Skinnie Magazine March 2010 by Skinnie Magazine

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

024

FEATURES] ________________________ p.010

RIP to MTV

p.020 Nuclear

The Network Bids Farewell to “Music”

p.012

miracle fruit

p.024 DJ

Does Australia Bear Cancer’s Cure?

p.014

Blow your Loot Aberdeen

050

Editor’s Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.006 The Skinnie / Hearsay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.008 Action Sports Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.023 For The Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.030

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Corner Style

Quest Crew Shows Us A Few Ways To Stay Fresh

“freedom” of the Internet

p.056 The

...Always Comes A Hefty price

Rifoki Aoki and Cornelius Let Their Punk Roots Show

p.030

March’s Skinnie Girl Meet DJ Sky Nellor

p.046 Street

Lil Jon?

p.028 Davey havok From AFI to Ailing Art, Havok Spills It

Scotland’s Silver City Revealed

EVERY ISSUE

Hip Hop Royalty Takes To The Tables

Blew Your Loot On These

p.016 DESTINATION:

p.043

Cowboyz

Kicking Up Dirt In A New Production

026

Under The Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.032 Flicks / Keepin It Reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.034 Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.036 Audio / Locals Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.038

024

Video Games / Bits and Bytes . . . . . . . . p.040 Skinnie Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.059 Happy Endings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.072 Mischievers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.074

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

March 2010 J ISSUE #98 10184 Sixth St. Suite A Rancho Cucamonga, Ca. 91730 Ph. 909-476-0270 Fax 909-476-5931 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PUBLISHERS Chief Executive Officer Chief Operations Officer

Jimmy Clinton George Giordano

EDITORIAL Editor-In-Chief Ramon Gonzales Jasen T. Davis, Alex Mendoza, Eric Bonholtzer, Brook Ellis, “Felix” Ulery, Kristie Bertucci, Patrick Douglas, Lacy Ottenson, Elysia McMahan, Melissa Fouler, Gretchen Meier Contributing Writers

For editorial submissions, email editorial@skinniemagazine.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ART & DESIGN Art Director Contributing Staff

George Giordano Vidal Diaz, Jason Bailey

PHOTOGRAPHY

“Keep It Real Baby Boy...” -Mom It’s a story that is still told to EVERYONE I have ever brought home to meet my family. Before I tell this quick antedote though, you have to know a couple of things. One, Top Gun, was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Two, my mom ain’t no punk. She can talk shit with the best of ‘em. Having said that, she loves to remind me of the time when she had to teach me the life lesson of how to ALWAYS keep it real. The abridged version of the story cuts to a husky seven year-old Ramon walking into the door of his parents’ home after a long day of school, balling. My mother, obviously concerned her first-born is crying so sincerely asks what’s wrong. “Mom, why did you name me Ramon?! Why couldn’t you name me something cool

like, Tom Cruise?!” She didn’t laugh. She didn’t dismiss my hurt. She knew that “Ramon” was different in a classroom full of Anthonys and Daniels. I couldn’t tell you exactly what she said, but I know that she never apologized for naming me Ramon either. “You are not Tom Cruise mijo, you are Ramon.” She teases me about it to this day. And although Tom Cruise has millions of dollars and I just bought my lunch from the dollar menu, Mom was right. I am not Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise doesn’t have a mom like mine. Happy Birthday Mama,

Ramon Gonzales

ACCOMPLICES & Alibis Brett ________________“Felix” ___________________Ulery ________________writer ______________________________________________________________ Consumes music as if it were nourishment. An MP3 is a Happy Meal, 180g vinyl is a fancy dinner out, and a live show is a home-cooked meal. Ulery currently manages a band from Tucson called Music Video? (www.musicvideomusic.com) and interns at Warner Brothers Records. When not listening to music, he is mixing audio for TV and making some use of his degree in Video Production from the Art Institute of Phoenix. For more “Felix,” check out www.felixarizona.com

_David _________________gatson _______________________photographer ________________________________________________________________________ As a live action photographer with a degree from the Ohio Institute of Photography, David has 12 years of experience working in various aspects of the photography industry. Winning awards for his photojournalism over the years, Gatson has been published in many newspapers and magazines including Skinnie Magazine 5th Anniversary cover featuring The Used. “I love shooting rock concerts. There’s nothing like being between the band and the music hungry crowd.”

Contributing Photographers Alan Rivera, Sean Myers, Joanna Miriam, Dave Gatson, Rick Mann, Karen Curley, Harmony Gerber, Edison Graff, Timothy Sheppard, Erik Faiivae, Mark Sacro, Michael Vincent

Sales & Marketing Sales/Marketing Director

Jason Zahler Sean Francis Rayna Feliciano, Liza Dalida, Ta’ Mara Aarin, David Gaitan

Entertainment Director

Advertising

For all sales inquiries email sales@skinniemagazine.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Administrative Erik Faiivae Webmaster Jay Grewall Daniel Torres, Charlene Mag-Iba, Antoinette Belton Promotion Director

Contributing Staff

FASHION Fashion Director Fashion Coordinator

Michelle Ngo Charlene Mag-Iba

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SUBSCRIBERS If the post office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within two years. LEGAL DISCLAIMER The content in this magazine is for entertainment and intended for mature audiences only. Advertisers are responsible for their ads placed in the magazine. Skinnie Magazine is not responsible for any actions taken by their readers. We may occasionally use images placed in public domain. Sometimes, it is not possible to identify and/or contact the copyright holder, if you claim ownership of something we’ve published, we will gladly make a proper acknowledgement. Skinnie Magazine does not share opinions and/ or views stated by the writers and or photographers. Some of the content published may be of a mature nature; we do not, in any way, condone underage drinking or any other illegal activity. All submissions become property of Skinnie Magazine, be it text, photos, art, etc. Skinnie Entertainment Magazine All Rights Reserved. 2010

_Eleni _______________vasquez _________________________writer ________________________________________________________________________ Eleni Reed-Vazquez was born a rocker and will die a rocker. She is kindhearted, sadistic and a slight banshee. Eleni enjoys working on her 1950 Ford, crass jokes, tequila shots and mutual funds. In a twist of irony, she hates to write, but loves to tell tales of misfortune, drink specials and rock ‘n roll! She hopes her work can put a smile on your face.

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Cover Photo by: Tyler Clinton Last month’s (February 2010) GSP cover and spread was shot by Stephanie Moore, at stephmoorephoto.com not Chris McPherson. Sorry Steph!

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

FOREPLAY

HEARSAY

words by Jasen T. Davis

World’s Greatest Dad! Lynn Middlebrooks Geter of Meriwether County, Georgia decided his 12year-old boy’s grades needed improving. Now what should a father do in this situation? Schedule a meeting with the teacher? Put him on restriction? Naaah… he made the kid kill his own pet hamster with a hammer as punishment. Needless to say, the boy told his teacher and the teacher reported the father to the authorities. Geter now faces some heavy jail time for animal cruelty, child cruelty and battery. But if that boy doesn’t get straight A’s, the dog is still going into a wood chipper.

AT&T Gets Ass Kicked, Plans on Passing Debt to Customers, As Usual No. 1 Toyota Commander - Cornered

Prius drivers may enjoy the smell of off it happened at all, as Sen. Collins argues their own farts, but they certainly “[treating] a foreign, a terrorist who had tried don’t deserve to accelerate wildly out of conto murder hundreds of people as if he were a trol. Toyota will experience at least two bilcommon criminal” is out of the question. Relion in total losses over the next year to repair publicans like Newt Gingrich and his Amerithe vehicles due to the recall of 11 separate can Solutions group have hopped on this band models, including the wagon to maintain the popular Camry, Corolla, designation of “enemy and Tundra. Don’t worcombatants” for terry; your POS from the rorists and enemies of mid-1990s is still safe. America. The Czech U.S. forces captured Republic outlawed the number two Taliban its far-right Workers’ leader, Mullah Abdul Party, the first time a Ghani Baradar, in Pakipolitical party was outstan, which the White lawed since the nation’s House is referring to as founding in 1993. Irish a “significant win.” Intelpriests met with the ligence agencies hope Pope to discuss sexual that his capture will not abuse of children with only cripple Taliban opthe hope that more erations, but lead to the than praying will be apprehension of Mullah done to help amend Muhammad Omar, the the abuses. 4,000 sea No. 2 Taliban Commander - Captured one-eyed cleric who turtles were rescued is the organization’s from the Florida frost spiritual leader. While he sits in a mostly dark as they floated helpless through chilly waters. room with a shining, hopefully eco-friendly Usually the cold claims 100-200 turtles every LED light shining in his eyes, the GOP is in year, but with this unprecedented number, uproar over the treatment of the Christvolunteers pulled together to save thousands. mas Day bomber. The 23-year-old was only Three Muslim women were caned in Malayinterrogated by the FBI for only 50 minutes sia for extramarital sex. The same sentence before reading him Miranda Rights. They’re has yet to be carried out on the woman who not mad it took nearly an hour, they’re pissed dared to drink a beer.

words by Gretchen Meier

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

AT&T, the phone company with a symbol that looks like the Death Star, is settling out of court in the face of a nation-wide lawsuit over charging its customers with unusually high termination fees. These termination fees were imposed whenever a customer decided to cancel their phone plan, and often reached up to $175. AT&T has agreed to pay $18 million dollars to thousands of customers who were nailed by the termination fees since the 1980’s, which means everyone in the class action lawsuit will get $40 and the attorney will get $17 million. Welcome to America, the land of the lawsuit!

As the Economy Dies… The economy of Southern California is sinking like a lead shot put thrown into the Pacific Ocean. Social services are drying up, the government is bankrupt and police and fireman are seeing their hours cut. Luckily, medical marijuana clinics have exploded, putting millions of tax dollars into an economy that desperately…oh, wait, never mind, politicians have proposed a law that will outlaw clinics that are within 1,000 feet of any place children go, which is basically everywhere. Maybe irony will raise its when those idiots lose their jobs when there’s no money to pay them because medical marijuana clinics no longer exist to generate the revenue.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

Foreplay

HEARSAY

CONTINUED...

Russian Hacker Hijinks In the Russian capitol of Moscow drivers on the freeway were given a much different show than the usual advertising when hackers reprogrammed a 20’ by 30’ billboard to play porn. For twenty minutes everyone got a good eyeful instead of the usual Coca-Cola ads. Hey, at least it made the traffic jam more interesting for everyone.

