worst still, this one’s sweet, engaging, talented and a quick-wit. Perhaps you’ve seen Amy Phamous co Dj-ing with her brother for HM Soundsystem, modeling for Nasty Gal or stumbled across her re-worked vintage line, Ca Voi—regardless I think you’ll agree that we can’t blame our boyfriends for crushing on our favorite neighborhood DJ. Did we also mention she helps run her family’s accounting business during the day? // Erin Dennison

RADAR

YOU MODEL, YOU DJ, YOU DESIGN. WHAT'S YOUR FOCUS RIGHT NOW? WHEN DO YOU SLEEP? I try to sleep when I can, which ultimately doesn't end up being very much. Which sucks because I really like sleeping! As of right now I'm trying to focus on some special projects—a fashion show I'm the host of, "The Fashion Statement" on The Platform channel, hunkering down and finishing some original music, and really working on my craft. I want to narrow my work down to one area but I can't—I'm really indecisive and I want to do it all! WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD? I'm currently obsessed with my Songza app actually, which is like a Pandora for your mood. It literally has a playlist for any occasion. Late night studying? Check. Getting ready to go out? Check. Sexy time? Check. As of late, the "Sunday Morning" playlist is pretty much on constant rotation in my room. It has the perfect compilation of jams you'd want to hear on a Sunday morning (or any morning)—Nina Simone, some Iron & Wine, a bit of Neil Young, some Mumford and Sons, a Portishead track or two thrown in...it's way easier than actually making my own playlist, which can be such a hassle sometimes. Ironic, since I'm a DJ. HOW DOES MUSIC INFLUENCE YOUR STYLE? It's actually the predominant influence; when I look for fashion inspiration I tend to gravitate towards different music cultures/subcultures and their general aesthetics. I'm always referencing past decades, from 60's mod to 90's grunge to 80's punk. I like looking to music icons for style points, because they really wore whatever they felt like; they didn't let trends, magazines, or anyone else tell them otherwise. After all, the fashion world tends to touch on that at one point or another for their trends anyway, so why not beat them to the punch? FAVORITE DESIGNERS RIGHT NOW? Not gonna lie, I don't have an expansive knowledge of fashion designers... I'm not a huge designer brand type of gal. I pay more attention to the colors and proportions of an outfi t. I'm also a cheapskate and can't justify spending $200 on a skirt. But that's not to say I don't appreciate the fashion houses out there. I do admire the craftsmanship and quality of their work. FAVORITE NIGHT OF THE WEEK TO DJ? Any! Although if I had my choice it'd be during the weekend. A girl can only DJ late nights so many times before it hits her in the wee morning hours. WHAT DESIGN PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW? I'm still working on Ca Voi, my reworked vintage clothing and jewelry line. It's a bit on the back burner right now though, because I'm overwhelmed with everything else on my plate and I'M ONLY HUMAN. But I still try to always have some merchandise at Sixhundred (where my pieces are sold currently). WHAT'S YOUR DREAM COLLABORATION? I really wish I could have collaborated on a line of jewelry with my mom. She was the most fashionable woman in my eyes, and my number one icon. She loved her jewelry too, so I know she would have enjoyed that. If I was able to share something like that with her... it would have been an experience beyond words.

@nawtphamous www.hmsoundsystem.com youtube.com/theplatform

Pastey whyte

BECCA

PHOTOS // Emily Bradley

STREET ART

FELIX

Destroy all design

you killed me first

NO MATTER WHATNESS

AFTERHOURS

The Typography Terrorist

CANT STOP GOODBOY

DD$

Mr. Brainwash

ART EVENTS

GALLERY OPENINGS TAD BECK & JENNIFER LOCKE: Capsize NATALIE BOOKCHIN: Now he’s out in public and everyone can see LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) March 8 - April 15 Opening: March 8, 8-10pm Capsize is a collaborative installation in which an unorthodox use of materials and performance upends the normal order of symbolic relations. Now he’s out in public... is an 18-channel video installation in which v-loggers recount scandals involving African American men. welcometolace.org AMY SOL: Numina Corey Helford Gallery March 10 - 30 Opening: March 10, 7-10pm Within these delicate works, you may often find whimsical landscapes populated with exotic plants, animals and females. Amongst the expressions of each character are notions of peaceful reflection and a sense of companionship. coreyhelfordgallery.com

TODD SCHORR Merry Karnowsky Gallery March 17 - April 14 Opening: March 17, 8-11pm A founder of “Low-brow” art, Schorr’s cartoon-styled Pop Art of people, animals, and fantasy worlds remains some of the most detailed, kaleidoscopic Surrealism being made today; and his new show is among the most anticipated of the season. mkgallery.com

CAMILLE ROSE GARCIA: Snow White The Complete Works on Paper Michael Kohn Gallery March 15 - April 14 Opening and book-signing: March 15, 6-8pm An exhibition of original watercolor paintings by Camille Rose Garcia. These beautifully intricate paintings and works on paper were created for the illustrated book of the Grimm Brothers’ classic fairy tale, Snow White (Harper Design, 2012). kohngallery.com

QUAYOLA Young Projects Gallery March 20 - May 5 Opening: March 20, 5-8:30pm Quayola investigates dialogues and the unpredictable collisions, tensions and equilibriums between the real and artificial, figurative and abstract, old and new, using photography, geometry, time-based digital sculptures and immersive audiovisual installations and performances. youngprojectsgallery.com RONI FELDMAN Garboushian Gallery March 23 - April 28 Opening: March 23, 7-9pm Whirls of figures celebrate, mourn, protest, consume, dance, and embrace alongside other figures that drown, burn, and dissolve, as Feldman’s crowds evoke the power and ecstasy of unified intention alongside a potential descent into mob mentality. garboushian.com

TIMOTHY NOLAN: Restack CB1 Gallery March 31 – April 29 Opening: March 31, 5-8pm A freestanding, large-scale, sculpture with latticed and stacked trapezoidal shapes that shift, meld and reconfigure as the viewer moves around the work and the gallery. Sloping, angled exterior walls, with no tops or bottoms, allow for views into and through the sculpture. cb1gallery.com

JASON SALAVON Mark Moore Gallery April 14 - May 19 Opening: April 14, 6-8pm Using software processes of his own design, Salavon generates and reconfigures masses of communal material to present new perspectives on the familiar, by manipulating the roles of individual elements arranged in diverse visual populations. markmooregallery.com

CRAOLA (Greg Simkins) KMNDZ (Johnny Rodriguez) Merry Karnowsky Gallery April 21 - May 19 Opening: April 21, 8-11pm Weaving of pop culture, the old masters, nature, carnival kitsch, and (most importantly) his warped imagination, Greg Simkins is a beloved surrealist painter, and his alter-ego CRAOLA, is a wanted street artist. KMNDZ is a renowned graphic artist, who when drawing from his own life, makes paintings filled with memories, religious undertones, and iconic elements. mkgallery.com

