Chained
For all you men who are afraid to pick up that bar of soap your mother sent you for the holidays (you know who you are), Diesel has come thru with a scent that comes in a package and size that’s reasonable for even the man on the go. Complete with a wallet chain, a bullet shaped capsule for holding the 3 ML fragrance, and 2 refills, you can strut confidently into any room knowing you smell as hot as you think you look. If you’re the type who wants to keep it on a shelf where you sleep, look for the 75ML limited edition bottle draped with chains. There’s also one more option for the ladies: a sexy chain with an even sexier scent for the fairer of the sexes… just in case you’re looking for a last minute gift for you the one you sleep by. Check out more details here.
Bad Seeds
With the recent explosion of bands like Justice, Digitalism and labels like Kitsune and Ed Banger, dance floors can’t seem to get enough of the French electro nouvelle vague - and no one’s complaining! Get ready for the newest sensation ready to rock America’s dance floors: Teenage Bad Girl. The duo’s two brains, Guillaume Manbell and Greg Kazubski, grew up in Paris with Daft Punk in their ears as the French touch started its worldwide invasion. “Daft Punk was definitely a big shift in my way of seeing music, and that’s when I started doing electronic music, wanting to make people dance,” Guillaume recalls. Since then the two never stopped producing music in their respective bedrooms, until as luck would have it they happened to meet online. At that point, they decided to team up and Teenage Bad Girl was born.
Even today, the band still works on their tracks seperately, both adding their sound progressively, “the good thing about working on our own side is that we are more objective about what the other one does since we’re not here at the moment of creation and that let’s us produce quickly and well.” It didn’t take long for them to get noticed, and well established French act Vitalic contacted them and signed them to their independent label Citizen Records. Since the release of their first album, Cocotte, in March of last year, Teenage Bad Girl has been hitting the best clubs and festivals from Europe to Japan. They were also nominated for the Qwartz International Electronic Music Awards which will take place in Paris this coming April. “This year has been amazing, we have been touring so much! We are proud to be a part of this new French positive energy, but what remains most important to us is making people dance as much as possible either at our live gigs or DJ sets.” Until their imminent North American promotional tour, which should start in New York, you can order the newest pressing of Cocotte that features 8 exclusive remixes by the likes of European sensation Boyz Noise and the Scissor Sisters.
Lunch for PEACE
For those who are in the mood to give a gift this year that will help the greater good of the planet (not just your closet), we found a really great auction, so get your bidding on. 100 plus artist, musicians, culinary masters, entertainers and celebs, pitched in and designed a lunch box that speaks louder than words. Some, like Yoko Ono and Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, kept the design simple but the message clear, while others including London’s Lily Allen went wild with colors, patterns and collage, really bringing her style to life. The proceeds go to help feed two organizations - The Lunchbox Fund of South Africa and Food Bank For New York City. With Millions suffering from hunger both close to home and across the globe, those who have an abundance this year should support the 2007 Lunchbox Auction. Bidding ends this Friday, December 21st at 6pm EST. To see what’s up for grabs click here.
Exposing His Prbleoms
KRSN started writing on the walls of Paris’s suburbs back in the 80’s when Hip Hop was slowly but surely taking over the streets of France. Subsequently, he spent the following decade literally spinning on his head with spraypaint until 2000, when he decided to forge a new career. On many occasions, he collaborated with French clothing line Six-Pack, and he started doing more illustration work for magazines as well. KRSN’s style is simple but strong. He creates character sketches with a minimal use of color - he says he’d rather use black and white as “you only need one color to express an emotion.” Montreal’s Off the Hook will be hosting the artist’s very first exhibit in its newly renovated store/art space. The artist declined to give us a lot of details about the show, but it promises to be full of surprises! Opening last Friday, (December 14th) the show is poised to make KRSN a familiar name, on and off the streets. For more info click here.
Print With Bones
One of the newest clothing lines that’s got me all worked up, is the 21st Century Maroon Colony (21MC). The birth of the brand was in Spring ‘07, but the blood behind the name comes from African ancestors, a reference to “the Afro-Triangle”. Emeka Alams and Yego Moravia, the hearts behind 21MC have been close since they were young, but were brought together to change the face of style forever, by combining bitter truth and painful history all the while finding beauty in the modern day Maroon. As graphic as the truth can be, 21MC has found a great way to highlight some of the beautiful patterns and colors that scream Africa, but also capture the face of today’s generation. In 2008, look out for remixed/redesigned shirts dedicated to tracks by 2pac, Big Youth, De la Soul, Black Uhuru, Santogold and Nas. Spring brings back the ancestors in foil print and embroidery on t-shirts, sweaters, jackets and even leggings as well as a tribute to the 21st death day of Basquiat. Read more on 21MC as Yego breaks down “The Afro-Triangle”: “ It reconnects us with that place where the bones of our ancestors trace out the routes of trade between Africa, The Americas, and Europe like a 500 year old super highway. Literally. It’s estimated that all the bones of dead Africans during the middle passage could be lined up side-by-side to make a two lane highway from Charleston, South Carolina, U$A, to the Slave Coast of Ghana. The route then heads north to Liverpool, England, then back to the Americas, the completes the triangle. Sharks still patrol the routes of the slave ships, that’s how well fed they were during the slave trade. Supposedly, the shark population tripled between the 15th and 18th centuries…” Heavy stuff worth thinking about. Learn more about 21MC here.