Dutch Doom & Dread

informeR

RIP “Music Television”

MTV has dropped “music television” from it’s logo. About time. words by Felix Ulery

Three Decades ago, MTV ushered in not only a new era for television, but a new method of content consumption.While it wouldn’t be until the turn of the century that broadband penetration would actually make snack-sized programming a reality, MTV started not only a cultural phenomenon, but a far-reaching impact on the way almost every American watches TV and listens to music today. 3 -5 minute videos = the standard for web content today. Not because we don’t have the capacity for more but because it’s what we’re used to. The 1980’s cultivated a whole generation of people. People who are no longer at their first jobs out of college, people who have been promoted, moved up, narrowly missed the true effects of the dot com bubble and are now living in a new version of the Internet and business. Web 2.0. High-Speed America. A large part of this cultivation, this method of thinking, this education came from MTV. The people in charge now, are the people who have had MTV their entire lives. These are the people who were late for school because one more three-minute video couldn’t hurt. So how did things stray so far? Remember when TRL still stood for Total Request Live. Seriously call MTV 1-800-DIAL MTV and order up your favorite video? The Cure, Duran Duran, those shitty videos from Pixies and those few golden years where ROCK N ROLL really reigned supreme, No More Tears, Metallica’s Black Album, Megadeth’s Countdown to Extinction, every video from Use Your Illusion I & II. Then the unthinkable happened. Instead of the

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

stream running dry, the dam broke, diverting all the music into a whole new direction. Smells Like Teen Spirit hit the airwaves. Bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, No Doubt, Green Day, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Rage Against the Machine, Beck, Offspring, finally had a national stage. Then there was Ben Stiller, Janine Garofolo, and that whole 90’s wake-up during the Clinton Administration. Of course I speak for myself, mostly—these were my most impressionable years. Then came the Real World. Another culturally derailing event. That was about 20 years ago… Embracing “reality,” MTV is full of tickers announcing the next shitty show that’s going to air. The most magical moment you’ve seen on the network in close to 5 years was the Snooki Punch or maybe “KanYeGate.” These are the moments that only live in infamy because most of the people witnessed them on the Internet, the child of MTV. MTV is the mother and father of micro content and modernly accepted voyeurism...Twitter feeds, facebook updates, and MySpace Music. And realize that now MTV is not only straying from what it helped create, but it’s embracing the trash. These are the moments that are influencing future leaders to be “followers”. Follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my blog, and consume my content as it streams in high speed and high definition off your face and down your chin. So long Music Television…we will let your new fans decide what the ‘M’ should stand for.

Thousands of people in the Netherlands have started stocking up on emergency supplies, canned food and life rafts in anticipation of the end of the world in 2012. Because the Mayans had the brutal lazy streak of only plotting their calendars a few thousands of years at a time, white people believe the world will end in two years even though there are Mayans around today who claim otherwise. Besides, if the whole frackin’ planet blows up how does a life raft save you? 2012 was a really terrible flick, but that’s no reason to think the planet is going to die because it was released in the theaters.

Killing Your Wife is Always Bad An electrical engineer in London, England named Paul Harvey was found guilty of murdering his wife, Gloria Laguna, with a television remote control. Wow, the remote controls in England are rather advanced! No, wait, it turns out that he threw the control at her, and it hit an artery in her neck that apparently possessed a genetic defect which caused her to die of a massive stroke. The moral of the story is, don’t throw things at your wife.You might accidentally be a ninja.

Syndromes Suck 13-year-old Sasha Pekhtelev of Volograd, Russia died of asphyxiation. Why? He weighed nearly 400 pounds, and when you are morbidly obese you can die any second, hence the term, “morbid.” Pekhtelev suffered from a rare genetic disorder called Prader Willi Syndrome, which caused his enormous weight gain. Plus, because Mother Nature is a really cold bitch, he also had diabetes.You see, fat people, some individuals are large because of messed up genes. The rest of you are large because of Stuff Your Face Syndrome, which doesn’t actually exist.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

Foreplay

HEARSAY

CONTINUED...

Photo by Brian Casey

iPad Freakout!

informeR

Curbing The Cure for Cash Could Australia Have A Miracle Shrub? words by Ramon Gonzales

Just about four years ago, the NewYork Times ran a story on a promising new cancer treatment drug called Avastin. Having already shown tremendous impact with those suffering from colon cancer, doctors found that the drug also proved powerful in the fight against breast and lung cancer. Remember, this was in 2006, prior to the widespread crash of the domestic economy. Manufactured by Genentech, Avastin came with a $100,000 dollar price tag. Even if patients had insurance, out-of-pocket co-payments ranged from $10,000 to $20,000 dollars annually. Even on the low end of the pharmaceutical scale with drugs that are considered less expensive, the price of health often decimates those whom can least afford it, particularly the elderly. Marilyn Stebbins, health sciences clinical professor of pharmacy at UCSF told the University’s Science Café, “These are fixed-income individuals. Even if they receive what they consider to be a reasonable Social Security check, a single drug might still cost them as much as $800 per month.” This doesn’t include any additional supplements should the patient come down with a related ailment, as which is often the case with cancer patients. In a study released by the American Association for Cancer Research in 2009, some 1 million Americans go without the necessary cancer treatments due to the high cost. The study found that African-American and Hispanic patients are the majority among the statistic.

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Considering the bureaucratic mess of health care in the United States, a small ray of hope has emerged from the land down under in the rainforests of North Queensland, Australia. In an article published in the Courier Mail, Dr. Victoria Gordon of EcoBiotics, discussed the blushwood shrub and its apparent miracle results in animal testing. The fruit of the shrub native to Australia provides and extract called EBC-46 that has been able to “liquefy and destroy cancer with no side-effects,” according to scientific research.Thus far, some 50 critically ill dogs, and a handful of cats and horses have received injections of the extract. Dr. Gordon explains, “The tumor literally liquefies…There is a rapid knock-down of the tumor, it disintegrates within 24 hours and we have a rapid healing response. The biggest tumor we treated was the size of a Coke can in a dog, and that animal is fully healed and healthy.” The news has prompted a flood of inquiries from patients offering themselves as test subjects. This discovery proves particularly sweet, as cancer in Australia is the country’s number one killer. The plan is to begin clinical trials later in the calendar year, but it is likely going to be years before the extract will gain any momentum in widespread use. The real question is why? Well, consider the low end of the scale once more. Remember that $800 dollar a month figure discussed at the beginning of this article? Not to sound cynical, but who do you think stands to lose if cancer is cured?

Apple has at last released the iPad, a device that was given such secrecy that some people began to believe it was capable of browsing the Internet, firing laser beams and summoning baby Jesus. Actually, it’s like a dumbeddown laptop that can do everything the iPhone can do, which is everything a dumbed-down laptop can do. The good news is, iPad is a lot larger than the iPhone…it’s almost the size of a laptop! But the greatest feat of all is that the iPad costs about as much as a laptop! Sweet! If you hold it up to your ear and try to talk on it as if it was an iPhone, you will look stupid, but that hasn’t stopped the Blue Tooth people.

A Coca-Cola Congress, Coming Soon to a Government Near You In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Supreme Court Judges ruled 5 to 4 that corporations are now the equivalent of people when it comes to first amendment rights, and that donating to political campaigns is a first amendment right, therefore corporations anywhere in the world can now donate as much money as they want to political campaigns. Once, there was a hope of getting off our addiction to Middle East oil and exploring renewable resources like solar, wind and water. With OPEC calling the shots you can expect that option to die like a puppy in a microwave.

Solar Power Paint Forget your pathetic solar power cells. Scientific researchers from Swansea University developed a paint that, once applied, can cause building to generate electricity from the sun at freakin’ night, if it has to. If everything building in Los Angeles had a coat of this, we could kiss OPEC oil goodbye.You can expect this paint to get outlawed as soon as possible, though, and companies like Chevron, British Petroleum and Mobil will lead the way. They have the campaign financing to do it, too! Oh well, ten years from now at least Europe will have sun-powered flying saucers while the rest of us cavemen pay $25 a gallon for gas.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

ACCOUTREMENTS 4

1 3

2 5

Toys

Recession, what recession? Five Ways to Spend That Tax Refund 1 The

Apple iPad

•

Macbeth X Zu Boutique by Davey Havok

The Music Tee

Koolatron Six-Pack Fridge

Grassy Lawn Charging Station

We may be staring at the elimination of the laptop as we know it. Complete with multitouch screen capabilities, this all-inclusive computer is literally as bulky as a magazine. Wi-Fi ready, the iPad is offered in 3G, which means quickly loading data speeds at up to 7.2 Mbps. The iPad comes in 16, 32, and 64GB models.

The latest from Macbeth’s Studio Projects line, this 4-shoe collection from Davey Havok is a unique; fashion-forward take on Macbeth’s classic Eliot Vegan silhouette. A limited edition all over rhinestone design is also available to the lucky 200-sneaker junkies savvy enough to jump on it.

Reemphasizing the importance and timelessness of album artwork in the digital age of music, The Music Tee is fashion and music packaged properly. Each artist tee comes with a digital download of the album each tee boasts. Bad Brains, Mos Def, David Gray, and Amanda Blank are just some of the collaborations available.

Pack Fridge – For the alcoholic on the go, this six-pack fridge is not a cooler, it’s an actual refrigerator. No ice necessary, this batteryoperated unit is a perfect fit for the office, school locker, or even the bedroom nightstand. Lightweight, with a classic design, this works as a rad gift for the person who has everything.

More than the decorative novelty, this unique charging station will help solve that problem of forgetting where your personal electronics are. Compatible with every kind of personal device, plug your smartphone, iPod, or digital camera up and never worry about a scuff or scratch.

www.apple.com

www.macbeth.com

www.themusictee.com

www.freshtrend.com

www.thinkgeek.com

$499.99 - $829.99

$120.00

$45.00

$39.99

$24.99

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

PASSPORT

destination

Scotland’s Silver City

Fortified In Granite, Aberdeen Remains A Gaelic Gem Known as the “Granite City,” Aberdeen, Scotland is a vibrant, modern destination. Welcome to the silver city of untouched golden sands. Once dominated by agriculture and a prosperous trading and fishing port (centuries before oil had become such a valuable commodity), this is the country’s third largest city; the oil capital of Europe, offering tranquil country backdrops, adrenaline packed outdoor opportunities, and romantic hideaways. With its luminous granite

architecture, (the granite is from Rubislaw Quarry, which is Europe’s largest man made hole!), this is the grounds for one of Scotland’s most enchanting and impressive skylines. On a clear day the Mica stone on the buildings glimmer and shine beneath the sun and when the rain clouds make their way up the coast, it’s almost impossible to tell where the buildings end and the sky begins. Founded in its rich and inspiring history, this place radiates with a surprising mix of contrasts. Here you’ll discover the stunning main streets with their vigorous art scene, a fantastic variety of first-class restaurants, a thriving cultural calendar, an abundance of shops, and an Old Town that has the captivating flair of a time that has come to pass. The oldest part of this city is the thirteenthcentury Castlegate, located at the end of Union Street. This is the focus of Aberdeen’s long history as a market town and trading center. Depending on words by Elysia McMahan

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

how you spend your time here, there are a multitude of treasures just waiting to be explored in the one place that permits you to experience the very best that Scotland has to offer. Bon Accord Due to its large population of students, Aberdeen paints a varied nightlife and vivacious party scene which would leave any party animal in good agreement. This cosmopolitan city is impressive and keeps the place buzzing round the clock. Sample the ‘water of life’ and visit the eight distilleries on the world’s only Malt Whisky trail. The city displays a fair share of nightclubs, bars, pubs, restaurants, and inns to indulge in. The Grill “Great Whisky Bar of the World”, which is located across from the Music Hall, may seem rather unimpressive on the outside but as you pass through the doorway you’ll find yourself in a

room packed full with commotion. This bar features over 400 whiskies and a tasting deal offering four single malts, one from each Scottish region and the single malt of the week. Another bar you may want to dive into is called Under the Hammer. If you’re able to squeeze into that special alcove beneath the stairs and treat yourself to a four-dimensional pint of ale, you’ll be sure to let everyone know about your experience. Apparently, the Prince of Wales is the best, most crowded pub in the city. Here you’ll find a fabulous selection of real ales, very cheap bar food and traditional fiddle music on Sunday evenings. The Ministry of Sin is the pick of the litter when it comes to nightclubs. This converted church often has bigname guest DJs dropping in from time to time. Whether you’re the type to prefer a cozy pub or cocktails and champagne at some of the classiest, stylish modern bars, here is where you’ll find prime examples of both. You can also to be sure to find those fashionable clubs that fall in and out of fashion, with their trendy music and overpriced cover fees where you can dance the night away. “Aathing” In Between Unwind and take a stroll through the city center, where there are numerous cultural activities and amenities to engage in or museums and landmarks

to visit. Aberdeen is home to the International Youth Festival (the world’s largest arts festival for young performers), as well as numerous art galleries, housing collections of Scottish, Victorian, Impressionist, and British paintings, as well as a constantly changing collection of contemporary works and exhibitions. You can take a trip to Provost Ross’ house, which is the second oldest dwelling house within the city.This house still showcases its original medieval features that will take you back in time, like its beam and board ceilings. Those of you who are castle lovers can take in Aberdeenshire’s Castle Trail. This is a selection of thirteen of the world’s most unique castles. Aberdeen is full of life and home to the country’s largest national park, Cairngorms National Park. With the seclusion of ancient pinewoods, wildlife hot spots, and the untamed tundra covering the high mountain tops and rolling hillsides, visitors can take in some of the most extravagant landscapes in all of Britain. Alongside its beautiful parks, the Gampian region presents an extraordinary backdrop of misty moors, green forests, and jagged sea cliffs. For those who have an appetite for thrill and adventure, there are a variety of exciting sports to

