issue no.11 FALL / WINTER 2012 MAGAZINE
THE CHUCK TAYLOR LEATHER CLASSIC BOOT HI
FOR TH
HE SEA
HUNTER is a trade mark of Hunter Boot Limited
WWW.HUNTER-BOOT.COM
Classics FOR THE
NEXT
GENERATION
THE WOODS ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS
The Woods issue
EDITORIAL Isa Tousignant Kathryn Borel jr kathrynborel.com Ralph Katzenburg Sarah Steinberg Sasha Baker judith lussier URBANIA urbania.ca ART
This Fall, we’re all about wood. So listen up Birch, this Maple get juicy: it’s time for wood fun Oak-K? We know you’re asking yourself one key question by now: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck? Well, we might not have that answer for you, but we do have a bunch of wood jokes. From Cub Scouts to skateboarders, treehuggers to lumberjacks, we salute all the wood lovers out there! It’s time to go against the grain. Because wood is good. 12 & 13
Jay Forest Stylist › jayforest.net Land of Visions Illustrator › landofvisions.ca Alex Hercule Set Designer › herculestaxidermy.com Laurie Deraps Hair & Make-Up › foliomontreal.com Maxyme G Delisle Photographer › maxyme.net Tyler Dale Illustrator › thank you Artbus Records arbutusrecords.com L.O.V.E. leave out violence breakthecycle.ca Pop Montreal popmontreal.com URBANIA urbania.ca
Home Grown This ‘zine was put together by the awesome LB Creative Team. We love wood.
re These NaA S! BA N A
SPECIAL BLEND
15
Jeffery Campbell RUGGERI 180.00
THE WOODS Contributors
12
Let’s say Thank you to our WOOD buddies
Products & Interviews
15
Special Blend Fashion highlights for Fall Winter 2012 at Little Burgundy
15
Brand New Brand TOMS, 2568 & Moonboots
40
Heart & SOLE L.O.V.E.
48
Art & sole Tyler Dale
50
n°11
INTO THE WOODS Fashion EDITORIAL Shot by Maxyme G Delisle and styled by Jay Forest
INTO THE WOODS GET YOUR SMOKEY ON / SURVIVAL OF THE APP-EST PARCS & REC / GIVE ME WOOD SURVIVAL GUIDE TO THE WOODS / scouts honor
54
65 67
68 70
Sticks & pencils
72
Dudes & their wood
74
a chat with grimes
76
CLICK for more › Online is a good time. We’ve got loads more woodness on littleburgundyblog.tumblr.com. Also, you can go check out Littleburgundyshoes.com for more of your favourite brands, online exclusive offers, new arrivals and some killer contests.
special blend
Woody Edition!
A
B
A. House of Holland PENDEXTER 34.00 B. MATIKO OGLE 170.00 14 & 15
wild thing special blenD
you make your heart sing
A
B
Products & Interviews
E
c
A. Jeffrey Campbell YOVAN 265.00 B. EVERYTHING MANIGO 35.00 C. Jeffrey Campbell JINEEN 200.00 D. EVERYTHING EXERILIE 12.00 E. EVERYTHING YAGODA 80.00
D
special blenD wild thing
MADONNA’S
Collection!
A
St u d Mu f f i n
B
A. TRUTH OR DARE PANO 210.00 B. DR MARTENS SOMOTO 390.00
Products & Interviews
D
C
C. MISS JOLIE PACCHILD 30.00 D. MISS JOLIE AVRETT 35.00
special blenD wild thing
A
b
A. MICHAEL KORS ANDRAE 228.00 B. CHINESE LAUNDRY SASA 100.00
Products & Interviews
Grr
C
C. MATIKO OGLE 170.00
rrr
special blenD wild thing
For s Dude
A
b
A. SUPRA CHELL 106.00 B. TUK Trass 75.00
Products & Interviews
C
C. VANS OTW BORDINGER 100.00
easy street special blenD
cl assic kicks & city slicks
A
a
Products & Interviews
b
c
c
A. NEW BALANCE MIKOS 100.00 B. NEW BALANCE QUILMES 100.00 C. NIKE PRILL 160.00
special blenD easy street
A
Sp e c i a ED I T
b
A. PUMA X MMQ SPEECE 160.00 *SPECIAL EDITION B. CONVERSE LISCHACK 80.00 *SPECIAL EDITION
l
I ON
Products & Interviews
D
C
C. VANS SHUBECK 30.00 D. PENFEILD JACULINA 95.00
special blenD easy street
Sneaks won’t do?