Songs Not Bombs
A new electro pop punk band called Terry Poison is letting the world know that Israel is not only about war, it’s also about partying. Terry Poison was born four years ago in the newest incarnation of club culture in Tel Aviv. Their universe is not based on politically engaging songs, instead it’s an ode to the joy of living and partying. They wanna show the world a different side of their country, the unknown one, the one that the BBC and CNN don’t talk about.
The band is Petite, Louise and Gilli, three sexy, provocative, and mysterious girls that describe Terry Poison as the “sex and rock’n'roll girl they would have liked to be”. Terry Poison is everything they aren’t - it doesn’t come from a bourgeoisie home, it never goes to sleep and it never gets old. As the Israeli governement doesn’t support these kinds of musical artists, the band built its reputation by self-promotion through its MySpace page. An agent found them and contacted them, booking the girls in Paris’s hottest clubs, and helping them take Europe by storm.
They currently have an EP available on their record label Ekleroshock, but their first album won’t be out until next June. But don’t fret, the girls are already getting worldwide reviews and being supported by two of Tel Aviv’s most renowned stylists. No doubt Terry Poison is some of the best news coming out of Israel!
Girls Do It Better
It may not strike you at first glance, but these hyper-feminine, glamorous, colorful characters were born on the streets, directly from the one-and-only Miss Van. Straight from southern France, the Toulouse native soaks up her inspiration and she’s now a worldwide sensation taking her art to Barcelona, Manila and New York City. In the early 1990s at the age of 18, Miss Van first sketched what is now recognized as her signature style. Shapely, sensual dolls, whose roots can be traced to Japanese anime - a mixture of childlike creatures and otherworldly aesthetics. With a style all her own, she’s been able to build up a strong reputation in a male dominated field. Bringing pin ups, and glorious strokes of pink, she celebrates the best part of being a girl! Check out her exhibit at the Magda Danysz Gallery in Paris running through December 29th.
British Invasion
UK sensation Estelle will be performing at SOBs tonight with Hi Tek for one her first appearances in NYC. The 27-year-old who’s made it into Rolling Stone’s “10 Artists to Watch in 2008″ list is the first artist to be signed to John Legend’s Homeschool Records. Estelle, the daughter of a Senegalese mother and a Grenadian father, is a well established artist in the British Hip Hop scene. She produces, writes her own songs and owns a record label called Stellar Ent. Most recently, she opened for Kanye’s while on his British tour. With an album due next February, it seems that 2008 will definitely be a terrific year for this talented sistah. For more on tonight’s show go here. And here’s little treat:
Don’t Resist Peer Pressure
Party people get ready: Montreal’s nightlife messiahs, Peer Pressure will take Williamsburg by storm this Saturday at Brooklyn’s Glasslands. After a set last month at Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Tuesday, DL Jones and his posse will show us how to get down Montreal-style with a mix of hip hop, electro, Bmore & much much more. Over the last two years, the posse has proven time and time again that they can bring the hottest acts to the hottest parties. From last year’s NYE Jumpoff with DJ Mehdi, to Lady Sovereign’s after party, to Spankrock, Amanda Blank, Flossatradamus and Miss Pro Nails aka Kid Sister with the Fools Gold crew, Peer Pressure’s reputation keeps growing, and this is just the beginning! Did I mention that the event is ABSOLUTELY free?!? Check out DL Jones in TRACE’s Sporting Life Issue. More info here.
Streetwalker
Jonathan Levine’s love of underground art is obvious. His Chelsea gallery has boasted, time and time again, fantastic urban art scenes highlighting some of the most unconventional artists. Beginning last February with a survey of Sao Paolo’s art scene, the gallery continues its series on international street art this time exploring the streets of Europe. By inviting Europe’s most significant street artists, the gallery aims to create a visual dialogue within the global community, through an exchange of creative ideas that transcend geographical borders and cultural differences. The exhibition features 6 artists: French stencil graffiti artist Blek le Rat, and retro inspired artist Space Invader; Italian wall painter Blu, digital animation artist BO130, and microbiology and surrealism inspired Microbo, and last but not least English artist D*face known for his subversive dysfunctional characters.
Come and check out how Paris, Milan and London’s streets contribute to urban landscapes and the worldwide freedom of expression. The exhibit runs until December 29th, so all you street lovers now know what to hit during the holiday season. More info here.