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

PASSPORT

ease the craving. Take part in canoeing, hang-gliding, off-road racing, rafting, tank driving, and even blindfold driving! These are just a few of the activities that can be sampled during your stay. Scotland also features five ski areas. So, whether you’re a snowboarder, skier, or a cross-country aficionado, you’ll be wellcatered to and all of your winter sport requirements will be met. As the top ski center, Glenshee, has a wide range of runs and high-spec equipment ready to charter. For visitors looking to experience the most notable buildings and an impressive entrance way into the city, Union Street is your best bet. In order to come in contact with Aberdeen’s modern side, look no further than the West End boutiques. With their award-winning extensive shopping malls and restaurants offering Aberdeen Angus Beef, Cullen

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Skink, shortbread, ice-cream and other mouth watering treats, there’s something here to satisfy any traveler’s yearning. Besides, part of the fun of traveling is sampling the local cuisine. Offering up a variety of accommodations options for everyone, the city flaunts a wide number of hotels and hostels. Youth hostels are available during summer vacation, which are ideal for those on a budget. If you are looking for budget accommodation then Bed and Breakfast’s and guesthouses are lined up along Bon Accord Street and Crown Street.

This place isn’t called “Scotland’s Larder” for nothing! As the top the

Scotland’s most vibrant, dynamic region and powerhouse of the northeast, Aberdeen is the ranked area for quality of life. In many ways it’s quintessential Scottish town and although oil

money has made this city as expensive as London, fortunately there are still a few places available for those whose pockets aren’t as deep as they would like them to be. While those adrenaline packed activities and boozing it up on late-night bar crawls may find their ways of wearing you down, the dramatically imposing coastlines and impressions of the architectural style of the Victorian era may just be what leaves you breathless. With six major roads in and out of this city, you can exit and take in the coast, where the vast, empty beaches offer up picturesque scenery just waiting to be discovered. You should be far from home. First impressions made here are often determined by the weather but nonetheless, whatever the impression, it is a place that elicits a strong response.Why not see it for yourself? Allow your senses to be steered in the direction of the contrast in colors emitting from the sky.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

Full FULL Contact CONTACT

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

A new kind of stage When Motocross and Theaatrics Collide words by: Melissa Fowler photos by: Feld Motor Sports and Sean Myers

During the days when names like McGrath and Carmichael ran circles around the track and ruled the podium, if anyone would have suggested that the sport motocross would progress enough to become a choreographed production, a Vegas stage show of sorts, laughter might have ensued. Part of the sport’s appeal is rooted in its unpredictability, which segues into a heightened sense of danger. Anything can happen, and the snap of the accelerator and blare of the exhaust increase your expectation that anything better happen. Yet as the sport has

continued to push the envelope, pure adrenaline is becoming much more channeled. Precision is vital as riders continue in a proverbial game of “Can You Top This” – and it could be argued that a pack of guys on dirt bikes all at the same time on a narrow dirt track is the perfect metaphor for a choreographed dance. It’s organized chaos. Bring in the Nuclear Cowboyz- an innovative, first of its kind show that merges the elements of a freestyle demo with the theatrical entertainment of a show

seen in Vegas. Throw in some people on stilts, and a team of sexy dancers, detailed set designs, and the innovative tour has come to life. This show is pioneering a new frontier in the freestyle motocross world by combining the high energy levels of a motorcycle show, with over the top theatrics of a fullscale stage production. Each night the riders go out, attempting to smash records, all while performing in this high energy theatrical show. This 15-date tour has already rolled through half of America, and the fan base is growing with each stop. SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

FULL CONTACT

The show features a group of dancers known as the Nuclear Cowgirlz, who perform choreographed routines to popular rock hits thumping through the arena. The show also features the Nuclear Underground- Anna Sullivan or Anna the Annadroid, Kristina Isabelle, Stephen Mercsak aka Pyro and the well-known Grinder Girl, who dresses in a metallic outfit and uses an angle grinder to spray sparks into the air.The circus-esque show also features people on stilts, fire breathers, a veritable celebration Mad Max would be proud of. More than the visual spectacle,

the fire, the booms, the pows, what makes the show so intriguing is the notion that scripting a show in which the main characters remain on horsepower heavy two-wheelers is so un-thought of, it merits your attention. The concept of the scripted show is timeless good versus evil. The Soldiers of Havoc, consisting of riders Adam Jones, Beau Bamburg, Brian Foster, Derek Guetter, Dustin Miller, Geoff Aaron, Jimmie McGuire, Matt Buyten, Mike Mason and Nate Adams, make up one of the tribes battling for supremacy in a tattered, run down world. Their opposition is the Metal Mulisha, made up of Derek Garland, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Jim McNell, Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Faisst, Takayuki “Take” Higashino, Todd Potter and Wes Agee. Mayhem ensues as the two tribes vie against one another for the right to dominate the land after chaos separates all those involved.The two tribes battle each other in high aerial combat with their bikes, outdoing each other. Imagine the plotline of West Side Story with less dancing and more dirt. “The setting is kind of a deconstructed type world with tattered buildings…almost as if something had happened and we are in the future and it’s kind of after the fact,” said Barry Lather, Nuclear Cowboys choreographer and director. “There is a storyline as far as them having a face-off and things didn’t get resolved,” said Lather. “Later on they have another fight or battle type thing and there’s a truce decided

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

upon. So there is a message without it being overdone and too cheesy.” This is the first time Lather has ever worked with freestyle motocross riders. Previously, Lather choreographed Rhianna’s Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, and ABC’s Dancing With The Stars. “It was a really different experience for me [working with the riders], I’m usaed to working with pop and R&B artists.” Lather said part of the process was learning the motocross lingo and how the riders prepare prior to every rehearsal of the show. The element of danger is always prevalent. “It feels like a rock show with a bunch of motorcycles in the middle. It doesn’t really slowdown where you have a chance to really start getting bored. When you get 16 riders together and they are back in the tunnel and their all geared up ready to go, it’s so loud,” said Lather. Lather explained there were just nine days of rehearsal before the show was ready to go on the road. Getting the dancers choreography with the timing of the riders was important. “This is a dangerous show,” said Lather. Lather said that all of the riders’ patterns are choreographed and timed out to avoid any accidents that could really hurt one of the other performers, such as the dancers. Brian Foster rides for the Soldiers of Havoc in the show and explained his appreciation for the unconventional show. “You still have to do what

ACTION SPORTS ROUNDUP

by Lacy Ottenson

you have to do, but your having fun at the same time. Contests are really serious and everyone doesn’t mess around, and then there’s demos where you go and do all your stuff in front of fans. This thing is kind of like a combination of both. It’s super fun but at the same time it’s a little more serious than a demo.” With 16 riders going out of the pit at one time, this is different than anything most of the riders have ever done before. Each rider has to make sure they are right on cue. As a member of the Metal Mulisha, Ronnie Faisst thrives on excitement.Although not typical, Faisst says the format is right up his alley. “We’ve gotten standing ovations, I mean the crowd loves it.” In fact, Faisst explained that the tour has been getting such positive feedback from the fans, that it looks like the tour will return. “I wanna ride it every year they do it,” said Faisst. This show is put on by Feld Entertainment, which is known for putting on theatrical shows in the motorsports world, as well as others. The types of shows that Feld Entertainment put on explain where the elements of this show came from. They are most widely known for putting on Ringling Bros Barnum and Baileys Circus. Feld Motorsports is a division of Feld Entertainment and puts on the Monster AMA Supercross, so it’s no surprise that this show would be an over the top spectacular as well. They combine the adrenaline of the motor world with the entertainment of an arena show.They also put on the Monster Truck Monster Jam, and Rockstar U.S Open. While the show is in the final stages this time around, it looks as if things will only expand from here. With 6,346 fans on their Facebook page, and more stops on the tour to come, the show can only progress from here and is doing so with an old school word of mouth approach. The tour will bring the spectacle to the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA at the end of March and Ontario, CA at Citizen Business Bank Arena in the beginning of April. Motocross has always been a spectacle, now it’s time to up the ante.

www.nuclearcowboyz.com

Punch, PUnch, Kick, Start, A, B. UFC 2009 Undisputed, the debut MMA video game from the UFC, “hit” (pun totally intended) two coveted sales milestones among both Playstation and Xbox 360 systems, achieving “Platinum Hits” and “Greatest Hits” status respectively. This generation’s answer to Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out! (for all you 80‘s kids out there you know what I‘m talking about), Undisputed surpassed 3.5 million units shipped worldwide since its debut May 19, 2009.

Riding Reality A new sort of reality TV is getting underway with FUEL TV’s latest documentary series “The Moto: Inside the Outdoors” which is being produced/directed by famed MX filmmaker Troy Adamitis. The 6-part series airing Feb 17 8:00 ET/PT, follows the lives of 6 racers (including Josh Grant, Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, and Chad Reed among others) as they converge for the 12 race AMA Outdoor Series. The show boasts never before seen insight into the lives and ego’s behind the scenes of some of motocross’s rising stars. Featuring bitter rivalries, warring egos, unbridled determination, this show has all the makings of a great series.