Call the Dr.!
A
b
A. DR MARTENS YMANYE 160.00 B. VAGABOND ANANE 150.00
Products & Interviews
Sn e a k
C
C. VANS KOUBA 90.00
Freak
folk roots special blenD
nature calls, we answer.
A
b A. FLOYD Garroway 100.00 B. OBEY HOMMA 50.00 C. Brixton MALPHA 62.00 D. LIFETIME TAKATS 33.00 E. SPERRY ESTEL 110.00
Products & Interviews
C
E D
special blenD folk roots
A
b
A. 2568 OLEA 150.00 *collab with pendleton B. TOMS + BERTANA 105.00
Fringe Festival
C
C. Minnetonk a BURKLOW 60.00
special blenD folk roots
A
B
C
A. TOMS + REGAN 140.00 B. TOMS FRIZWI 65.00 C. KEDS SOROLA 60.00
Products & Interviews
Flower
pl e peo t o th
D
D. JANSPORT SHEATS 60.00
e
special blenD folk roots
A
B
C
A. SPERRY COLFLESH 120.00 B. VANS GAUSTAD 70.00 C. Polo R alph Lauren Fenrich 190.00
Products & Interviews
E D
PS, this is an Ipad case.
D. HERSCHEL LORSON 40.00 E. HERSCHEL STANDRING 28.00
©2012 Timex Group USA, Inc. TIMEX, IT’S NOT ORIGINAL UNLESS IT’S A TIMEX is trademark of Timex Group B.V. and its subsidiaries.
Brand New
SO WHO’S TOM? An interview with Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS by Sasha Baker
If you’re familiar with TOMS you know that for every pair purchased a kid who needs them is receiving a brand new pair of shoes. But TOMS isn’t a person – it’s an idea. Blake Mycoskie travelled to Argentina in 2006. There, he witnessed extreme poverty and found himself wishing he could outfit the kids he saw walking around barefoot. This dream gave rise to the business, and TOMS was born. During its first year, TOMS sold 10,000 pairs of shoes. He returned to Argentina later that year with family and friends and gave back to the children who had first inspired him. TOMS works with humanitarian organizations that help distribute new shoes to children in over 40 countries around the globe. These partners are experts in the field, ensuring that TOMS is able to give sustainably and responsibly. Since 2006, TOMS has given over 2 million pairs of new shoes to children in need.
Tell me about returning to Argentina to do your first shoe-drop back in 2006. I had originally intended to return to Argentina with 250 pairs of shoes for the children I’d met earlier that year. Instead, I returned with my family and friends with 10,000 pairs of shoes. It was an amazing feeling to return to Argentina with more than what I had expected and to be giving these shoes with my mom next to me! There were three boys who had just received their TOMS, and they led me to a field where they loved to play soccer. It was full of rocks and glass, yet they had been playing barefooted. Their first thought when they had received their shoes was that playing soccer would be easier and even give them speed! Experiencing that with them was one of my most fulfilling moments. Where have you dropped shoes since? I’ve been fortunate to travel to many different locations like Ethiopia, South Africa, and Honduras.
40 & 41
How many days a year would you estimate you’re on the road? Over 200 days a year, for sure. What are you reading right now? I’m re-reading Let My People Go Surfing by Patagonia’s Yvon Chuinard. I have so much respect for the brand he has built. When was the last time you danced? It was on a recent Giving Trip in Honduras! Typically, after we’ve fitted each of the kids in their new shoes, we get to spend time with them whether it be blowing bubbles, playing soccer, or having a big dance party. I can vividly remember the group of volunteers and about 50 kids dancing in a giant circle in the hills of the Copan region in Honduras.
Products & Interviews
A
B a. TOMS + TOPOLOSKY 180.00 › GENTS B. TOMS + ELLISA 116.00 › LADIES
Brand New
2568
“WE WANT TO BRING COMFORTABLE, EASY TO UNDERSTAND FOOTWEAR MADE WITH CARE BACK INTO THE MARKET AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE.”