LACANVAS.COM TAKES YOU TO MORE OF L.A.’S BEST OPENINGS

GALLERY

MOVING PICTURES VIDEO ART TAKES CENTER STAGE AT YOUNG PROJECTS GALLERY

Young Projects Gallery is a rarity in the art world, being dedicated exclusively to

And while using music in video-art is not at all the same as making music videos for

the moving image, aka video and film-based art. Among a slew of curatorial and

commercial songs—any more than video-art with dialog is the same as short film—

authorial accomplishments, owner Paul Young authored the TASCHEN tome Art

with the best of them (thanks to readily available technology) Young acknowledges

Cinema—a stunning book delving into the encyclopedic realm of video art as

it can be a blurry aesthetic boundary. Just whatever you do, don’t talk too much

individuated from avant-garde film. “Challenging the traditional model of movies

about MTV. “Taking preexisting material and reworking it to music is so common

and television, and encouraging viewers to see video as a concrete art form like

that Apple includes software on its computers to do just that. The post-MTV

painting, fine-art photography, and sculpture,” Young Projects also functions as a

generation is especially adept at mixing, sampling, and blending. By the way, people

platform for artists interested in exploring what new media has to offer, and diligently

don’t realize artists like Oskar Fischinger were making movies to popular music as

sources the best examples from around the world for the benefit of LA audiences.

early as the 1920s. Harry Smith did the same in the 1950s and ‘60s; in fact, he made an abstract film to the Beatles’ entire first album. So this idea of the ‘rock

In honor of our Music Issue, we talked to Young about the unique role

video’ is very old. And yet, it’s also very new.” Kind of like MTV. Oops! I did it again.

of music and sound in video -based ar t. Af ter all, painters rarely create soundtracks for their canvases— whereas the moving image demands the

Visit Young Projects Gallery in two spaces at the Pacific Design Center, Blue

choice, including when not to use it. “There is a current in experimental

Building, Second Floor, and visit youngprojectsgallery.com for more information.

film against using sound. It has been seen as too tied to cinema, plus it telegraphs emotional cues, preventing the visuals from conveying stor y on their own. Sound, especially music, fundamentally changes the trajectory of any work, creating a beginning, middle, and end, and complicating meanings.”

// Shana Nys Dambrot

LOCATION:

Pacific Design Center #B230 86 87 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90 069

PHOTOS // CAPTAIN

BOOK

MUSIC HISTORY ONE OF THE WORLD’S BESTLOVED ROCK PHOTOGRAPHERS GETS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Henry Diltz is one of those names that everyone knows without even realizing it. He’s one of the greatest photographers in rock n’ roll history, but it’s his pictures we recognize—we’ve seen them all our lives—whether we remember his name or not. That started to change in 2001, when Diltz and cohorts from the indie music world founded the Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York City, an exhibition venue and publishing house dedicated to promoting what they call “fine art music photography,” an expansive genre that includes work both portraying and made by the biggest legends in music (Who knew Julian Lennon was such a genius photographer?), starting with Diltz himself. The Morrison Hotel operation, in fact, was named in honor of the iconic Doors album cover shot by Diltz in 1969 at a Skid Row SRO right here in Downtown LA—which Jim Morrison called, “a good place to start a religion or plan a murder.” Now, a deluxe edition of Diltz’s seminal book Unpainted Faces solidifies his career photographing bands, all lovingly printed from the original negatives. He has a gift for snapping sweetheart candid shots, like Paul McCartney and his family splashing in a Malibu backyard pool in 1971, David Cassidy and Elton John sharing intimate cocktails in New Zealand in 1974, Glenn Frey smoking a joint on a Lear jet also in 1974, a party at Schwarzenegger’s house in 1977, and Jack Nicholson inexplicably hanging out with the Monkees in 1968. Although these intimate, evocative, funny and poignant images were made all over the world, a great many were made in Los Angeles, giving the city a starring role in the story of an era that emerges from this must-have volume. Speaking of which, there are perpetual rumors of a Morrison Hotel Gallery opening here in town, so get on the mailing list at morrisonhotelgallery. com—that opening night party will be one for the books. // Shana Nys Dambrot Unpainted Faces published by Morrison Hotel Publishing and available only at

Photos (c)Henry Diltz/The Morrison Hotel Gallery

unique place in rock history, with 140 pictures from the early decades of his

www.morrisonhotelgallery.com

INCUBUS FRONT MAN

BRANDON BOYD

T R A DE S T HE MIC FOR ART & ACTIVISM No, Incubus is not breaking up. But as of the end of 2011, they are free agents—

But making hit songs and publishing gorgeous prints and books is not enough for

no longer tied to a major label as they had been since 1996. For lead singer

Boyd. “Activism is so important. It’s easy to get lost in your comfort zone, but I

Brandon Boyd, this is an exciting time of freedom and creativity that includes but

hope by raising my voice, taking advantage of my soapbox, I can at least inspire

also goes beyond his music. An artist all his life, Brandon remembers “expressing

awareness. Rock ‘n Roll has been very good to me, and there are people out

myself visually long before singing. In my earliest memories—and my parents

there doing important and wonderful things. So if I can help them, there’s really

can confirm this—I carried tiny little pads of paper and tiny pencils everywhere

no downside.” This winter Boyd was part of the Museum of Monterey’s “Flows to

with me. (He still does that.) I was a compulsive doodlebug. (He still is.) When I

Bay” group show, a powerful visual narrative about plastic pollution awareness.

wasn’t feeling well, had a stomachache, say, I’d draw a circle and map the hurt.

Boyd’s involvement with the show stemmed from the Hurley campaign a year ago

The pains were like characters, bad germs, and I externalized what I was feeling.

with Seathos and HOPE, where they did shirts and a mural that eventually ended

That’s still what I do! But now it takes many forms—lyrics, sounds, and shapes.”

up at Monterey. Boyd grew up surfing, so their cause is especially dear to him. He’s also done a lot with TOM’s shoes, painting huge swaths of canvas that were

And about those shapes— Boyd’s st yle favors obsessive, undulating lines

then turned into limited edition sneakers to benefit the global children’s charity.

recalling the sensual illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley. Charmingly retro but ultimately ageless, like a blend of hippie chic and Art Nouveau, they are deftly

These days, in between Incubus records, he’s feverishly drawing for his new

drawn and capital-R Romantic, all sweet smoke, vine-y tendrils, and dangerous

book (his third). “The first two (White Fluffy Clouds, and From the Murks of the

beauty. He loves to play expressive abstractions, patterned and gestural, against

Sultry Abyss) were self-published, which was cool, but I’d like to work with an art

fields of thick but diffuse color. In a way, these are a lot of the same words

publisher this time around. It’s a real leap forward, both with the work itself and

you could use to describe his songwriting—darkly poetic, epic and mysterious,

how it’s organized—it’s a story, a real narrative, and, let’s just say, things will be

colorful, and so on. And that makes sense, since Boyd sees all of these creative

revealed!” As someone in a rock band once said, “Be prepared for what you see.”

outlets as a whole. “One medium informs the other. When I feel an idea coming, it’s a while before I know if it will take the form of a song or a painting. I write

STORY // Shana Nys Dambrot

down my music ideas in my messy sketchbooks, and they often turn into images.