Second Hand Surf Maverick’s Big Wave surfing contest is usually just dangerous for the surfers surfing in it but this year some very unlucky spectators got a violent firsthand experience into Mav’s intensity when a series of rogue waves slammed too close to shore, dragging over a dozen spectators into the frigid water. Waves were estimated at over 30 ft Saturday, but officials confirm that no deaths occurred however injuries sustained included a lot of “broken hands and broken legs”. On a side note, South African Chris Bertish took home the win and the $150K check.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

Bass & Treble

Bring THat beat back Lil Jon Drops The Needle On The Record words by: M.M. Zonoozy Photo by: Tyler Clinton

Lil Jon is a legitimate, beat-breaking, technoplaying DJ. I’m serious. I say that knowing that your average pill-popping electro raver would never think to jump at the opportunity to see Lil Jon spin. Even with his tremendous influence in the hip-hop industry, and the lucrative branding of his celebrity persona, hearing “yeh-ah!” over your favorite Simian Mobile Disco isn’t exactly “in.” As a hip-hop producer, Jon is responsible for countless hits, including the “Best Song of the Decade” in Usher’s “Yeah!” But lets be honest, no one is lining up to hear “Get Low” at Electric Daisy Carnival. “They have a perception of me as this rap guy, and they don’t really, you know, get that I play everything,” explains Jon. “I’m on records with DJ Chuckie and Guetta. You know what I mean? I can play house, dog.” Matter of fact, the dreadlocked hype man can do more than just “play house.” Jon recently hosted the booth in both St. Tropez and Dubai, and apparently killed it. I’m talking “totally destroyed the club” killed it. But c’mon, who would’ve thunk it? I mean, shouldn’t this dude be

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

slanging CRUNK!!! Juice or jumping on Ursher’s new record? What’s he doing outside the rap game? Why isn’t he tanning in the afterglow of achieving his lifelong aspiration to be a rap guy? Isn’t that what he always wanted, to be a hip-hopper? Well, not exactly. In actuality, there’s much more than an icy grill behind those blacked out Oakley’s. Although Lil Jon’s celebrity exploded on the scene in the early aughts with h i s

crunk movement, there’s a musical history that spans the past 20 years. That history – Lil Jon’s history – is all about the ones and twos.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

BASS & Treble

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Born into soulful 1970’s Atlanta, everyone was still retro hustling with Saturday night fever for Jon’s single digit years. Then, around the time Jon was in middle school, the musical landscape had changed in favor of the burgeoning ‘80’s rap scene. At that point, all any real artist needed was two turntables and a microphone. “It was one or the other, you know what I’m saying? Breaker, DJ, or MC,” recalls Jon. “I only had one break-dance move, so I tried to DJ.” With a couple bootleg tables and a Realistic mixer, Jon gave it a shot. But victim to the attention span of a teenager, Jon dropped the hobby after a couple weeks. Instead, Jon grew older, the turntables found the attic, and a skateboard took its place. Yes, that’s right. DJ Lil Jon is also a skateboarder. In fact, Jon gives substantial credit to skateboarding for his musical prowess. “Being a kid from southwest Atlanta, living in a poorly black neighborhood, you just don’t hear The Cure and shit,” explains Jon. “I would never have been exposed to that if it wasn’t for skateboarding. So, I attribute skateboarding to helping me to have a diverse musical ear.” Jon kept with his skater clique for some time. It wasn’t actually until after high school graduation that the idea of disc jockeying crossed his mind again. One of his good friends had offered to DJ a party at Jon’s house, and Lil Jon couldn’t help but take notice. “I was just amazed at how he could control the crowd with records. He could make them go crazy and lose their mind – with music,” Jon recalls. “That made me want to learn how to DJ.” So, that’s what Jon did. Soon after the party, Jon spruced up his disc jockey setup and started building his catalogue. Practically living in record stores, sifting through crates, Jon found an obsession. In no time, the young turntableist made his name in the house-party circuit. “That’s how I really perfected my craft,” explains Jon. “To me, that’s the real pay the dues stage is doing house parties, because you right there with the people. So, I did a lot of house parties, and I got pretty hot.” Soon enough, Jon got the call to move up from the developmental league and landed a residency at Atlanta’s New York Sound Factory, an underground, liquor-free dance club. Favoring house and reggae

music, the club’s management put Jon’s dreads to the test. “They had a crate of records that was the hottest dance hall,” Jon remembers. “So they was like, ‘Here the records, learn how to rock this shit.’” And he did. Throughout the years, Jon continued to take on any DJ opportunity afforded to him. When he wasn’t in the club, you could get your Lil Jon fix on one of his many local radio shows. From his “World Party” eclectic music show to his “Reggae Jamming” dancehall show on Fridays or his newwave mix on Sundays, Jon was exploring the entire musical landscape. “That’s how I kind of really exploded, because I was the only one at that time that played everything,” recalled Jon. “You didn’t have to go get four different DJs. You could just get me, and I’d play all that shit and just destroy. It was the time of Keith Harring t-shirts, when hip-hop was really getting rolling, and Lil Jon was at the heart of it all. As the house DJ, Jon built the legendary reputation of Atlanta’s The Phoenix.While there were other clubs in the ATL, most stuck to their bass-heavy Southern vibe. The Phoenix, on the other hand, was busy pulling in hip-hop’s biggest names. Headliners included Biggie, Craig Mack, Busta Rhymes’ Leaders of the New School, and Mary J. Blige. With Jon’s help, The Phoenix quickly became the focal point for what was becoming an extremely vibrant scene in Atlanta. “Everybody came, from magic city strippers, drug dealers to, you know, Jermaine [Dupri] and TLC. This is before they all went super, super big too,” Jon recollects. “It’s the center point of Atlanta.” As fate would have it, The Phoenix was where Jermaine Dupri first approached Lil Jon to work on his new, unknown label: So So Def. Lil Jon accepted the offer and stepped away from the turntables in favor of studio production for over what would be nearly two decades. “Definitely had some great success with my producing,” comments Jon. “To be in category with Dr. Luke, and Polo, and Timbaland, and The Neptunes, and all these great incredible producers…is amazing.” Given his current status, “some great success” may be an understatement. His voice and signature look is recognized everywhere, let alone his catchphrases. That, no doubt, is what earned him a personal invitation from recent Super Bowl champion Reggie

Bush to an after-party on the night of the first postKatrina game in the Super Dome. There, Jon first heard DJ Spider. “I didn’t know Spider,” Jon recalls. “But I was in the club like, ‘Whoever this dude is, this mother fucker is just killing this!’” Jon left the party thinking little of the event. That is, until an unplanned rendezvous with DJ Spider at the airport.The two quickly built a strong friendship when Spider lent Jon some wax and motivated him to rediscover his turntable roots. The two even started playing shows together. As Jon says: “I got to give Spider the love for just being a dopeass DJ and inspiring me to get back on the turntables because DJ-ing was my life.” That brings us to today. His Lil Jon DJ Army Facebook group boasts over 2,000 followers eagerly awaiting his weekly exclusives. His tour schedule spans extensive international destinations. Lil Jon is now a DJ (again). But, as Lil Jon sees it, he never lost the DJ in him. “Even with music, when I make records, I make records for DJs. That’s why all my records are club records, and got dope breaks, breakdowns, and build up,” explains Jon. “Because, you know, I’m a DJ.” For that reason, the DJ world has built a surprisingly strong fan base for Lil Jon. Records that never made it passed the A&R have found a way to survive through that affiliation. Before “Out of Your Mind” was any sort of hit, DJ’s were rocking it 2-3 times a night. Even the Brazil-only release “Mashuqa” featuring DJ Casiano found it’s way back to the U.S. via turntables. Even as much as seeing Lil Jon DJ may seem like a publicity stunt, it’s not. LJ was spinning records before Deadmau5 even knew what they were. “DJ-ing is serious to me. Some people think when I come in the club, that I’m just going to be one of those fake celebrity DJs,” Jon observes. “Nah. I’m really DJing, I’m mixing.” A jack of many traits, what will Jon ultimately be remembered for? If not his producing, then what about his DJ-ing? Could it be his signature look, or his crunk voice? Jon doesn’t imagine it being anything that specific: “I think I will be remembered as the guy that makes everybody party and have a good time. And forget about all of the bullshit.”

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

BASS & Treble

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

The ailing state of art

AFI Frontman Davey Havok Discusses Every Canvas words by: Lacy Ottenson

“It’s never been about achieving commercial success. That’s never what we got into this for,” a very cool and articulate Davey Havok says while explaining the motivations behind AFI, “We got into this to create something we feel passionate about, to create something that we feel happy with, and we hope people will appreciate it, but only what we’re doing truthfully, only what comes from our hearts,” It doesn’t take an hour long phone call from Davey Havok to realize he’s much more than a captivating song writer with an amazing voice and breathtaking ability to completely enrapture you, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. With an amazing new record out (Crash Love), his very own successful, fashion-forward clothing line, a new signature vegan shoe (by Macbeth), and a natural affinity for all that is great, Davey Havok is a man of pure inspiration. He’s a man whose convictions run as deeply as his artistic talents and penchant for the polarizing. He’s a man of both immovable conviction and incorruptible beliefs; who unabashedly holds true to the virtues of his heart. Endowed with an ever-changing style and the most ambiguous of good looks-gorgeous high cheekbones, a chiseled jaw, slender nose, radiant pale skin, and eyes so deep and beautiful they devastate all who catch their gaze-he is by all appearances, one of the loveliest men around, if not unearthly. Though always outspoken, opinionated, outrageous, and passionate, Havok has never been one to willfully impart the mystery surrounding him. His intensive allure and ineffable appeal come in large part from his ability to sustain a certain mystique; one he maintains by remaining somewhat reticent in interviews and withdrawn from the public forum. It’s this sort of ethereal quality that makes Davey seem so supernatural. His concealment and ambiguity go a long way toward preserving his almost impenetrable enigmatic image, one that he insists wasn’t intentionally crafted, “It’s not a matter of imaging, despite what a lot of people would feel that it is. I’ve never presented myself in a way that I don’t feel comfortable with; I’ve never presented myself in a way to appeal to anybody. For the most part the way I’ve always looked to not appeal to most people. Really, my aesthetic was really more of a terrorism or violence than it was something to attract; more of a representation of my detachment than anything else-though it’s not always a very conscious thing.”

And just like it is with music and image, Davey’s philosophy on art is the same; it’s something he creates for his own pleasure and not for anyone’s approval or commercial benefit. For this artist, music isn’t his only medium; in 2008 Davey along with good friend Danny, launched a spectacular clothing line called Zu Boutique. The brand features high-quality graphic tees, all of which assert a particular message, and all are exclusively produced in limited runs of just 100 units each (each shirt comes emblazoned with a number between 00-99). The designs for all of Zu Boutique’s fashions come directly from Davey, who often draws inspiration for new designs from his own life, including his surroundings, explaining “It comes all sorts of places. It comes from film, it comes from music, it comes from you know, my philosophy in being straight edge and being vegan. Something as simple the weather, something as basic and as carnal as that can inspire me. It’s for a shirt that allows people to fly a flag in their beliefs, whether it’s a shirt that represents something graphically or very literally that they’re inspired by that moves them, that’s what goes into the shirt. I really do pull inspirations from many different places, most of which are art, but others are far more esoteric.” The newest addition to Zu Boutique’s line (besides the 3 new totally amazing ‘Icon Series’ shirts now available (while inventory lasts), are Davey’s awesome new vegan casual shoes made by Macbeth. The shoes, as part of a unique collaboration between Zu and Macbeth, are right in line with the Zu Boutique style and philosophy, and are available in limited quantities through select retailers. In all their loud and colorful fashion glory, the sneaks are even available in an all-over rhinestone option in addition to the two available colors of black and Zu Blue (the official Zu color), and Davey couldn’t be happier with the results saying “I wanted to make a casual vegan shoe that’s covered in rhinestones because it’s really difficult to find casual shoes that are vegan that are totally fabulous. I hope that people appreciate them because I would really like to collaborate with them in the future again.” Perhaps it’s because of Davey’s natural predisposition to making the truly wonderful and inspiring that makes the decline of true art in our own culture is so glaringly offensive to him, as he explains, “The artistic decline we are seeing culturally is very prominent, very clear right now if you just look at what people are accepting as art. It affects me per-

sonally because art culture is something so important to me; art affects me and it means so much to me whether it be music, literature, fashion, design, fine art, its all so important I think its really what, at least for me, its what life is about, it’s what’s important, it’s what’s moving, it’s what inspires you, it’s what life is about. So when we’re seeing such decline in that art culture right now it’s heartbreaking to me.” Though declining to point out specifics he offers, “I don’t want to point any specific fingers at any particular artists-well ‘artists’ quote unquote-or particular people or group, but really all you have to do is look and see ok look at who people are elevating and deifying in the public eye and ask yourself what those people have done to receive such lauding and what it is they haven’t. When you look at that you say ok are these people being revered for something of merit, or are they completely hallow? Or even worse, are they being revered for something that is actually destructive?” Despite his obvious disdain for the absurd and frivolous, Davey understands the importance of having both the trivial and significant forms of entertainment in our culture as a whole, just as long as you can tell the difference between the two, “Its not that everything needs to have substance but when nothing does then you know we’re living in a bankrupt society, an artistically bankrupt society and that’s not okay. I think there’s room for forms of entertainment that are very light, and frivolous, and fun, but when those forms of entertainment, forms of art if you will, become presented as something more than that, and are believed to be something more than that, then we’ve got a lot of problems. And I don’t need to point out what that is; I think if anyone just pays attention they’re going to see many, many examples of that in culture. I think that if people just started to be more aware of what is really going on around them, then it might inspire change.” Now that no one is putting much stock in any one person to bring about the change so many had hoped for, we can all at least take a lead from Davey Havok, who by following his own heart and remaining true to his own convictions, inspires others to do the same. And today isn’t that all we can really hope for?