CLASSICS WITH A TWIST by Sasha Baker
Inspired by the creativity in garments, handbags, shoes and small leather goods they saw in Guatemala, the people behind new shoe brand 2568 offer a line of classic shoe shapes reinterpreted with fabrics and materials carefully sourced from the native artisans they discovered on their travels through Central America.
What kind of aesthetic does your footwear have and what is the process behind creating new designs? We have very simple designs and we organize our line by constructions moccasins, ballerinas, espadrilles, boots and sandals. There is always the possibility of expanding as well.
When did 2568 start and what is the story behind the inception of the brand? 2568 was started last year in NYC. The name refers to the childhood home of one of the founders. The idea was that just as he had started over in a new country as a child, our company was starting over in Guatemala with a new brand. 2568 products were officially launched in stores in January 2012.
Your footwear has a good mix of traditional and contemporary, in terms of its materials, the history it is drawing on and the market it is now reaching. Will this balance of classic and modern continue to be a signature for your brand? Yes we have always incorporated the handmade artisan factor with an industrial approach for making the shoes - we bring back vintage and classic styles, but work on modernizing them for today.
What makes your brand stand out and how do you describe your vision as a company? Our vision is classics with a twist, be it color or handmade fabrics loomed only in Guatemala, softer leathers, a twist on a classic design like a moccasin … the possibilities are endless. We want to bring comfortable, easy to understand footwear made with care back into the market at an affordable price.
What new styles and aesthetics have you been developing for upcoming seasons? We’re reworking some cowboy items and looking at direct attached footwear as a substitute for the vulcanized. We are also looking at reinventing boat shoes and drivers.
42 & 43
Tell us a bit about how the pendleton collaboration came about? The designer has been collecting Pendleton vintage fabrics for several years and fell in love with the patterns. All the variations of color involved in the weave make it very special. Because it also represented a native american aesthetic, we thought it would be a good partner for our Guatemalan native look, so we contacted Pendleton and they agreed to a collaboration with us for footwear. What kind of person is wearing 2568? What lifestyles do your brands fit well with and reflect? He or she is about 18 to 34 but can be older with a younger sensibility. They are comfortable with color and casualness - they don’t care about looking fancy or trendy so much as they care about style and uniqueness.
Products & Interviews
b
a
b. 2568 OZELL A 120.00 c. 2568 STEPHANE 120.00 d. 2568 OLEA 150.00 › coll ab with Pendleton
c
Brand New
FLY ME TO THE MOON A short quasi-real history of the Moon Boot
By Sarah Steinberg
It’s hard to imagine a world where Moon Boots aren’t available to any fashionista who wants them, but that was exactly the case back in 1969, when Giancarlo Zanatta, a young Italian shoe maker, was standing in Penn Station staring up at a billboard depicting an image of the moon landing. Like the rest of the world he was fascinated by the things he saw: those spacemen in their bulbous spacesuits with their fish tank heads, floating around like it was no big thing because they PWND gravity. There they were, on the freaking moon, putting their feet on it.
We can’t, of course, know exactly what Giancarlo Zanatta was thinking at the moment, but considering his next course of action was to go home and design what would later be known as The Moon Boot, it probably sounded a lot like, “Dang, those astronaut-man boots are awesome. I totally want a pair! OMG, I have to build them!” Likely he thought this in Italian. Giancarlo went home to Montebelluna to design what would soon become the world’s first high fashion winter performance footwear, eschewing the traditional leathers and opting for nylon and foams – materials that at the time were on the cutting edge of technology. The first Moon Boots were a hit with the après ski crowd, and the trend took off from there. The rest, as they say, is history. Forty years since their original launch, Moon Boots still look space-aged, only now you can find them in the Museum, too: The Louvre showcased them in their exhibit of the most important design objects of the 20th century.
44 & 45
Q&A with Thom Berry, Head of Marketing for Moon Boots What kind of music does the Moon Boot team get into? In Moon Boot land, we like to stick to the theme... at least once every ApresSki, it’s dancing in your Moon Boots to the Police’s ‘Walking on the Moon’. Every now an again, a true doposci (Italian for ‘after ski’) expert tries to go full Michael Jackson and bust out a moonwalk, but we caution that that’s really only for true doposci experts... If you were traveling to the moon, what would you bring? I’d pack four things. First, Moon Boots. Second, WD-40. Third, Duct Tape. Fourth, Ranch dressing. With that combo you can handle pretty much anything. Who created the “Moon Boot” font? It’s so modern and sixties at once! The Original Moon Boot font was created by the original design team which was led by our owner and founder Giancarlo Zanatta. To us it’s sacred. It’s the Original.