ILLUSTRATION // Brandon Boyd

When people still bought records and CDs with liner notes, it was perfect!”

PHOTO // Nicolas Corradi

For more information on Brandonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art shows or to get some art and book action for yourself, visit brandonboydbooks.com

AND THE BEAT GOES ON...

AND THE BEAT GOES ON... PHOTO // M A R K OBER L I N

ST Y L I NG // SH A N E TA MOSH U M AS

H A I R & M A K EU P // BA R BA R A Y N IGU EZ

I L LUST R AT ION // ER I N DEN N ISON // M A RN KE OBER LIN W Y L I E H AY ES A N D JOR DA N PHOTO CU L PEPPER X T MODEL M A NAGEM EN T ST Y L I NG // S H A N E TA MOS H U M A S H A I R & M A K EU P // BA R BA R A Y N IGU EZ I L LUST R AT ION // ER I N DE N N ISON W Y L I E H AY ES A N D JOR DA N C U L PEPPER N E X T MODEL M A NAGEM E N T

ACCESORIES

YOUTH IN REVOLT 1

2 9

10 3

11 1. HOUSE OF HARLOW Chelsea Glasses, $158 4

2. LA MER Silver Bali Wrap Watch, $114 3. HAUTE BETTS Neo Chain Bracelet in Green, $49 4. REBECCA MINKOFF Wallet on a Chain in Black, $225

5. JOYRICH Leopard Fur Laptop Case in Black, $88 6. ACNE Low Rider Boots in Pale Blue, $569 7. ASICS Fabre Deluxe in Silver/Black Leather, $300 8. REPLAY Joplin Sunnies, $90 9. DIESEL 1371 Watch in Black, $160 10. LUV AJ Pyramid Stud ID Bracelet, $154 11. BRIXTON Chord Wallet in Black Leather, $50 5

12. NIXON Precept Laptop Backback in Black Nylon, $90

D ORKING OUT ! STORY // Erin Dennison

PHOTOS // Captain Salguero

Who the hell are the D orks? We wondered the

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DORKS—HOW DID YOU GUYS COME TOGETHER?

same thing. For one, they’re Will.i.am’s back up

The mission for the Dorks is to open people's minds and inspire them to be themselves. We all have a

dancers—but there’s much more to it than that.

common trend in our history in that we were all different from others in our surroundings growing up.

Maceo III, Square Stone, Dork Dozier, Justin Barco,

Either we looked different, or acted differently—we were okay with being ourselves in spite of what

Dame Fif t y-Five, Cookie and Jango make up this

other people were doing. The whole Crew started with Dork, Cookie Man and Jango back when they

alliance specializing in ever y thing from hip-hop to

were in high school. I have always been a Dork in the traditional sense, wasn't the greatest at sports,

fashion to package design. Maybe you've osmosed

definitely into books and art, but we want to redefine the term to mean someone who is okay with who

t h e ir a e s t h e t i c w hil e w alk in g p a s t A m e r i c an

they are, a non conformist.

Apparel, heard Dame's mix tape, caught a glimpse of their designs on Swizz-Beatz or peeped Dork's c ollab o ration w i th the Adidas x Jeremy S c ot t Collection. This collective of tastemakers has been stirring the underground pot for a minute, and now it's time they introduce themselves. We caught up with photographer, designer, poet,

HOW DO YOU FUSE MUSIC, FASHION AND DANCE? Music and fashion are about expression, clothes announce who you are before you get to speak, music can be your therapy, and dance is how your body reacts to the world. Color is a big part of the Dorks style collectively and for me as an individual, we are not afraid to mix color and pattern. Just like we are not afraid to mix different sounds or movements. E xperimentation and exploration are central themes to creativity. YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER DESIGNING PACKAGING FOR AMERICAN APPAREL—HOW HAS YOUR TECHNICAL

dan c e r, w o rdsmi t h, s o ci al c o mm e nt at o r, an d

DESIGN BACKGROUND HELPED YOUR PERSONAL CREATIVE PROJECTS?

origami enthusiast, Maceo had previously been a

American Apparel was instrumental in my developing an approach that was broader than the boutique

rogue ar tist until he found his co-conspirators in

projects I had worked on before. I learned how to make things modular for different size stores. It was a

The Dorks. We caught up with the ingenue to get

place where I took a lot bumps to learn but it is a unique environment, with a bunch of talented people

the scoop on the new class.

and a passionate leader directing the show.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW? I am in the process of designing my own sock line, Paisley Sockwear, and that is going to be a huge deal for me. I spend so much time packaging other people's products; it would be great to work on my own. We are reworking the packaging for the TABB bow tie line, and there is a friend of mine has a brownie line that I’m working with, I've never packaged a perishable food before. And I’m always doing product shots and album covers here and there, photography will always be a part of my vocabulary. YOUR BLOG, CITIZENS OF CULTURE, HAS A VARIETY OF CONTENT, RANGING FROM INDUSTRIAL DESIGN TO SOCIAL COMMENTARY—WHAT INSPIRES YOU THE MOST? Stories of how people attain success—those valiant people who have to overcome tremendous odds, or even just their own self-doubt. I love hearing about how people achieve great things. It reminds me that we are all just people and everyone is capable of being amazing. That's mostly what the blog is about, giving people a chance to share their dreams. DESCRIBE YOUR VOICE/PERSONAL STYLE? HOW HAS IT EVOLVED SINCE YOU'VE STARTED YOUR DESIGN CAREER? Some people are about minimalism, others are about embellishment. I am about appropriateness—there is a place and a time and a place for almost ever y thing. For me, the key in design, and really ever y thing I do, is finding the right conditions to make the materials you’re using shine, whether it ’s highlighting a product feature, or pairing the right socks with an out fit, or get ting the right tone to deliver a line of poetr y. When ever y thing fits naturally, as though it came together ef for tlessly on its own, it's beautiful. WHAT'S THE BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE YOU'VE RECEIVED? Mayb e it 's trite, but my father has always given me the b e st advice. One thing that come s to mind now is, "Chance favors the prep ared mind, luck is lab or under correct knowledge. Simply put, "If you st ay re ady, you ain' t got to get re ady.”