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

BASS & Treble

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

FOR THE RECORD

by Felix Ulery, Gretchen Meier & Melissa Fouler

Slash Selling Out? Yournextrecord. com is home to a one of a kind contest with guitar virtuoso

RifOKI

Slash. Contestants will have a chance to

Return of the Hardcore

win a 3-song EP with Slash and

words by: Kristie Bertucci photo by: Rony Alwin

Interested bands can submit their

Before DJ/producer Steve Akoi was spinning records, he was once a punk kid. After years of doing the whole DJ thing, he’s now going back to his punk roots with his latest project, Rifoki. Comprised of Akoi and good friend Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo of The Bloody Beetroots, the duo got together to release some hardcore punk music that both use to rock out to in their younger days. Even before the songs were written and the tracks were made, both already knew the sound Rifoki would take on. Combining their last names to form Rifoki, the project was born in Italy when Akoi was doing some collabo efforts with The Bloody Beatroots. “I stayed an extra week, and in five days we wrote and recorded the entire thing,” he says. “I wrote all the lyrics and we recorded all the vocals in five days with a live band. It’s really true to that punk nature in that the whole process was really fast. I like how chaotic it was. Rifo and I clicked really well, too. He’s, like, the fastest producer I’ve ever worked with. He knows what he wants and he can quickly translate what’s in his head onto to the computer. The progressions he comes up with is, like, unpredictable for me; he’s a guru as far as being a musician and a songwriter.” Expect to also hear Rifo’s amazing talent on guitar, as well as a guest appearance from the Blood Beatroots’ drummer. Hardcore punk music was what started Akoi’s musical career and that whole “hardcore lifestyle” when he was just 13. “When you become a hardcore kid you kind of like drop everything else; it’s almost like a cult since it becomes your life,” he admits. “You go to shows, look like all the hardcore kids and you reject other things coming into your life.” It was a mixtape that his friend gave him that got him into the music. “I remember it having music from bands like Gorilla Biscuits,Youth of Today and Shelter on it. I’d then start writing down all the lyrics and went looking for all types of punk records.” It turns out that before Akoi became the successful DJ and producer that we now know him as, he was in a couple of punk bands as the lead singer. He was a member of This Machine Kills, Esperanza and The Fire Next Time. Akoi’s vocals can once again be heard on Rifoki. “I used to sing while in Machine Kills, but I’m not a great singer. I’ll be honest, I’m pretty horrible, but I can still do it. It just felt

longtime Guns N’ Roses Mike Clink. good to come back to my roots in a way where I can do vocals again.” Akoi also mentions that Rifo’s background also stems from the punk scene and that his contributions to Rifoki result in prolific music since he’s a musical virtuoso. The project is definitely directed toward people who know who both Akoi and Rifo, Akoi says. “We’re not trying to be a band, it’s a project. It’s not like we have hardcore kids as fans; our fans know us for our dance music, so if they get it, they get it,” he says. “It’s just like a side project, and it’s also blending the different influences of our music, which in general is pretty aggressive. Fans can now see where that all comes from.” The lead track, “Sperm Donor,” has already been released, and if you’ve heard it, then you know it’s some real hardcore stuff! The album will also be called Sperm Donor and is set to drop in spring off of Akoi’s Dim Mak Records. Rifoki will start play their music for the masses when they play their first show live at HARD L.A. at the Hollywood Palladium on April 24, 2010. “It’s our first live show ever,” Akoi says. “I’ve performed Rifoki songs in past DJ sets, but we’ve never done anything live. We have th fucken sickest drummer ever, the drummer from the Bloody Beatroots and then Bob on guitar. Expect your standard punk set with lots of short songs.” Rifoki will also celebrate the release of their record with a limited edition tee that stems back to Akoi’s past hardcore punk roots. “It a combination of commemorating the band and that hardcore punk DYI spirit. I remember in high school having tons of punk shirts and making them and selling them at shows. It definitely brings back the spirit of the music and puts it all together. We might do it for every release, who knows.”

tunes and Slash and Clink will hand pick the winner personally.

Vegas’s New Resident Circus The Light Group’s David Gutierrez, who helped develop Paul Oakenfod’s Perfecto at The Palms is now turning Jet Nightclub at The Mirage into a circus. With the help of new resident DJ, Felix Da Housecat, “The Cat’s Meow” is a full scale club production, an immersion experience, set to begin March 22, 2010.

Love Songs and Lawsuits Jill Scott is being sued by her longtime record label, Hidden Beach. The lawsuit states that Scott skipped on a six-album deal only after releasing three. Label founder Steve McKeever alleges he paid her million-dollar advances, allowed her to keep merchandising revenue, bought her lavish gifts and allowed her to slow her recording schedule to pursue an acting career.

Akoi and Rifo definitely plan to continue their side project in the future and have already began to write songs for the next record. “We plan to record something bigger next time. It’s a really cool project that we want to keep doing. It’s something very natural for us since it’s built on our roots.” If you love what you hear so far from Rifoki, then you’re going to have to wait until 2011 for some more hardcore sounds from two of the world’s kick ass producers!

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

BASS & Treble

FOR THE CONTINUED... RECORD Officially Giving Up On Music Not necessarily sure this is news, but the mere fact that he continues to climb the charts is a sign of the apocalypse. Who the fuck actually buys anything from Justin Bieber? How does a kid with no pubes have millions of fans

Fireball Ministry __________________________________________________________________________________________

the world over and is regarded as

If you’re new to the congregation, you need to know one thing - this isn’t about being on a major label and getting a hit anthem on the radio. They’ve been to that dance already. It’s about horns in the air and good old fashioned rock. For “Fireball Ministry,” the group abandoned the help of a label putting all aspects of writing and recording in house. “We decided to take matters into our own hands,” said frontman Reverend James A. Rota II, who has been keeping busy in the past year with his other project, The Company Band (Clutch, Fu Manchu, CKY). “With the new technology available to us, we’re able to get our music out in a much more hands-on kind of way.” As it turns out, having a major label fingering the music isn’t always a good thing. “The record glows with this freedom,” says Rota of the new tunes. The band includes guitarist Emily J. Burton, drummer John Oreshnick and bassist Johny Chow (also of Cavalera Conspiracy). Peppered with “fuck yeah” groove, the self-titled album is proof to rock fans that there still are bands out there that can produce and release music without corporate pressure.

lightning bolt already.

words by Patrick Douglas photo by Kat Von D

a sex symbol? God, prepare that

Forgot About Dre Last month Andre Young, better known as Dr. Dre, finally filed a lawsuit against his former record label Death Row Records. Citing breach of contract, false advertising, trademark infringment, among many other violations, the suit stems from Dre’s claim that he was never paid royalties from his 1992 classic, “The Chronic.” WIDEawake Death Row Records is the new era of the company since sold off by former founder Sugew Knight.

Hipsters Invade The Windy City The Pitchfork Music Festival will return to Chicago, IL. This summer much to the excitement of indie music snobs everywhere. July 16-18 will see headlining performances from LCD Soundsystem, Pavement, and Modest Mouse. According

You Say party, we say die __________________________________________________________________________________________ words by Alex Mendoza

Seven years ago Stephen ‘O Shea and Krista Loewen began a little project known as The Smoking Spokes. As it continued to evolve in their sound and add members to their roster they became You Say Party, We Say Die!, a swift and energetic group that became known for providing a sense of nostalgia of the ‘80s, while establishing a sense of the contemporary grunge, dance-rock and punk influences that are well-known today. The band continued its popular ascension by opening for acts such as The Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves, but never really flourished in the States due to an interesting situation – Stephen ‘O Shea is unable to perform in the States until 2011 due to a restriction on his visa.The band’s latest album, XXXX, represents a bold leap forward for Canadian Indie-Rock groups. Like fellow musical brethren Metric, Stars and The Arcade Fire, the album succeeds on multiple levels – musically and emotionally. The XXXX is a symbol for the word “love” and is featured prominently through various album tracks. It represents their own personal encounters as they sought to do something meaningful with their lives. Far from a gimmick, the music the band creates is striking as it is mesmerizing. It is a work you will find difficult to forget.

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

to Billboard.com, organizers of the 2009 festival said the festival was sold-out in advance all three days.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

FRESH PRODUCE

KEEPIN’ IT REEL words by Cookie Sanchez

Depp to Direct Johnny Depp has confirmed that he has begun work on a documentary following the career of Rolling Stones’ guitarist and rock music icon, Keith Richards. One of Depp’s most enduring characters, Capt. Jack Sparrow of “The Pirates of The Caribbean…” series is based on Richards’s style and swag. Coincidentally Richards will be releasing his autobiography later this year.

Weinstein’ To Release “Tillman.”

FLICKS

Alice in wonderland Release Date: March 5th Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

This isn’t a boring remake of the original animated film by Walt Disney, this is a horror-tinged sequel where Alice returns to Wonderland after a ten year absence to help the Mad Hatter (played by, as you probably know by now, Johnny Depp) overthrow the Red Queen, who is oppressing everyone with her fascist rule. Expect violence, eye-numbing special effects and a lot of chewed scenery. But the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton team up never disappoints, and the idea is original enough to give even the most jaded moviegoer the best possible psychedelic adventure for their dollar.

CLash of the titans Release Date: March 26th Studio: Warner Bros. The early 80’s Clash of the Titans was a stellar flick, , but let’s face it, the special effects have suffered over the decades. Well, let’s revamp the script to show a war between Zeus and Hades, throw Sam Worthington in the film, and unleash the baddest special effects CGI can give us. This film is going to be far more than a remake. Ralph Fiennes as the God of Hell can only sweeten the pot, but don’t expect deep drama or thought-provoking character studies to interrupt the action.

The runaways Release Date: March 19th Studio: Apparition A savage story of the rise and fall of the California rock band, made famous by the later career of Joan Jett. Rock and roll biographies are always cool, but from Velvet Goldmine to The Doors these sorts of films always follow the same story: First a band is a bunch of nobodies, then they get discovered, then they get famous, then they implode from internal and external pressures, plus a sizeable amount of drugs and booze.

GREEN ZONE Release Date: March 12th Studio: Universal Studios Matt Damon is a military warrant officer who is sent to Iraq to search for weapons of mass destruction for the CIA just before the surge. The film is a thriller, brought to us by the same team who brought the highly profitable Bourne series. But what is marvelous about this creation is not the bullets, fights and explosions, but one man’s search for truth in the daunting, labyrinthine halls of America bureaucracy. Power, policy, politics and the media collide in unforeseen ways. Green Zone certainly looks to have more brains than brawn.

greenberg Release Date: March 26th Studio: Focus Features As the economy attempts to rise anew, Hollywood is giving us films that discuss the issue, with characters that are believable because they could very well be ourselves. Ben Stiller loses his job and moves to L.A. to take care of the house of his successful, older brother. But this is a comedy, with Stiller attempting to reach old friends with mixed success, only to fall in love with his brother’s personal assistance, which means most of the enjoyment of the film will be derived from the awkward social situations the characters find themselves in. words by Jasen T. Davis

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Acquired in a deal during this year’s Sundance festival, The Weinstein Company purchased the rights to “The Tillman Story.” Scheduled to be released later this year, “Tillman” follows the life and death of NFL player Pat Tillman who sacrificed a lucrative career to serve in the US Armed Forces. Mark Monroe who also penned the critically praised documentary “The Cove” wrote the film.