Products & Interviews
B
A
a. MOON BOOT SAINTE JULIE 170.00 B. MOON BOOT FLOLIN 140.00 C. MOON BOOT HAGGETT 200.00
C
Loads of designers have been making their own Moon Boots (from Chanel to Marc Jacobs) but there ain’t nothing like the Original!
Distributed by / DistribuĂŠ par
LOVE › LEAVE OUT VIOLENCE
Designed
by L.O.V.E.
with love
HEART & SOLE
For more info › littleburgundyshoes.com/social
Art & Sole
West Coast Ways Introducing the art and heart of Tyler Dale
Wanna see more of Tyler’s work? › We got him in the woods mood online & on page 63.
By Isa Tousignant
Though not yet of B.C. drinking age, 18-yearold Tyler Dale is a graphic designer who’s got such a unique flavour, you’d think he’d been developing it for decades. He’s got a thing for pears and logos that look like Bauhaus buttons you’d pin to your steam-pressed shirt. His favourite colours are red, violet and blue. He speaks a language that’s composed of drawings, like his very own hieroglyphics. He’s a nature lover, a wood worshipper and his preferred kind of shoe is anything that he can just slip on – is it any surprise he’s from Kitsilano, Vancouver?
Would you describe yourself as a West Coast kind of guy? Yeah, I’m an extremely open person and my art definitely has a West Coast vibe to it. All of the life in the oceans and mountains here shaped me and my art style to go green and be nature friendly. Do you remember the first time you drew? I always drew, but I never got into drawing until I was around eight. That’s when I started to notice graffiti art. Because I grew up in the Vancouver I was surrounded by graffiti culture. The scene is so competitive and egotistical that I practiced my drawing every day. Then my mother introduced me to computer drawing applications and encouraged me to work in graphic design. It all went from there! You know how kids draw the same thing over and over? Like a house, a stick figure, a car… what was it with you? I used to love to draw comic characters when I was really young. I had hundreds of DC comics, but my favourite characters to draw were Batman, Robin and their enemy Killer Moth. They were a bit out of my drawing league, but it was still fun to learn from. What inspires you today? I find science, nature, eastern Buddhist philosophies and seeing things from different perspectives inspires me strongly to make meaningful art. 50 & 51
Do you ever feel the need to retreat into nature? Only when I’m having artist’s block and I can’t produce any work; then I find it’s good to take a break and play a little. Do you try to make your works easy to decode, or do you revel in a certain mystery? My art is fundamentally infused with my minimal modern graffiti style. I think my drawn line is a natural, playful style of icon vectoring design. What’s your favourite wooden object? I love the textures in wood. I wouldn’t say I have a favourite wooden object, but I do have a favourite element, which is carbon, because almost all of a tree is completely carbon, and so are diamonds. I’m very into science. What’s a creative tool you couldn’t live without? My brain would be the most critical thing… otherwise my laptop. What’s one thing that anyone visiting Kitsilano should absolutely do? Bring an umbrella!
the WOODS issue
The Triangular space
Tyler Dale
The Owl
the WOODS issue
The Clouded Street
into the woods Photographer: Maxyme G Delisle Stylist: Jay Forest Set Design: Alex Hercule Hair & Make Up artist: Laurie Deraps Models: Adele & Audrey @ DULCEDO / Nelson @ Folio
54 & 55
the WOODS issue
A
b
c
d
e
the WOODS issue
f
G
g
F
h
the WOODS issue
i
j
l
k
the WOODS issue
m
› SHOP THIS SHOOT A. BRIXTON MALPHA 62.00
h. DÄV BLOOMSTRAND 86.00
B. HIBOU GLOREVINIE 25.00
i.
FLOYD ROBICHARD 170.00
c. EVERYTHING KELZER 12.00
j.