WHAT'S YOUR DREAM PROJECT OR COLLABORATION? I am living my dream collaborations all the time, there isn't anyone terribly specific at the moment but I do have some people I have on my to do list to work with. One project that is out there is to host a big event for Citizens of Culture where everyone can meet and speak, like my own TEDx conference, heck I would really love to speak at a TEDx Conference. Yea, that's a big one. MOST PLAYED IN YOUR IPOD? I have to s ay my favorite ar tist right now is Rob Roy, he is put ting out some ver y intere sting stuf f. I am also re ally dig ging A $AP Ro ck y, L ana Del Rey and Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life album.” WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU AND THE DORKS? By the time I finish answering the question, we probably will have already moved on to the nex t thing. We are moving at lightning sp eed to make things happ en, we’re in the middle of award se ason in Holly wood so that is big for us here in L A, having to go out and meet people and so for th. People think we’re out p ar t ying but it ’s actually work, pitching our ide as over and over and building relationships. This ye ar we’re planning on making it out to Jap an, and if we c an get to London that would b e gre at to o. D ork’s first project is dropping with his group T.O.Y. ( The Oh Ye ah), I am working on my sp oken word CD, Dame rele ased a mix t ap e a few months ago and is still pushing that and writing. Justin is always st yling for music videos and T V; he is also working on the brand development of Mo okee by Yuske, a pret t y sick line coming out of Long Be ach.

...

STORE

NAILED IT GE T YOU R SE L F A K I L L E R SE T O F C L AW S AT N A I L - A R T SALON KLEUR

Photos // Trisha Angeles If you’ve ever stumbled into Space 15 Twenty on a Sunday, you’ve probably

Don’t let the multicolored hair fool you —this chick is serious. Gray is a

e x p e rienc e d the delight ful s ens o r y ove rlo a d tha t is their we ekly Ya rd

Capricorn after all, and possesses a type-A efficiency and business sense

Sale. A r t s and craf t s, acce s s orie s, vintage clothing and local de signer

that rivals any Burberry scarf-wearing MBA graduate. After trolling the city

threads are all piled into the courtyard, showcasing the best in community

tr ying to find a nail salon that could replicate the pat terns in her head,

talent. Amongst this culmination of all things creative, nestled in between

she realized there was a gap in the beauty market, and her entrepreneurial

Umami bur ger and Urban Out fit ter s, you’ll find Kleur— a p er s onalized

spirit kicked in. Af ter jus t a few p op - up app e ar ance s at ar t and trunk

nail - a r t s alon run by thr e e b e autiful, inte r e s ting and music al la die s .

s h o w s , Sp a c e 15 Tw e nt y a s ke d h e r a n d h e r fello w a r tis t s to s t a y p u t.

K l e u r f o u n d e r Nik k o G r a y w e a r s m o r e h a t s t h a n y o u r In t e r n e t s t a r t-

Nikko and co-founders Nita Darling (of Poobah Records) and Jaeme Estera

u p n e i g h b o r a n d a p p a r e l - d e s i g n e r/ g i r l c r u s h c o m b in e d . Ye t , f o r t h e

(DJ J - He ar t) moved into the space las t O ctober, and while busine s s is

s a ke o f b o t h w o r d - c o un t a n d b r e a th, s h e r e fe r s to h e r s e lf simpl y a s

i n c r e a s i n g e x p o n e n t i a ll y, t h e y ’ v e e a c h b e e n a b l e t o m a i n t a i n t h e i r

an “ar tist.” Perhaps best known for her soulful, haunting voice — which

individual musical pursuits while still operating the shop 7 days a week.

c a n b e h e a r d r e g u l a r l y o n KC R W, N P R , a n d o t h e r i n d i e f a v o r i t e s —

T he girls hand - p aint e a ch individual nail, eve r y finge r is tre ate d a s a

G r a y h a s g r a c e d u s w i t h n u m e r o u s m u s i c a l c o ll a b o r a t i o n s , a s w e ll

blank canvas — no airbrushing here. So the next time you’re in the mood

a s thre e s olo EP s . A nd while this s ongbird ha s re cently expande d he r

for a unique set of claws, make a trip to Kleur; the girls are as interesting

reper toire to include producer as well as singer/song writer, she has no

as the ar t they cre ate, and you can get a tarot re ading right nex t do or.

intention of slowing down when it come s to her original creative purge; painting, which she now practice s on not only canvase s, but nail beds.

// Erin Dennison LOCATION: 1520 N Cahuenga Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028

Live. Create. Inspire.

A space ďŹ lled with memories, designer collectibles and a variety of items that ďŹ t any style of budget.

Hudson | Rory Beca | One Teaspoon | Joie | Patterson J. Kincaid

1410 Abbot Kinney Ste. 101, Venice, CA 90291 310.399.3988 - gossamershop.com - facebook.com/gossamershop

Stylist/Designer Ashton Michael Lets Us Peak Inside His Head

PHOTO // Nick Trikonis Over the last ten years, Ashton Hirota has been designing and styling some of the biggest names in entertainment. He started his first label, Glaza, as a teenager, rebranding it “Ashton Michael” post designschool. Hand-cut and sewn men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, and custom costume pieces were the staples of Ashton Michael, whose quality was quickly embraced by the LA fashion scene. But Ashton soon became frustrated with the way stylists would use his clothes for editorial and music videos, so the designer decided to venture into wardrobe styling himself in order to ensure the accurate execution of his vision. The Ashton Michael aesthetic is a hybrid of uptown glamour and downtown edge, married by the cohesion of strong silhouettes. His designs can be found at his flagship co-op store, The House of Infinite Radness, 80spurple.com, Petro Zillia, Apar tment-3, and Lolita—just to name a few. As if that weren’t enough, Ashton’s long list of styling credits include Britney Spears, Kreayshawn, No Doubt, The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Nicki Minaj, and The Sounds, as well as editorials in publications ranging from Angeleno to Paper. . STORY // Erin Dennison

LA CANVAS caught up with the designer/stylist powerhouse to get some insight into the industry as he sees it.

WHY STYLING? I am first and foremost a fashion designer. Anything that I visualize — or any ideas that are brought to me — c an b e made exactly as they ’re de sired. I think that can be a problem for some stylists who can’t translate exactly what they want because they have to source it out or set tle for what’s available. Being a de signer w ho make s cus tom clothe s, styling comes second nature to me; combining what is available with the endless possibilities of what we can make is key. Clothing is an incredibly powerful tool for the person who wears it; it shapes how others view them. I love being a key factor in that process. There’s no right or wrong with style, just expression.

DESCRIBE YOUR VOICE? HOW HAS IT EVOLVED SINCE YOU’VE STARTED YOUR CAREER? My voice is black and white — quite literally. In a met aphoric al way, I look at the cracks in the pavement, not the whole street. My voice is the lit tle details that are of ten overlooked but should be most appreciated—that’s the Ashton Michael aesthetic. I star ted my first company when I was 19, so my voice has changed a lot over the past 10 years, with maturity. It may sound silly, but I found my voice when I star ted listening to my inner self.

MOST PLAYED IN YOUR IPOD? I’ll let my iTunes count d o t h e t alk in g . O v e r the past year the most played ar tists were Adele, The Weeknd, Quadron, Lit tle Dragon, and Fleet wood Mac.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? Can’t say too much but it will be large, “XL” in fact (wink wink) ... stay tuned. PHOTO // Andrea Labarge Mills

WHAT’S THE BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

MANY OF YOUR CLIENTS ARE PART OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, HOW DOES MUSIC INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

“Stop and smell the roses” (from my father). It’s very

In general, music is a huge influence in my life. I

easy to get caught up in the stress and pressure of

don’t think music is reflected in my work directly,

my job. Sometimes I need to be reminded to step

but it provides a mental escape for my creative

back and realize how blessed I am to be working

process. For example, I’m not going to be listening

w i th s ome of the big ge s t name s in the w o rld.

to spor ts talk radio if I’m making a varsity jacket...