Tom Cruise Doesn’t Shop at Kohl’s On the 20th anniversary of Cruise’s Nascar tribute, “Days of Thunder,” Paramount Studios has inked a licensing deal with Ripple Junction to release a line of t-shirts that feature Cruise in his racecar driver garb. The shirt sold exclusively at Kohl’s department stores will feature slogans from the film like, “You Can’t Outrun the Thunder.”

Board Game Blockbusters? Hasbro, the second biggest toy manufacturer in the US had big success with “Transformers” and “G.I Joe” at the box office. In a six-year deal with Universal, films based on “Monopoly,” directed by Ridley Scott, “Candy Land,” “Clue,” “Ouija,” and “Magic: The Gathering” will all see major release. The next film from Hasbro and Universal will be based on the action figure “Stretch Armstrong” which will star Taylor Lautner.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

TOUGH

FRESH PRODUCE

Love! No matter how tough you are, some of these love stories are just too good to deny.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ‘For better or for worse’ takes on a new meaning in this gem. After a bitter breakup would you erase your memory of someone you once loved?

DVDs

Closer

Capitalism: A Love Story

Far from the rosey take on romantic love, this film is an often time brutal examination of what it is to love someone and how temperamental love can be.

Available On: March 9th Studio: Paramount Vantage/Weinstein Co.

Pop-culture’s favorite piss-ant strikes again! How did we get into this MESS? Martha’s out of jail, you can’t find a job, the house that W built is in foreclosure. Moore puts on the gloves and shakes the tree...that never yields answers! But I don’t need answers. I’m standing on a soap box with an overweight American and we’re both pissed. Cash your unemployment checks before they bounce.

Cold Souls Release Date: March 2nd Studio: Samuel Goldwyn FIlms Will the real Paul Giamatti, please stand up? Ok, acting in Uncle Vanya could exhaust anyone, but would you have to eliminate 95% of your soul to make it through a rehearsal? Sophie Barthe says “YES!” In her scififairytale, Cold Souls, Mr. Giamatti extracts, loses, replaces, and recovers his essence and his belief that you gotta have soul, brother. It is decidedly deadpan, yet peppered with poignancy.

Brothers Release Date: March 23rd Studio: Relativity Media Vets don’t come home and return to the grind, they come back and kill whoever’s been grinding their wives; even their Brothers. This film may ring true to those that have known a vet. Yet, offers no solutions for those who ‘return from the dead’. Neither does it exonerate the people left behind who move on. Watch the trailer, then march left.

Lars and The Real Girl When a social recluse brings home a life-size sex doll to introduce as his girlfriend, things could get weird.

Once

We Live In Public Release Date: March 2nd Studio: Interpooler Films/Pawn Shop Creative Would you mind having a camera rolling non-stop in your bedroom… bathroom…toilet? Quiet: We Live in Public asks: What happens when 100 people stop being nice and start defecating live in an underground bunker built by a multi-millionaire? It is a patchwork of footage captured over a decade to explore the effects of living in a world where Big Brother is not merely an Orwellian concept.

The Men Who Stare at Goats Release Date: March 23rd Studio: BBC Films The Men Who Stare At Goats, introduces an all star cast of lunatics on the national payroll. It is a tongue-incheek “expose” of just what our government COULD BE/IS doing with our tax money! A labyrinth of exposition about the psychic spy, warrior monk, Jedi warriors of American history from the 80’s to George Jr. is followed by elitist laughter. True or not? IDK and IDC.

words by Alexis Amparan

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

In addition to fantastic music throughout the film, two wondering souls connect through a song and have the kind of love we wish existed.

Natural Born Killers Mickey and Mallory makes Sid and Nancy look like Lucy and Ricky in this epic tale of ride or die, unconditional love.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

FRESH PRODUCE FRESH PRODUCE

locals only

Destined For The Main Stage

Los Duggans

As much of cliché as it may seem, Los Duggans are likely the equivalent to audio moonshine. Combining traditional bluegrass instrumentation with rough around the edges rock n roll, when was the last time you heard a banjo and thought, “fuck this is tough.” Visit Los Duggans and finally be able to answer that question. Myspace.com/duggansband

ON BLAST

AUDIO

GORILLAZ Plastic Beach

Label: Parlophone/Virgin Available On: March 9th Continuing to prove to be a viable source of entertainment as more than just a gimmick band, Gorillaz’s follow up to 2005’s Demon Days. Musically, the track Stylo is a deep throwback to 80’s hip-hop / freestyle and is a sure indication that this “virtual band” is continuing to move forward, creatively. Headlining Sunday night at Coachella this year, Gorillaz will be a must-see on many lists.

Surrounded by beach rock, redundant low-fi garage rock, and enough devil horned manufactured angst, On Blast has embraced the a devilishly dark take on electronic dance rock. In the vain of Siouxsie, Joy Division, and New Order, On Blast is on pace to become a fine addition to the resurgence in gloomy dancefloor winners. Myspace.com/onblast

The Dillinger Escape Plan

Goldfrapp

Option Paralysis

Mute

NAS & DAMIEN MARLEY

Head First

Distant Relatives

Season of Mist/ Party Smasher

“Rocket”, the lead single from the latest effort from London’s Goldfrapp is a direct page from the Book of Disco. With artwork that looks like a scene from Flash Gordon to the thumping beat backed by spaced-out synth-work, Head First could end up ushering in a return to the age of the Dancing Queen.

Distant Relatives promises to be not only a benefit for Africa, but an epic collaborative effort featuring artists K’naan, Joss Stone, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg and Erykah Badu. The recording process for Distant Relatives stretches back to 2008. The duo teamed up to release an EP, but a full album to resulted.

Drops: March 23rd

Drops: March 16th words by Felix Ulery

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Zen Robbi

Permalight

Brushfire

Island Def Jam/Tuff Gong

The current line-up of The Dillinger Escape Plan has not only created a musical album full of the math-rock precision they are known for, their unique approach at branding the album is just as precise. With package options fit for collectors, Operation Paralysis boast presentation on record and on shelves that few can dismiss.

•

ROGUE WAVE

Oakland’s indie rockers Rogue Wave hit the streets this month with their second release on Brushfire Records, Permalight. Despite the band’s expected change in direction, “Good Morning (The Future)” still echos an experimental/weird pop fusion hinting the band was from across the pond, not across the bay.

Drops: March 2nd

Boasting Southern California swag, Zen Robbi is a channeled collection of funk low end, with rock energy that has proven successful in an area known for being jaded. The trio recently released Heavy Lies The Crown. Another installment of bouncy rock, Zen Robbi figured out that music, should always be a party. Myspace.com/zenrobbi

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

FRESH PRODUCE FRESH PRODUCE

BITS & BYTES A New Assassin’s Creed In The Works As if the 8 million shipped titles weren’t any clear indication, Ubi Soft clearly has a franchise winner on its hands. Looking to capitalize on the success of the series’ latest title, Assassin’s Creed 2, Ubi Soft has announced the next chapter will take placed in Rome. That would indicate HQ for the villains of the series – the Templar’s Order. A new multiplayer mode is planned as well, but no release date has been set in motion.

GAMES

God of War III

Wii Want Our Money

GENRE: ADVENTURE PUBLISHER: SCEA DROPS: IN Stores Now

Kratos’ epic quest finally comes to a close in a finish worthy of playing time and time again. Each title had progressively pushed the boundaries of the PS2’s hardware, but Kratos’ quest to take down Zeus and destroy Mt. Olympus is nothing short of aweinspiring. The PS3’s capabilities are effectively utilized with sharp and lush visuals, coupled alongside monumental gameplay. The chaos is rampant with the addition of new weapons, the Titans and other mythical creatures, but the experience is unrivaled.

Final Fantasy XIII

Heavy Rain

genre: ROLE-PLAYING PUBLISHER: Square enix Drops: In Stores

genre: ADVENTURE PUBLISHER: SCEA/Quantic dream Drops: in stores

The Final Fantasy franchise is known for bringing something new to the table. Its latest iteration is no different, yet again proving how Square Enix has raised the bar for storytelling and gameplay. This is the most dynamic entry to date, as players follow a mysterious girl named Lightning and her companions. Their goal is to restore balance to two worlds – Cocoon and Pulse - where prejudice between the fal’Cieand I’Cie is guiding tensions to a dangerous head.

Heavy Rain is unlike any adventure title out there. Similar to the spirit of “choose your adventure” stories of much younger days, this game effectively captures the essence of open-ended gameplay. Yet, it never provides a sense of too vast, or intimidating for that matter. Someone by the alias of the Origami Killer provides the backbone for an engrossing tale in the same vein of a David Fincher flick – drenched in atmosphere and bustling with tension. Heed caution: this game is a certified “trip”.

The GAMES YOU LOVE TO HATE

Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

Where to begin? Where to begin? Buggy gameplay and control? Uh, Check. Lame and exhausting controls.? Yep, it’s got that, too. And I’m sure it has lackluster AI, a slow-paced plot line and uninteresting gameplay sequences and a frequent habit to take steps away from the source material it’s based upon, right? Yeah, figured as much. Nothing like wasted potential.

words by Alex Mendoza

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

That’s exactly what an Australian Nintendo software pirate is hearing after being ordered by a Federal Court that he has to pay a sum of $1.5 million for illegally uploading copies of New Super Mario Bros. Wii on the Internet. It’s a hefty sum, but Nintendo hopes the outcome of this case will send a strong message to those who are engaged in pirating software.

2009 BAFTA Game of the Year Nominees The nomination’s list for the 2009 BAFTA Game of the Year is up and even though we’re not British citizens, they will be choosing from ten different titles from various genres. Among them are Assassin’s Creed 2, Uncharted 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. COD: MW2 may appear to be the front runner due to its multiplayer appeal, but on March 19th the winner will be announced.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

MArch 2010 Skinnie girl

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

Skinnie girl

Sky

Is The

Limit

SKAM Artist and former couture model Sky Nellor combines beauty, grace, and a hell of an ear behind the turntables.

What was the most surreal event you have been asked to spin? This job itself is surreal. I mean I get paid to make people dance! I LOVE IT!!!

Give me the one record you know will always start the party. Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til’ You Get Enough” is always a safe bet.

Does being a celebrity get rough with the tabloids and gossip? I don’t really consider myself a celebrity. I am fortunate enough that not too much rubbish has been printed about me. I feel very badly for those that are trashed daily.

Any similarities between modeling and working the turntables? Music’s normally blasting on a modeling gig, just maybe not what you want to hear. And its still hard to commit to catching up with friends and family, being on the road so much and never knowing when you are truly going to get any downtime.

Did you really start as a DJ on a dare? Totally. I am still very thankful to those that challenged me. I would never have thought a single dare would have taken me on this wild ride.