VANS BOMAN 25.00
d. SPERRY ESTEL 110.00 e. FLOYD ROBICHARD 170.00
k. l. DR MARTENS YMANYE 160.00 M. NATIVE WOODFORK 108.00
f. COAL SIGWORTH 25.00
N. JEFFREY CAMPBELL RUGGERI 180.00
g. GRAM MOURA 120.00
O. JEFFREY CAMPBELL CORELLA 220.00
Catch some Behind the Scenes goodies online littleburgundyshoes.com/ behindthewoods
Look 1 › Adele Barilà shirt/ Denim & Supply Shorts / BB Dakota blazer Look 2 › Nelson Wesc shirt & blazer / Penfield pants, Audrey Wesc shirt / Lifetime pants Look 3 › Nelson Penfield shirt & blazer / J.Lindeberg pants Look 4 › Adèle Designer remix shirt / Charlie sweater / St-Martin pants Nelson Penfield Sweater / Lifetime pants / Simons T-Shirt Look 5 › Audrey Sandro dress / Glamorous (Simons) shirt / Maison Scotch vest Adèle Milly (Simons) Shirt / Designer Remix sweater / Pink Martini Shorts Nelson Simons shirt / Penfield sweater / Jack & Jones pants / Wesc raincoat Look 6 › (shot of legs and shoes), T wik (Simons) leggings ALL ACCESSORIES FROM LITTLE BURGUNDY
the WOODS issue
n
o
The WOODS issue
64 & 65
Welcome to the woods
It ’s time to go down the rabbit hole and into the woods. Keep reading for more survival tips, DIY projects and loads of woodland fun.
Contributors Art Tyler Dale Land Of Visions Writing Kathryn Borel Jr Judith Lussier for URBANIA DJ Why Alex Why?
66 & 67
THE WOODS
Special Guide
TIPS & TRICKS
Get Your Smokey On
s to y a W e v i t Cr e a m pfi re a C r u o Y Build
1
Hitch a tent
2
The Teepee
3
Jenga Style
4
X marks the spot
Survival of the APP-est Nature enthusiasts have gone 2.0 with some pretty rad Apps. Those of us with less survival skills now have a little help making it through a camping trip in one piece.
STARGAZING on itunes
birdcall on itunes
knot guide on itunes
candle on itunes
compass on itunes
flashlight on itunes
discovery with our fave TV SHOW
Parcs & Rec art by land of visions
CANADA “Would I want to move to Canada? No, I don’t suppose I would.”
USA “The only country that matters. If you want to experience other ‘cultures’, use an atlas or a ham radio.”
“You had me at parc tornado.” - Ron Swanson
68 & 69
THE WOODS
Special Guide
Give Me
WOOD GREENLAND “Don't like the hippie name, but I hear they make danishes, of which I am a big fan.”
birch
b l a c k wa l n u t
red oak
500km
teak
- SOME OF CANADA’S NATIONAL PARKS 1 Kluane NPR
5 Elk Island
9 St-Lawrence Islands
2 Vuntut
6 Wood Buffalo
10 La Mauricie
3 Aulavik
7 Riding Mountain
11 Auyuittuq
4 Mount Revelstoke
8 Sirmilik
12 Torgat Mountains t i e t e r o s ewo o d
Survival Guide to the
Woods [ for Teenage Kidnapping Victims ] By Kathryn Borel Jr
Take it from me, Kathryn Borel. I’m 32. I’ve seen some things. What are you, like, 14? 17? Maybe 25 years old? According to my math, I’m somewhere between one and seven decades older than you and probably a genius. So listen up. You’re going to get kidnapped. It’s not a big deal, but it is an inevitability. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing! You know that Bob Dylan lyric, “How many roads must a man walk down/Before you can call him a man? That’s about walking through the woods, lost, after a kidnapping.
As Dylan implies, a good old-fashioned kidnapping will change your life for the best. But first there are a couple of obstacles to overcome. First, you’ll want to check your pants. Are they saturated with fear-pee? Probably. Find a private spot (good news: everywhere in the woods is a “private spot”) and take off your pants. Locate some soft, comfortable plant and glue a bunch of its leaves together (using pine sap, dummy!) Now you have a fashionable microskirt. (Are you a boy? Whatever, it’s 2012.) You’ll need some parents now that you are permanently stuck in the forest. Track a pack of wolves and then, after a few days, casually ask to join their pack, like it ain’t no thang. (You don’t want to seem as though you’re trying too hard. Wolves hate that.) Later, when you reintegrate into society after extensive scientific testing, you’ll be able to growl and eat with your hands and be nude without much fuss from society. When people ask you, horrified, if you’ve been raised by wolves, you can answer, “Why yes I was!”