I’ve made a living out of my craf t, and that ’s the

If I’m working on a darker, moodier piece I won’t

greatest gif t of all. Being humble and appreciative

be listening to top 4 0 pop. Inste ad, I’ll put on

is always a good rule of thumb.

something sor t of wicked and appropriate. The same goes for a specific client. If it’s a music video, or putting together looks for a specific song, I WILL play the shit out of it ‘til I pret ty much hate it.

hollywood ®

every sunday

brunch 9-12:30 • live music at 10:30-12:30pm

glitter rose join us for a southern rock brunch! music by ft. worth texas’s own

Special Southern Brunch Menu Bloody Mary Bar Fresh Mimosas & Bellinis

936 S VERMONT AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90006

on hollywood blvd. in hollywood and highland center +1-323-464-7625 • hardrock.com

FOOD SCOOPS

FOODY TUNES W H E R E TO G R A B S O M E G R U B A N D G E T YO U R G R O OV E O N Story // Marilyn Chiu

Photos // Captain

ROCK N’ REILLY’S Whiskey, live rock n’ roll, and Irish cheddar. What more can a pub in West Holly wood provide? Select a shot of quality whiskey out of the for ty available, grab a whiskey cocktail, or order a flight of four at a time. Not a whiskey person? The beer is top notch and as Irish as it gets; this is the only place in L A that has Kilkenny nitrogenated Irish ale and Magner’s hard cider. And you haven’t had nachos until you’ve tried their Irish Nachos, made with hot fresh potato chips, bacon, Irish cheddar, scallions, and corn salsa. Wings tossed in tangy whiskey sauce, five types of grilled cheese sandwiches, and house-made corned beef sliders are a few other seriously amazing options.

LOCATION: 8911 W. Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA

NOLA’S Nola’s is a bar, music venue, and restaurant in the Ar ts District that could be easily bypassed if you weren’t looking for it. With an unassuming entrance, you don’t realize until you’ve opened the door and hear soulful, live jazz and blues singers that you’ve just stumbled upon a lit tle corner of New Orleans. Serving authentic Creole food, the fried cat fish, jambalaya, and seafood gumbo is matched all too well by the loud jazz music. Some go straight for the bar, which ser ves up old-fashioned cocktails. During happy hour, ever y thing on the menu is half of f, and the show is always free. LOCATION: 734 E. 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

TOI Thai food rocks, but you haven’t truly experienced “Rockin’ Thai Food” until you’ve tried Toi on Sunset. Toi on Sunset is somewhat of a hideout for local musicians and a late-night grub stop for Holly wood Bowl concer t-goers. It ’s definitely a fascinating place to eat, with framed posters lining ever y wall, huge paper maché dragons hanging from the dark ceiling, and 90’s rock music blasting from dinner time to dawn. On the menu, there’s more than just curr y and noodles, but also Thai Spaghet ti and other inventive Thai fusion dishes. Oh, and Elvis is there, wearing a rice paddy hat. LOCATION: 7505 1/2 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046

A LOS ANGELES HISTORIC LANDMARK FAMILY OWNED AND OPeRATED SINCE 1917 Free WINE TASTING AND TOURS ITALIAN DINING FREE PARKING Live Music

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S MOST AWARDED WINERY 737 LAMAR ST. Los AngeleS, CA 90031 1-888-223-1401 SANANTONIOWINERY.COM

POP IN MY GRILL

RESTAURANT

K-T OW N ’ S MO O DA E P O I I P R OV I D E S T H E P O P F O R E A R S , E Y E S A N D PA L E T T E

In Los Angeles, it

as the meat cooks and begins to ooze with juices and marinade.

pop

videos.

waitstaff will then debone the beef with a pair of scissors and cut it into

Combined, Moo Dae Po II offers a bold menu and a loud, quirky

succulent little pieces that everyone around the grill will simply fight over.

“Moo Dae Po” means “fearless” in Korean. means

bottomless

marinated

barbecue

and

music

The

atmosphere—both of which require quite the courageous appetite.

For $16.99, there are seventeen different types of meat available. No matter what

Established in Korea, this restaurant is a part of an authentic Korean barbecue

you get, it’s guaranteed to taste amazing wrapped in a thin sheet of rice paper or

chain with three locations in LA. Though K-town teems with all-you-can-eat Korean

daikon radish with a bit of lettuce and hot sauce. The complimentary side dishes

BBQ joints, many of them are small, smoky, and rather indistinguishable from one

are also bottomless, and extremely fun to pick at while batches of meat grill away.

to the next. Tabletop grills, snobby waitresses, monotone banchan—you know the drill. Moo Dae Po II is slightly more expensive, but offers a wider selection

During all of this flipping, wrapping, and dipping, pop music videos

of meats, from the usual sweet marinated bulgogi beef to more adventurous

play on flat screens around the restaurant as flashy neon lights add a

cuts like beef tongue and intestine, as well as seafood and vegetarian options.

sort of nightclub-y air to the experience. On Friday and Saturday nights,

The high quality of the meat can surely be tasted in Moo Dae Po’s special

sake as the lights dim and the music blares. But it’s worth the wait, and

LA Marinated Thin Beef. Served bone-in, these luscious pieces of raw beef

you’ll leave ready for a serious karaoke session right across the street.

you can expect a line as crowds swarm in ready to pound beers and

are laid atop a hot grill directly on your tabletop.

It’s hard not to salivate

// Marilyn Chiu LOCATION: 936 S Vermont Ave Los Angeles, CA 90006

DRINK

RED HOT CINNAMON, SAFFRON & CHILI HEAT UP THIS EXPLOSIVE TEQUILA COCKTAIL // KAT ODELL

Remember Red Hots? The small, round, shiny red c andie s that c ame in a compa ct pap e r box? Those spicy cinnamon suckers were the inspiration behind Drago C entro bar tendre s s Jaymee Mandeville’s Silver Screen Quotations—a savory elixir made from muddled red bell peppers, mint, fresh lime juice, organic Blanco tequila and a Thai chili-cinnamon-infused simple syrup. Named after a lyric from classic Red Hot Chili Peppers song “Californication,” this fancified take on a margarita presents vegetal notes of red bell pepper balanced with acid from the lime and just the slightest hint of spice from the Thai chili and cinnamon. It’s one of those drinks that could classif y as a refreshing spa cocktail, but with more pizzazz thanks to the heat that asserts itself on its way down your throat. If you like your cocktails salty, make sure to take a sip from the rim, which comes coated in flakes of salt spiced with saffron essence —a surprising flavor combination that sings.