•

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

NITTY GRITTY

WRD on the street America’s Best Dance Crew, Quest Crew, Knows How To Stay Fresh Fashion Director: Michelle Ngo Fashion Assistant: Rosanna Eusebio Photographer: Erich Chen, www.erichchen.com Photography Assistant: Allen Han and Rosalva Almazan Talents: Quest Crew, www.questcrew.com Location: The Sofa Co., www.thesofaco.com Stylist: Lyndzi Trang, www.lyndzitrang.com Makeup/Hair: Leisha McCord, www.leishamccord.com

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

See Headstand/Brick wall shot, on page 53 for Clothing list.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM â&#x20AC;˘

Nitty gritty

On Ryan: T-Shirt by T.I.T.S., Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Osiris, Belt by Civil Society, Watch by Deuce, Bracelets by King Baby

â&#x20AC;˘ SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

On Dominic: Black Cardigan by Civil Society, T-Shirt by Ubiquity, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Belt by Civil Society, Watch by Deuce

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

â&#x20AC;˘

Nitty gritty

On Victor: Plaid Shirt by Civil Society, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Watch by Deuce, Shoes by Zoo York, Bracelet by King Baby, Ring by King Baby

â&#x20AC;˘ SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

On Steve: Collar Shirt by Civil Society, Vest by Civil Society, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Zoo York, Watch by Deuce, Bracelet by King Baby On Hok: Vest by Akademiks, T-Shirt by Acknowledge, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Sunglasses by Quay, Watch by Deuce On Aris: Gray Hoodie by Akademiks, T-Shirt by T.I.T.S., Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Ring by King Baby On Ryan: Leather Jacket by King Baby, T-Shirt by Akademiks, Jeans by Akademiks, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Bracelets by King Baby, Watch by Deuce On Victor: Jacket by Akademiks, T-Shirt by T.I.T.S., Jeans by Civil Society, Necklace, Stylists own, Sunglasses by Quay, Shoes by Zoo York On Dominik: Purple Sweater by Akademiks, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Mark Ecko On Feng: Jacket by Tank Theory, T-Shirt by Exact Science, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Osiris, Watch by Deuce, Ring by King Baby, Backpacks by Jansport

On Hok: Sweater by Civil Society,T-Shirt by Ubiquity, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Belt by Civil Society, Ring by King Baby, Necklace is Artists’ own On Steve: Jacket by Civil Society, T-Shirt by Tank Theory, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Watch by Deuce, Bracelets by King Baby On Victor: Button-down Shirt by English Laundry, Jeans by Civil Society, T-Shirt by Ubiquity, Shoes by Jump, Belt by Civil Society, Watch by Deuce, Bracelets by King Baby, Ring by King Baby, Sunglasses by Quay On Aris:T-Shirt by Exact Science, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, On Ryan: Black Jacket by Tank Theory, Shirt by LIRA, Jeans by Akademiks, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Glasses by Quay, Watch by Deuce, Bracelets by King Baby, Belt by Civil Society On Dominik: Button-down by Tank Theory, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Belt by Civil Society, Watch by Deuce

Nitty gritty

On Steve: Black Hoodie by King Baby, T-shirt by Jeepney, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Watch by Deuce, Bracelet by King Baby

â&#x20AC;˘ SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

Nitty gritty

On Hok: Strip Cardigan by Akademiks, Jeans by Civil Societ, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Watch by Deuce, Necklace is Hok’s own

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

On Steve: Black Hoodie by King Baby, T-shirt by Jeepney, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Watch by Deuce, Bracelet by King Baby On Feng: T Shirt by Scott Free, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Watch by Deuce, Necklace by On Victor: Plaid Shirt by Civil Society, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Watch by Deuce, Shoes by Zoo York, Bracelet by King Baby, Ring by King Baby On Aris: T-Shirt by Exact Science, Jacket by Akademiks, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump On Hok: Strip Cardigan by Akademiks, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Watch by Deuce, Necklace is Hok’s own On Dominic: Black Cardigan by Civil Society, T-Shirt by Ubiquity, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Belt by Civil Society, Watch by Deuce On Ryan: T-Shirt by T.I.T.S., Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Osiris, Belt by Civil Society, Watch by Deuce, Bracelets by King Baby

On Steve: Collar Shirt by Civil Society, Vest by Civil Society, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Zoo York, Watch by Deuce, Bracelet by King Baby On Aris: Gray Hoodie by Akademiks, T-Shirt by T.I.T.S., Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Ring by King Baby On Victor: Jacket by Akademiks, T-Shirt by T.I.T.S., Jeans by Civil Society, Necklace, Stylists own, Sunglasses by Quay, Shoes by Zoo York On Hok: Vest by Akademiks, T-Shirt by Acknowledge, Jeans by Civil Society, Belt by Civil Society, Shoes by Jump, Sunglasses by Quay,Watch by Deuce, Backpack by Jansport On Dominik: Purple Sweater by Akademiks, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Backpack by Jansport On Ryan: Leather Jacket by King Baby,T-Shirt by Akademiks, Jeans by Akademiks, Shoes by Mark Ecko, Bracelets by King Baby, Watch by Deuce On Feng: Jacket by Tank Theory, T-Shirt by Exact Science, Jeans by Civil Society, Shoes by Osiris, Watch by Deuce, Ring by King Baby

Nitty gritty

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

The “Internet freedom act” of 2009 Not Reading Between The Lines Can Be Costly words by: Jasen T. Davis

Imagine that a year from now, you are on your computer and decide to surf the Internet.You hit up a few of your favorite web pages, and decide to check out some new sites. But after a few tries, you just can’t get to them. They won’t load up on your computer. You check out another site, and are told that your internet service provider doesn’t allow these sights. What? Annoyed, you call up your provider. “Hey, what’s wrong with my internet connection?” You ask. “Your current package only allows for fifteen websites. If you want to add ten more, it will cost you an additional $39.95 a month to expand your service.” Infuriated, you decide to check out other providers. But your computer just can’t load up their pages. It’s impossible to get there because your Internet service provider won’t allow you. Right now you probably have unlimited cable or DSL. However, you probably just have basic cable service for your television. If the Internet Freedom Act, sponsored by Senator John McCain of Arizona, becomes a law you can expect to have to pay more to get less for your Internet. The Federal Communications Commission recently enacted legislation that would guarantee net neutrality, on the basis that it is a fundamental right and levels the playing field for both large and small companies. Basically, in so much redundant political/ legal language, Web users would have access to as many sites as they want, requiring providers to enact only a few regulations to guarantee service and maintain fair download speeds. These regulations have actually been in effect since 2005. The FCC only formally announced what had been going on, and while it’s a little wacky for a government organization to create a law that guarantees it can’t do what it hasn’t been doing, that’s bureaucracy for you. What’s advantageous about the FCC regulation is that it also prevents businesses from screwing the customer out of Internet access. However, Senator John McCain’s bill, entitled “The Internet Freedom Act of 2009,” is a serious threat to the net neutrality we’ve all come to live with and love. Proponents of the bill claim that it’s a good thing in that it prevents any government regulation of the Internet, to preserve the freedom of U.S. citizens to access the web and prevent the government from doing what it could do but wasn’t.

The bill, however, has some mighty fine print. With no government intervention, companies like Verizon, AT&T, AOL and Earthlink could charge you anything they want for any type of Internet access, or deny you access altogether. The Internet would no longer by yours to navigate freely…your own ISP would grant you limited service and charge you as much as they want. Why would John McCain introduce such a bill? He’s a freedom-loving, small business owner-promoting conservative, right? Well, this might just shock your socks off but when large businesses give politicians a lot of money, those politicians tend to return the favor on a political level. According to a recent report by the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics, McCain is getting paid, bitch! The biggest ISP’s including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon have given him nearly $894,379 in campaign contributions. No wonder he champions their cause…how much could you possibly give John McCain? $300? With that much money lining his pocket, it’s no wonder he’s going to jump as high as they want. If the FCC rules were reversed, nothing would stand between you and your ISP. It’s already happened with your phone service and cable bill. Both your telephone plan and cable television work off a similar concept…the more you pay, the more you get. Typical cable packages, or “bundles,” start at around $50 and go up depending on what you want. By the time you get 4 or 5 HBO’s and MTV or MTV2 you could be paying $100 or more. A similar logic could be applied to your Internet. Common Internet sites like Google.com or Yahoo. com would be part of your basic package, while Hulu.com or Aintitcoolnews.com would cost more. The weirder websites like Chud.com or MyShape. com could cost even more…or might not even be available at all. The real fun starts when you realize that as it stands, your ISP has to give even priority to every site you visit. What happens when your bandwidth slows or even gets frozen up when you decide to check out the prices on Comcast when you are using Verizon, or if Fox.com or CNN.com gets into a spat with your provider? If that was happening, do you think your ISP would even warn you? That’s the scary part.With the current FCC regulations blown to Hades the Internet as you know it would get smaller and smaller, and you’d never realize it.

Things get even more gruesome when you consider the games that could be played to keep things the way they are, if the McCain’s act gets passed. If a grass roots movement starts up to accept donations and campaign to restore Internet neutrality, do you think the big boys would let you get to those websites? We have to accept the fact that as it stands, people are getting all of their information, paying the bills, looking up movie show times, shopping, checking their email, going to college and researching for school and work because of the cheap access to the Internet. Radio, television and print ain’t dead, but it ain’t the party it used to be. Of course, my old favorite, the free market economy, could come to the rescue. All it takes is for a company called Super Freedom Internet to rise up and charge $40 for absolutely unaffected access, no problems whatsoever, to any site you want.The larger companies would have to follow suit, right? But if that’s the case a company offering total cable access for $35 a month, or a phone company offering unlimited calls around the world for $40, would have happened by now and guess what, it hasn’t happened. So why break what doesn’t need fixing? Especially in a recession where your average person has to apply for jobs over the Internet, and they are already staying inside during the weekend to pay what they pay for their Internet connection, they probably couldn’t afford the price hike. From a conservative stand point, McCain’s act is a threat to small businesses. Especially businesses which have grown up and thrived because of Internet commerce, like Google.com, Amazon.com and even eBay.com, where anyone with a computer, a connection and a box with stamps can be a seller. We live in a world where politics and corporate interests are steadily silencing the voices of average Americans in that the requirement for freedom of speech is a fat wad of cash. While money is always going to be a necessary evil in the world of U.S. politics, the Internet Freedom Act of 2009 is a perfect example of what happens when corporate money interfaces with political greed, and everyone else suffers. What can you do? Get the word out. Start up a blog and talk about the issue. Pass out fliers. Get outside and set up rallies. Put the word out. Write to your Congressman. Write to the President. Let them all know that you are paying attention. Most of all, vote.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Photo courtesy of The ID Agency

SKINNIE Scene

FSAS MAGIC PARTY @ the palms, las vegas - Skinhead rob and paul wall enjoying the festivities

INDEX ________________________________________________________________ LOS ANGELES

LAS VEGAS

SAN DIEGO

INLAND EMPIRE

p.060 Weekly Club Listings

p.062 Weekly Club Listings

p.064 Weekly Club Listings

p.066 Weekly Club Listings

p.068 Weekly Club Listings

Calendar Club Pictures

p.061 Alice in Chain at the Palladium

ORANGE COUNTY

p.065 Musink Music and Art at

p.069 9 Gran Presents “Turn Your

OC Fairgrounds

Swag On” at Dinks

To Receive Updates on Skinnie Scene Club Listings or To Submit Your Events, E-mail: Update@skinniemagazine.com to be Added to Our Weekly Skinnie E-blasts.