Other Helpful tips
The screen of your iPhone is now your campfire starter. To simulate Twitter, just scream lame jokes at the sky. When twigs and berries fall into your hair, consider them “nature’s accessories.” A young birch tree can be carved into the shape of Rihanna or any of the members of One Direction, depending on your preference. Or carve one of each! You’re young. It’s your time to experiment.
Good luck. And have fun!
70 & 71
THE WOODS
Special Guide
COLLECTION: scout’s honor
Badge Bone to the
DO-IT-YOURSELF WOOD PROJECT
TRUTH STICKS Tell the truth, I dare you.
When holding this colorful painted twig, its bearer must speak the truth and rid themselves of any lies. The Truth Stick is passed along in an open conversation between friends/colleagues/ classmates/any group that need to bond‌ The real fun is in making them:
Go online to find a step by step guide to making your own: littleburgundyshoes.com/ diy
sticks + paint = crafty delight. 72 & 73
THE WOODS
Special Guide
ODE TO THE wooden PENCIL
HB/2 Why is the #2 pencil the writing tool required for standardized tests? It’s quite dull actually. The number itself represents the lead’s hardness, ranging from the soft #1 soft to the hard #9. Early machines scanning those SAT scores couldn’t detect the marks by harder #3 and #4 pencils, and the softer #1 pencils unfortunately smudged too much.
Top 5
WOODy’s
WOOD I E H ARRE L S ON
Wo o dy Wo o d P e ck e r
Wo o dy A L L EN
, t n e m o m s k c o l i d l o In a G 2 pencils were t h e # t r i g h t. jus
WOOD I E H ARRE L S ON cause he deserves a double mention
WOODY THE CO W BO Y F ROM TO Y STOR Y
cool people who make stuff
Dudes & their Wood
A SPECIAL COLLAB with
Words by Judith Lussier Photos by Maxyme G Delisle
Guillaume Ménard Atelier Mainor / Furniture › ateliermainor.tumblr.com
Raphaël Ricard / Bastien Rémilleux / Maxime Dumontier C’est Beau Skateboards › cest-beau.com
If bowling alleys are everywhere now, Guillaume Ménard is kinda getting the blame. A bearded and built guy, the manly wood worker walked us through the space where he produces furniture and bar countertops. A lab cabinet has been transformed into cabinet doors, a land surveyor’s tripod into a lamp, a kid’s desk into a streamlined chair. Everything is recycled, particularly local wood. ‘’We have noble woods here, like oak, maple, cherry or hemlock. They are raw species that are similar to us.’’ Or similar to him…Grrrr.
‘’I want people to love our product for more than just the fact that’s it’s recycled’’, explains Raphaël Ricard, one of the three dudes that form C’est Beau. They build shortboards, small skateboards made from bigger used boards. ‘’Kids throw away their decks when they’re often still brand new!’’ Their boards may be baptized with Grandpa names (Rosaire, Réjean, Yvon), but they’re far from old-fashioned. ‘’It’s faster, makes sharper turns and can easily hop onto the sidewalk.’’ Hipsters that can’t skate best stay clear.
74 & 75
THE WOODS
Special Guide
Marc-Antoine Clément Furniture & Objects The chair Marc-Antoine has in the corner of his studio isn’t really made for sitting. Sharper than it is functional, it’s more of an art piece than anything else. It’s dark wood comes from Africa, and we understand quite fast the Marc-Antoine has a thing for colourful woods when he shows us the purple shavings from the wood used to make a bike handlebar. ‘’I like pushing wood to the extreme. It’s a material that we’ve been underestimating with the rise of plastics.’’
Alex Hercule Hercules Taxidermy Imports › herculestaxidermy.com ‘’I work with all materials. However, with wood, I get this impression that I can make anything’’, explains Alex. To ‘make anything’ includes boutique decorations, event installations and even platform shoes. As for ‘all materials’, that sometimes implies taxidermy animals, that he’ll include in his installations. This passion/business has been Alex’s mainstay for the past year: ‘’ I am interested in antique Taxidermy, out of respect for the animal. I love finding them and giving them a second life.’’