INGREDIENTS: -2 oz 123 Blanco Tequila -¾ oz Thai Chili/Cinnamon Syrup* -½ oz Lime, juiced -¼ cup Red Bell Pepper -Mint SYRUP: Bring 2 cups of simple syrup (1:1, sugar h2o) to a boil, then steep a dozen Thai chili peppers Strain and let cool. Muddle red bell pepper and three mint sprigs in a cocktail shaker. Add ingredients, shake, and fine strain. Serve on the rocks in a double old fashioned with a saffron salt rim, lime wheel, and fresh mint sprig.

PHOTO // CAPTAIN

(sliced open) and 4 cinnamon sticks for 20 minutes.

BAR

SMALL

STUFF KICK BACK WITH CLASSIC COCKTAILS AT WEST LA’S FREDDY SMALLS As the Los Angeles restaurant and bar scene continues to blossom, noteworthy

While a shor t list of e ats conceived by consulting chef Jeremy Fox and

food and drink establishments are springing up in less-traf ficked regions of

executed by chef Charlie Parker sounds like mushroom and farro porridge

the cit y. One prime example of this proliferation is the inception of Freddy

($16) and flash-grilled steak tartare ($12), what we’re really here to talk about

Smalls Bar + Kitchen, which recently opened on Pico in a grit ty stretch of

are the cocktails. Bar manager David Fleisher of Seven Grand glor y serves

West L A. Taking over the former El Serape Restaurant space — as exterior

a list of libations, priced at $10 or $12, and mostly rooted in the classics

signage still proclaims—this cozy, hip, cocktail-centric hang comes to us

with fresh fruit embellishments, house-made tonics and syrups. Don’t miss

thanks to Jef f Weinstein, founder of ubiquitous burger chain The Counter.

the Mayberr y Smash, which calls for Death’s Door gin, muddled berries, honey, and lemon served up in a coupe glass with a mint leaf garnish; or

A far cr y from the cookie-cut ter Counter chainlet, Freddy Smalls is a one-

the Whiskey Stones, a boozy number that involves Maker’s Mark, stone pine

of-a-kind neighborhood watering hole with a classic Americana feel and a

liqueur, bitters, and dry vermouth. Or, if you’re looking to catch an easier, less

mix of Kanye and the Cure humming in the background. Enter the venue,

alcohol-fueled evening, Freddy’s can serve you one of nine craft beers on tap.

travel down a narrow hallway and meet a hostess who will open a second door and lead you inside. Pick either a seat at the long central bar, one of

Just remember, good things come in small packages.

the flanking high tables, or bet ter yet, a booth—if any remain unclaimed. // Kat Odell

LOCATION: 11520 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064

LI STEN I N G TO A SO N G CAN O F M I N D—IT AWAKEN S N EW

PUT YO U I N A D I FFER ENT STATE I D EAS AN D R ELI EVES STR ESS

LV LA

BAGATELLE is a New York-based French restaurant that’s gained quite the reputation for its rowdy, Champagne-soaked brunch parties—think Friday night mayhem on a Sunday afternoon. After expanding to St. Barths, partners Remi Laba and Aymeric Clemente plus Jonathan Segal of the One Group set their sights on Los Angeles, and now, this here city has its very own branch helmed by chef Scott Quinn, who lands in LA by way of Bouchon in Las Vegas. Here a few words from Scott on food, fun, and focus.

1. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CUISINE AT BAGATELLE? The cuisine at Bagatelle LA will be progressive French with global influences. There will be items from the original [New York] menu to stay true to the Bagatelle name and concept. 2. WHICH DISHES IS BAGATELLE BEST KNOWN FOR? WILL THEY APPEAR ON THE LA MENU? Two of Bagatelle’s signature dishes are the beef tartare and the tuna tartare. They will be on the menu along with a few other staple dishes that represent Bagatelle and its style of food. 3. IN THE PAST YOU COOKED FOR THOMAS KELLER AT

SCOTT QUINN

BOUCHON IN LAS VEGAS. HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO JOIN THE BAGATELLE TEAM IN LA?

JOINS THE PARTY AT

When approached with the opportunity to join the team, I was

BAGATELLE LA

intrigued by the partnership with the One Group. After researching both companies I found that each showed an opportunity for growth and future success. 4. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? A range of different things – whether it be the reaction someone has to a dish, or just grocery shopping. It seems that if I see something at a certain time or place, my creativity starts working overtime and from that I draw ideas for dishes. 5. DOES MUSIC INFLUENCE YOUR COOKING? Music definitely influences my way of creating food. Listening to a song can put you in a different state of mind—it awakens new ideas and relieves stress, paving the way to more creative ways of thinking. 6. DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC IN THE KITCHEN WHILE YOU COOK? I do when I cook at home, especially when I’m testing out recipes, but I never listen to it at work. At work it’s time to focus and music can sometimes be a distraction. 7. IF YOU COULD COOK FOR ANY MUSICIANS DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY? Ray Charles, because of what an amazing and inspirational musician he was, and Jim Morrison—just because it’s Jim Morrison. // Kat Odell

PHOTO // Captain

TECH

TECH iT OUT THANKS TO MODERN TECHNOLOGY, ALMOST EVERYONE WE KNOW IS NOW AN AUDIOPHILE, RECORD PRODUCER, OR MUSIC DOCUMENTARIAN OF SOME SORT—AND WE KIND OF LIKE IT THAT WAY. SO WHETHER YOU’RE TRYING TO LAUNCH A MUSIC EMPIRE FROM YOUR BEDROOM OR JUST WANT TO ENJOY YOUR FAVORITES ANYWHERE, HERE’S A LIST OF GREAT TECH TO HELP YOU DO IT. // JUSTIN FITZWATER.

CANON POWERSHOT ELPH 510 HS, $349.99 Pre-recorded audio rarely ever compares to the live experience. As you head off to Coachella, you may want to grab a better camera than that one built into your phone. The Powershot Elph 510 HS captures amazing 12.1 megapixel images and 1080P HD video, all while being their thinnest (and possibly sexiest) camera to date. With its 12x wide-angle optical zoom you’ll capture every great performance without having to elbow your way to the front of the stage. www.usa.canon.com

IK MULTIMEDIA iRIG MIC $59.99 You love music. You can sing. It stands to reason you may want to combine these t wo passions and share your talent with the world. The iOS store is lit tered with innumerable APPLE IPOD CLASSIC (160GB) $249

recording apps per fect for any budding musical ar tist, and the iRig Mic works with them all, allowing you to record

It’s impossible to discuss the best in music tech without including

yourself any where once you’ve at tached it to your iPhone,

Apple’s line of MP3 players. They’ve become synonymous with

iPod or iPad. Also works great for inter views—you know,

portable audio and considered by most to be the best. Though

so you can practice what you’re going to say once you’re

their “touch” line is all the rage these days, it’s the iPod Classic we

famous. w w w.ikmultimedia.com

recommend. With 160GB of storage, it’s hard to imagine anyone running out of room for their favorite music, videos or photos. You don’t get all those cool apps, but that’s what your cellphone’s for! www.apple.com/ipodclassic