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

SKINNIE SCENE Los angeleS

Photos Courtesy of Napkin Nights and Karen Curley

LA CALENDAR 03.04 Bon Jovi/Dashboard Confessional @ Staples Center

03.06 Boyz II Men @ Club Nokia 03.06 Black Dahila Murder @ The Roxy 03.06 Killswitch Engage @ The Wiltern 03.08 Year Long Disaster @ Troubador 03.10 Little Boots @ El Rey Theatre 03.13 E-40 @ Key Club

03.18 New Found Glory,Saves The Day, Hellogoodbye @ House of Blues 03.25 John Mayer @ Staples Center 03.26 Jay-Z @ Staples Center 03.26 Weedeater @ Ultraviolet 03.28 W.A.S.P. @ Key Club

03.29 The Black Eyed Peas, LMFAO, Ludacris @ Staples Center 03.31 “Dreamgirls” @ Ahmanson Theatre

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

The Globe Theater

Area

Revolver’s Golden Gods Nominees Press Conference

Area

SKINNIE SCENE Los Angeles Alice in Chain @ The Palladium Photos by Dave Gatson

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

SKINNIE SCENE Las vegas

Photos Courtesy of Alan Rivera and Vic Bonadonna / MGM Grand

LV CALENDAR

03.01 We Are the Arsenal @ The Farm 03.02 Tegan and Sara @ House of Blues 03.08 Marc Maron @ The Palms Casino Resort

03.11 311 @ Mandalay Bay Events Center 03.13 I Am Ghost @ The Farm 03.18 David Copperfield @ MGM Hollywood Theatre 03.19 New Found Glory, Hellogoodbye, Saves the Day @ House of Blues 03.20 Barry Manilow @ Paris Las Vegas 03.26 Daniel Tosh @ Mirage Casino & Hotel 03.26 Lionel Richie @ Colosseum at Caesars Palace

03.27 “Extreme Things Festival” Escape the fate, The Used, Story of the Year @ Desert Breeze Skate Park 03.27 John Mayer @ Mandalay Bay Events Center

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Magic

Tapout Magic After Party Studio 54

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

SKINNIE SCENE orange county

Photos Courtesy of Erik Faiivae and Jeff Farsai

OC CALENDAR

03.05 Kevin Nealon @ Improv Brea 03.11 Tom Green @ Improv Brea 03.16 Bryan Callen @ Improv Irvine 03.19 Skinnie Magazine 8 yr Anniversary Party @ Club M 03.25 CKY @ Galaxy Theatre

03.26 Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Motorcross @ Honda Center 03.26 “Hoodwink Festival” @ Grove of Anaheim 03.27 “The Bamboozle California” - AFI, Say Anything, Angels and Airwaves @ Angel Stadium of Anaheim 03.27 Chicago/Earth,Wind & Fire @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

03.28 “The Bamboozle California” - Something Corporate, The Maine, Story of the Year@ Angel Stadium of Anaheim 03.31 Bad Religion @ Grove of Anaheim

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Miss Musink Finals at Slidebar

Busta Ryhmes at Flight

Mystique Wednesdays at ENVY Ultra Lounge

Miss Musink Finals at Slidebar

Supercross After Party

SKINNIE SCENE orange county Musink Music and Art @ OC Fairgrounds Photos by Erik Faiivae

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

SKINNIE SCENE San diego

Photos Courtesy of Napkin Nights

SD CALENDAR 03.03 Tegan and Sara @ Copley Symphony Hall

Yoveur

Hard Rock

Yoveur

Hard Rock

03.04 Rebelution @ House of Blues 03.05 “The Atticus Metal Tour” @ SOMA San Diego 03.07 Manchester Orchestra @ House of Blues 03.09 Great American Taxi @ Winstons Beach Club

03.11 Abe Vigoda @ Bar Pink 03.13 Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Motocross @ SD Sports Arena 03.14 Boy 8-bit @ Voyeur 03.15 Matthew Good @ The Casbah 03.19 From First To Last @ The Epicentre

03.21 Bad Religion @ House of Blues 03.22 Acid Mother’s Temple @ The Casbah 03.24 Kreator @ House of Blues 03.27 Air @ 4th & B

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

SKINNIE SCENE Inland empire

Photos Courtesy of Erik Faiivae

IE CALENDAR

03.02 2Mex - DJ L.A., MC

Thursdays at Toro Sushi

Fat Tuesdays @ Toro Sushi

Status Saturdays at Dinks in Palm Springs

The Brandin Iron

Stinger’s

Prototype @ Glasshouse 03.11 JD Lawrence @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium 03.12 Damon Wayans @ Improv Ontario 03.13 Tim Conway & Friends @ Pechanga Resort & Casino

03.17 VooDoo Glow Skulls @ Space 120 (Palm Springs) 03.18 Carlos Mencia @ San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino 03.21 Saosin @ Glasshouse 03.27 The English Beat @ Romanos Canyon Crest 03.27 Roger Hodgson @ Pechanga Resort & Casino

03.28 Roots Collective @ Glasshouse 03.31 Rick Martinez @ Improv Ontario

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

SKINNIE SCENE INLand empire 9 Gran Presents “Turn Your Swag On” at Dinks Photos by Erik Faiivae

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

T HYDROP N U ®

ICS ON

DISC O

DISCOUNT HYDROPONICS

CE 199

The l argesT hydroponic sTore in The u.s.a! 4745 hiers Ave. riverside cA, 92505 Hours: Monday - Friday 9aM - 7pM, saturday 11aM - 7pM, sunday 11aM - 4pM

(877) groW-iT-7 w w w. d i s c o u n t- h y d r o . c o m SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

•

Happy Endings words by Eleni Vazquez

VIRGO (Aug 24-Sept 23) Hey, show off! While it might be totally bad ass to scale that fence like a master hurdler, it will leave you falling with your feet over your head. Not only will it hurt really badly, it will leave you in a wheelchair for about 2 weeks. But, you will be cool! LIBRA (Sept 24-Oct 23) Umm…a dog. A giant chain. The combo is probably because this domesticated animal is a wild beast and DOES NOT want to be pet. Doing so will leave you with your face bit off and left with perma-scars. Go for it, if you are looking for a cheap nip tuck! SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 24) Sitting shotgun for your sober ride home makes your belligerent friend upset and start smacking the back of your head. It will lead to a drunken brawl on your front lawn that your mom will try to break up with a swift kick, but will leave her toe broken. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21) Before attending the all-you-can-drink party in the woods, TAKE A SHIT AT HOME. Doing so in the wilderness doesn’t provide toilet paper

and that leaf is actually a frog. Watch out Richard Gere. CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 20) Rock ‘n Roll…or not. Trying to stage dive, you will leap too hard off the stage, pass the crowd and land on your ass in the pit, leaving you getting stomped on. Ouch. AQUARIUS (Jan 21-Feb 19) CRASH! Hitting a concrete wall while drunk driving will not only be scary, but will leave your car leaking fluids. Thank God the cops are not around to bust you and you will peal out and hurry home. However, detectives will follow the oil trail back to your house and arrest you as you slumber. PISCES (Feb 20-Mar 20) Think twice before trying to pose for a photo cradling a 40 oz of beer like a baby. You’ll lose your balance, fall on a near-by friend and slam into a giant trash can, breaking your “baby.” Ahh, too bad. ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 20) Innocently warming up a borrowed jalopy will send the helicopter cops and the sheriff hovering over the car with shot guns pointed at your head. As the car back fires, neighbors will

tuesday • thursday • friday • saturday

Live Entertainment . Guest DJs . Dining . Dancing. Drink Specials . Late Night Sushi . Social Interaction.

SUSHI • BAR • GRILL LOUNGE • NIGHTLIFE

1520 N. Mountain Ave Bldg. D. Ontario. CA. 91762 909.983.8676 www.torosushi.com

myspace.com/torosushi

twitter.com/torosushibar

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

become a fan

think a “western gun fight” is in pursuit and will phone 911, almost leaving your hauled to jail for public nuisance. TAURUS (Apr 21-May 21) As tempting as those vendors selling useless merch at the Mexican border are, do not for any reason get out of the car to purchase items. The person driving will cross the border before you can weave in and out of all the other cars to get back in and leave you stranded in Mexico. GEMINI (May 22-Jun 21) Although smoking weed on a foreign country’s beach seems like an amazing experience, it isn’t. It will cost you 9 years in jail, so don’t do it! CANCER (June 22-July 22) If camping in the desert suits you, please look for even land before dropping your pants to relieve yourself. Neglecting to do so will leave you tumbling down a large hill and landing on a cactus, leaving pricks all over your goodies. Hmmm! LEO (July 23- Aug 23) All this “Go Green” propaganda is crap. Riding your bike to work, instead of driving, will result in being run over by a car which does not stop to see if you are ok. Enjoy the next 10 blocks with a crooked rim and a broken leg!

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

Local Mischievers

IN THE MIX

Heathyr lawrence

_Cut _______and ________Stitch/Lucky ______________________13 ______Apparel ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Harnessing the counter culture of rock music and rebellion, all while retaining a fundamental sense of just how important timeless designs are, Lawrence has help craft unapologetic fashion forward pieces for Southern California based Lucky 13 Apparel. Showcasing an appreciation for vintage flair, Lawrence continues to cement Lucky 13’s reputation as one of the dark horses in the world of street fashion.

Lindsey carmichael

Tattoo ___________Aficionado __________________-__Gold _________Rush ________Tattoo ______________ Making an early connection with tattoo culture through the punk rock bands he idolized as a kid, Carmichael became a student of the art form at a young age. Immersing himself in the old Tattootime Series of books, along with mentors like Bob Roberts, Rick Spellman and Leo Zulueta; Lindsay displays a masterful grasp of traditional tattoo art with more than three decades of knowledge.

Discerning, Spontaneous, Provocative. Hornitos Tequila and Skinnie Magazine are on the hunt for Local Mischievers. We’re searching for a Clothing Designer not concerned with current styles other than the ones they’ve made, a DJ who is redefining the scene by spinning beats entirely their own, a Musician/Band creating music we never even knew we would like and an Artist creating images for no reason other than that it ‘just feels right’. Any genre, any medium. Mischievers celebrate the now and realize great style is difficult to define, but easy to recognize. We’re highlighting the people that don’t just follow the beat of a different drummer but are the drummer themselves. Each month Skinnie Magazine will select a top Local Mischiever from submitted nominations. This Mischiever will receive a feature in Skinnie Magazine and party with full VIP treatment. A Hornitos Tequila stocked Limo will chauffer the Local Mischiever and friends for a night to party it up Skinnie Magazine style. To submit your Local Mischiever nominations, log on to SkinnieMagazine.com and click on the Hornitos Tequila Mischiever icon. Submit two or more pictures along with a quick description of why you think this person is the top Mischiever in their category. You can also email your nominations to: mischiever@skinniemagazine.com. If your Local Mischiever submission is picked you will join the party too!

Efrem schultz

steven andrew

Doubling as the frontman of the seasoned Southern California punk rock band Death By Stereo, Schultz has also spent years behind the turntables. A fixture in Southern California’s second wave of hardcore punk rock music, Efrem has been featured alongside many other artists to loan his vocal talents, including collaborative efforts with members of Aiden,Atreyu, and System Of A Down.

While most DJs remain akin to the 808 and hook heavy bangers, Steven Andrew has built a reputation delivering a healthy combination of the obscure and obligatory tracks ranging from new wave, electro, post punk, death rock and synth pop. Going old school and cranking out regular mixtapes, Steven Andrew knows how to educate and entertain a capacity dance floor.

Motivator of Speakers/Death By Stereo/Radrok __________________________________________________________________

Submit Your Mischiever to Mischiever@SkinnieMagazine.com

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM

Cross-Fade Champ/Disko Lemonade/Addiction/Defkon ________________________________________________________

SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM •

• SKINNIEMAGAZINE.COM