Lenny P. Robert Daddy Mojo / Guitars › daddy-mojo.com When he stumbled upon a photo of a guitar made from a cigar box, Lenny wanted to know ‘’how it sounded’’. He then built one, only to find the gritty sound of the Deep South. ‘’I was interested in Blues from the 30s. In those days, poor musicians would make guitars with whatever they could find. I liked the idea of making music at any cost.’’ Even if his product has been perfected since, you can still find in it’s sound a drop of poverty.
Go online for more about the guys Littleburgundyshoes.com/ urbania
cool people & music
A Chat With h Hellz Yea
Photo b y John L ondo ñ o
Words by Ralph Katzenburg
It may be a journalistic cliché, but it’s hard not to talk about Vancouver-born Claire Boucher (aka Grimes) in terms of contrasts. Her music is both sweet and haunting, with warm pop melodies and sprite-like harmonies spilling over mechanized electronics, drones, loops, samples, beats and driving basslines. Her visual art is at once cute and disturbing: skulls with bows, fuzzy creatures and blood. She’s both an introverted shut-in, and an effervescent performer and deft conversationalist. Unsurprisingly in a 20-minute conversation she’ll name check inspiration from sources as disparate as Marilyn Manson (for his fashion sense) and Stravinsky (for his complex rhythmic sensibility). We recently caught up with Boucher on tour in Rome to find out more about the polarities that make up Grimes.
Is there a relation between your music and your visual art? I don’t see much of a distinction. Any creative process is just a creative process for me. I mean, the tools can be different. But it’s coming from the same place. Most people don’t know that you were a visual artist before you were a musician. I didn’t think it was a big deal or anything different at all until people started mentioning it. Whatever I have in front of me I’ll just use that to make whatever art I can make. Anything that I have I will try to use. Music is quite new to me. I’ve always identified as a painter so it’s funny when people discover that after the fact. They are like oh! So you’re also this! And I’m like, actually, I was originally that.
76 & 77
THE WOODS
Special Guide
Photo b y T o m m y C hase L ucas
The TRAIL MIX We asked DJ Why Alex Why? to mix up his top woodsy tunes, from campfire classics to our fav’ bands with woodland creatures in their names. A nutty mix of vintage goodies and indie rock, pack THE TRAIL MIX in your bag.
What the relationship between darkness and beauty? That seems to be a running theme in both your music and your art. I really do feel that for something to be truly beautiful it needs to be deeply unsettling at the same time. I don’t think I can ever get something really good out of what I do unless I kind of have to suffer for it. It’s always the thing that drives me to the edge that I’ll remember fondly, rather than the thing that was just kind of easy. It needs to be painful, that’s just a really important part of music for me, art too. If I’m bored then I can’t do it. I’ve thrown away a million songs and a million paintings because they’re boring. I sort of need to be shocked into being awake or something. Since this is the Wood Issue, I was wondering, did you spend a lot of time in the forests of British Columbia growing up? Yeah, I definitely spent a lot of time in the forest. I’ve always sort of had this kind of internal struggle between the forest and the beach. I feel like most people are just like, ‘Oh the beach is better’ and I’ve always been like, ‘oh I really like the mountains’. I can identify more with the mountains, maybe because I’m really, really scared of the ocean. The mountains are a bit safer; you can crouch in them. Whereas in the ocean you are just exposed and there are miles beneath you… and sharks. But maybe the ocean is almost more beautiful because it’s so horrifying.
La La Vasquez / Mexican Ghost (On A Boat) Paul Revere & The Raiders / Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) Francoise Hardy / Le temps de l’amour The Peelies / Does & Hoes Woods / What Faces the Sheet Komeda / Campfire The Dixie Cups / Iko Iko Jonny Trunk / Sister Woo Marina Gasolina / Leone Mozart Sister / Single Status Django Django / Default The Chap / Rhythm King Madeleine Chartrand / Ani Kuni (original master) Bobby Birdman / Don’t Walk Away Hank Williams / Kaw-Liga Beat Happening / Indian Summer
Listen to Why Alex Why?’s mixtape at littleburgundyshoes.com/mixtape
T NEX YOUR A S E CH P UR EN YOU WH n - Up Sig our r fo r e tt e wsl e N
GE T% 10 O FF
OPEN 24 HOURS
PHOTOS: SCOTT POMMIER
DIMITRI COSTE VANS.COM/OTW - ©2012 VANS, INC.
ALOMAR BY