VIZIO VSB200 HD SOUND BAR, $149.99 Sure, concer ts and live shows are a great way to experience your favorite music, but wouldn’t you rather stay home and crank it up while you dance in your undies? No? It’s just me? Well, the Vizio HD Sound Bar is a great way to add home theater “simulated” surround sound to your television without all of the wires and extra speakers. This thing really sounds great, is compact (per fect even for tiny L A studio apar tments) and won’t break the bank. w w w.vizio.com ARCHOS 35 HOME CONNECT, $129.99 Many of us live, eat and breathe music every waking moment of the day, and the Archos 35 Home Connect will literally wake you to the sound of your favorite tunes. But playing music is only one of the tricks up its sleeve—this Android-based device also provides weather, real-time traffic, video playback, Internet radio, games and much more through downloadable apps. With a built-in battery, it’s likely the Home Connect won’t stay on your nightstand long. www.archos.com

Start Living The Dream! The Los Angeles Film School helps you succeed in the entertainment industry by providing a comprehensive education with the knowledge and technical experience to enter a career you will love. Earn your A.S. degree in about a year* in Film, Game Production, Computer Animation or Recording Arts! Learn from our experienced industry professionals.

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*Length of program and start dates are dependent on course of study and degree option. For more information on our programs and their outcomes visit www. lafilm.edu/disclosures. ©2011 The Los Angeles Film School. All rights reserved. The term “The Los Angeles Film School” and The Los Angeles Film School logo are either service marks or registered service marks of The Los Angeles Film School. Accredited by ACCSC

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PICKMASTER PLECTRUM PUNCH, $35.00 A gadget is nothing if not a tool to make your life easier. The Pickmaster Plectrum Punch may not be much of a gadget, but it IS a handy tool for any SATECHI AUDIO MOVE SD PORTABLE SPEAKER, $29.99

of you budding musicians who just can’t seem to keep track of their picks! Punch as many as you want from almost any thing; bank cards, gift cards, etc.;

Headphones are great and all, but sometimes you just HAVE to

and never worry about misplacing your picks again. As an added bonus, you’ll

share that awesome new song you’re obsessing over with everyone

have a great reason to get rid of those maxed our credit cards you can’t stop

around you. The Audio Move SD pumps out big stereo sound at a really small price. Its rechargeable bat ter y lasts up to 17 hours via its internal microSD slot, or 24 hours via line-in when hooked up to virtually any device that uses a 3.5mm connector. You know you have bet ter taste in music than ever yone else —time to show ‘em. w w w.satechi.net

TOOKS CL ASSIC BEANIE, $24.99 Much like fashion, the tech industr y is always looking toward the future in an effort to combine style with substance. Tooks beanies, named after the French “tuque,” combine a classic look with a thin pair of headphones (about the size of a half dollar) hidden within. The headphones are removable, for washing, but I doubt you’ll ever want to take this baby of f— even if it is in need of a good wash. w w w.tookshats.com

OPTOMA PK201 PICO PROJECTOR, $299.99 I can’t count how many times I’ve seen a group of people huddled around a fancy little smart phone watching music videos on YouTube.

LG TONE HBS-700 BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES, $69.99

With Optoma’s PK201, you can project a 16x9 screen up to 66” anywhere you can find a flat, white surface. With its rechargeable

I HATE having my head tethered to my phone by a cord when I’m listening to

battery, compact size, built-in speaker and assortment of input

Pandora on the road. The LG Tone provides a pret ty awesome wireless headset

options – you can throw together your own pop-up concert virtually

experience that’s great whether you’re on a call or listening to your favorite music.

anywhere. www.optomausa.com

It has one-touch dialing (works great with Siri), 10 hours of battery life, vibrating call aler t, noise reduction, and volume and music controls that even let you skip songs on Pandora without taking your phone out of your pocket. w w w.lg.com/us

march THEATRE

“Why We Have A Body” @ Edgemar Center For The Arts

STYLE EVENT

Handbag Designer L.A.B @ California Market Center

CONCERT

ART EVENT

The Kooks @ The Fox Theatre

There & Back w/ Gregory Siff @ Siren Studios (Rooftop Sessions)

2 3

ART EVENT

Etsy Craft Night @ Craft and Folk Art Museum

STYLE EVENT

Simply Stylist Seminar @ W Hotel Hollywood

Seussland Red Carpet After Party

@ Grauman Chinese Theatre

ART EVENT

Miracle Mile Artwalk @ Beverly Blvd (LA Brea/Miracle Mile Area)

CONCERT

Cloud Nothings @ the Echo

CONCERT

Ty Segall @ the Troubadour

5 6

CONCERT

Zola Jesus @ the Natural History Museum

CONCERT W

Tokyo String Quartet @ The Broad Stage

FILM EVENT

WINE EVENT

CONCERT

Maniac @ Harvard & Stone

Zero Film Festival @ Space 15 Twenty

The World’s Best Wine Values @ San Antonio Winery

SUN

9 F

COMEDY

13 T

CONCERT

Natasha Leggero @ Largo

Tribes @ the Bootleg

PARTY

Plasmapool w/ Mord Fustang @ Avalon Hollywood

STYLE EVENT

LA Fashion Market @ California Market Building

ART EVENT

Illuminated LA presents “A Secret Society” @ NOLA’s

CONCERT

Islands @ the Bootleg

CONCERT

Bela Fleck @ the Orpheum Theatre

Voxhaul broadcast @ the Satellite

CONCERT

Saul Williams @ the El Rey

ART EXIBIT

“The Bamboo Curtain” by Lydia Emily @ Lab Art

THEATRE

CONCERT

Punch Brothers @ the El Rey

PARTY

Hollywood Club Crawl @ Beauty Bar

American Idiot @ Ahmanson Theatre

CONCERT

THEATRE

The Ting Tings + MNDR @ the El Rey

Rock of Ages @ Pantages Theatre

DANCE

Ballet Preljocaj: Snow White @ Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

CONCERT

Of Montreal + Deerhoof @ the Wiltern

FESTIVAL

LA Film & Music Weekend @ the Downtown Independent

CONCERT

Cults + Spectrals @ the Music Box

CONCERT

The Naked and Famous @ the Wiltern

ART EVENT

BEER/FOOD FESTIVAL

“Ground Control” Group Show Opening Reception @ Pacific Design Center

Spring Beer and Sausage Festival @ San Antonio Winery

16 F

SUN

30 F

CONCERT

31 S

White Rabbits @ the Echo

CONCERT

Nicolas Jaar @ the Echoplex

ART EVENT

Incognito Show & Sale @ Santa Monica Museum of Art

THEATRE

Ghosts @ Edgemar Center of the Arts

COMEDY

CONCERT

Jerry Seinfeld @ Pantages Theatre

For The Kings @ The Basement Tavern at the Victorian

STYLE EVENT:

A Current Affair Pop-Up Vintage Marketplace @ Cooper Design Center

ART EVENT

Maria Rutherford: Lay-Text @ Robert Berman B7 Gallery

STYLE EVENT

LA Fashion Weekend @ Sunset Gower Studios

FESTIVAL

Beyond Wonderland 2012 @ NOS Event Center

LACA N VAS.COM -YOUR EV ERY DAY SOURCE FOR TH E LATEST EV EN TS.

April PARTY

COMEDY

Roadside Attraction @ the Ace Hotel and Swim Club

The Thrilling Adventure Hour @ Largo

ART EXHIBITION

MUSIC EVENT

Ends of the Earth: Land Art to 1974 @ MOCA

Jonni Hipp and L ady Tigra @ Three Clubs Ever y Saturday in Holly wood

ART EXHIBITION

Children of the Plumed Serpent @ LACMA

STYLE EVENT

ART EXHIBITION

Urban Air Market @ Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Portraits of Renown: Photography and the Cult of Celebrity @ the Getty Center

ART EXHIBITION

FESTIVAL

Young Photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alliance Show @ EVFA

SUN

Coachella Weekend 1

SUN

CONCERT

Garbage @ the El Rey

CONCERT

THEATRE

Bear in Heaven @ the Echo

Billy Elliot @ Pantages Theatre

ART EVENT

Jordan Vineyard presents 4 on 4 Art Competition @ LACE

CONCERT Heartless Bastards @ the Echo

CONCERT

Chairlift + Nite Jewel @ the Troubadour

CONCERT CONCERT

Tyga @ Club Nokia

The Pierces @ the Troubadour

FILM FESTIVAL

Festival of Film Noir @ the Egyptian Theatre

WINE EVENT

Skinny Wine Luncheon @ San Antonio Winery

CONCERT

Lemonade @ the Echo

CONCERT

School of Seven Bells @ the Echoplex

STYLE EVENT

FESTIVAL

2012 Fashion Symposium @ California Market Building

Coachella Weekend 2

FILM FESTIVAL

Going Green Film Fest @ Regal Theaters (LA LIVE DOWNTOWN)

FESTIVAL

Festival of Books @ USC

22 CONCERT

FILM FESTIVAL

City of Lights—City of Angels French Film Festival @ Director’s Guild of America

FESTIVAL

Elvis Costello @ The Wiltern

Stagecoach

24 W

CONCERT

Ingrid Michaelson @ The Wiltern

CONCERT

Caveman @ the Echo

26 CONCERT CONCERT

ART EVENT

Ben Kweller Ben Kweller @ The El @ Rey The El Rey

27 28 DRINK EVENT

Winemaker’s Barrel Tasting @ San Antonio Winery

SUN

29 30

Create:Fixate All Photography Show @ Premiere Events Center

LACA N VAS.COM -YOUR EV ERY DAY SOURCE FOR TH E LATEST EV EN TS.

LAST LOOK

HE'S A MANIAC

They release very sweet limited edition records through their site, where they also post music videos that are, as you might imagine, an art form unto themselves. The casings for the new Sons of Summer EP are being made the day I visit Shawn, so hand-pulled and numbered slipcases are piled up everywhere. “It’s an object, like books and vinyl, much more than a download.” The cover art on both the EP and their full-length album Mania

SHAWN HARRIS

are portraits Shawn made of the two of them. “Big-ass paintings of our own faces—that’s a bit of an inside joke. Our EP release was at a gallery in Sydney.

DOES EVERYTHING, RIGHT NOW, ALL AT ONCE

There was no music, just an exhibition. People didn’t know what to do!”

Shawn Harris moved to Silverlake by accident, from San Francisco, about three

Clyro, She & Him, Blush featuring Snoop Dogg); as well as his intriguing

As the resident artist, Shawn is more or less in charge of the band’s visuals across the board, which makes sense considering the excellent work he’s done for other bands’ album covers and music videos (Biffy

years ago, by way of Australia. There he’d met Jake Grigg, who since became his cohort and muse in art-friendly punk-pop band Maniac. They cohabitate with two ladies (a girlfriend and a sister, the latter singing with Maniac for live shows) in a clubhouse compound overlooking a bustling stretch of Sunset Blvd where, from 9pm to sunrise, there’s no one around to tell them to keep it down. Inside, it’s an all-in-one art, design, film, and music studio—colorful, layered, happy, and a bit chaotic, just like Maniac’s fashion-forward sound. The role of visual art is as integral to their operation as a microphone, with audio and optic inspirations being

gig at the SF Chronicle. He illustrates for the kids’ newspaper section, which is curated through McSweeney’s. “I fill in blank spots and weird empty shapes on the pages, every other week. It’s for the odd kids, it’s not condescending like so many of those ‘fun & games’ sections can be. I just ask myself, ‘Am I entertained?’ because I was—and am—an odd kid myself.” Keep up with Maniac at home and on tour and watch out for new art and music drops through: Maniacmania.com and Facebook.com/ManiacMania.

pursued simultaneously with an expressive, retro-folk, cheeky, slightly decadent, urban-naive Romanticism that covers their look, their sound, and their way of life.

// Shana Nys Dambrot

COVER // Shawn Harris

THE HEAVY SOUND OF MARSHALL HAS BEEN CARRIED OVER THE WORLD FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS. BREATHLESS ROADIES AND ROARING TRUCKS HAVE STRUGGLED TO MAKE IT HEARD ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE. NOW THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO CARRY THIS MAGNIFICENT BURDEN OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ALL BY YOURSELF THE MAJOR EMBODIES VAST AMOUNTS OF THE MASSIVE MARSHALL LEGACY. BESIDES BEING STRAIGHT UP DAZZLING, THE MAJOR IS A SOLID WORKHORSE WITH GREAT STAMINA, DESIGNED WITH NON-STOP, ALL-DAY LISTENING IN MIND. NO MATTER HOW HEAVY THE MUSIC, THE SUPER SOFT CUSHIONS WILL REST LIGHTLY UPON YOUR EARS AND IF YOU BY CHANCE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE MAJOR OFF OF YOUR HEAD, THEY ARE FOLDABLE FOR EASY STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TRANSDUCER IMPEDANCE SENSITIVITY FREQUENCY RESPOND RATED INPUT POWER MAXIMUM INPUT POWER

40MM MOVING COIL DYNAMIC SPEAKER 32Ω±15% AT 1kHz 121±3dB AT 1kHz 1mW (SINGLE SPEAKER) 20Hz~20kHz 15mW 20mW

YEAR COLLAPSIBLE CONSTRUCTION

ADAPTER INCLUDED

SUPER SOFT EAR CUSHION

COMPATIBLE WITH ANY MUSIC PLAYER 3.5 / 6.3 mm

3 4 0 0 5 5

3 0 2 2 5 8

WWW.MARSHALLHEADPHONES.COM

PREMIUM REPLACEMENT WARRANTY

WWW.ORIGINALPENGUIN.COM

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