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9 years ago
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Montreal based experimental pop/rock band Braids are set to release the follow up to the critically acclaimed album, Deep in the Iris on May 20th. The four songs for the EP were recorded in August 2015 shortly after the band completed work on Deep in the Iris, but we're surely not talking about B sides here.
With Companion, the band continues with a similar minimalist approach musically, but as you listen to the title track which begins by deeply focusing on the beautiful soaring vocals of Standell-Preston, the tension builds as the synthesizer takes a growing, more profound role in the track. The vocals and music provide a fantastic balance of emotion in the build up, and as the song begins to fade out with a delicate piano, a whispering vocal joins in, "Remember when I pushed you in, you were surprised that you floated."
The second track, Joni, takes a more powerful, upbeat approach with its booming, break-beat musical structure. Lyrically, the song addresses dealing with life's uncertainties and the personal challenges that come with it. On the other hand, Trophies for Paradox gets back to the common topic of relationships and all the complexities that go with it. The music composition is also more complex with added guitar elements in the mix. Perhaps, my favorite song on the EP is Sweet World.
The composition of the track provides a pure energy rush as it unfolds with a driving style not found with the other songs on the EP. Overall, this is a very strong re[...]
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9 years ago
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At The James Baldwin School in Chelsea, AFP's program is in its 3rd year, offering after school digital audio production, musical instrument instruction and performance coaching. Students range from 9th to 12th grade and come to the program with a variety of individual goals in mind. The sessions vary, and participants usually work individually or in small groups.
The class combines a combination of elements which are often going on simultaneously. One group may be learning how to sequence beats to a metronome track on one computer, while another student is involved in the more advanced stages of a fully fleshed out track on the next. At the same time a vocal duo may be working out harmonies to a rock ballad, while others are learning how to build scales and chords on the piano. In all cases, the fundamentals of music making are uncovered and explored. The focus is always on building a working musical vocabulary and developing the ability to use music for self-expression.
This year at Baldwin I have seen remarkable progress on every front. Beat-makers have progressed from struggling at playing simple kick and snare patterns, to building complete tracks and having their friends rap over them. Drummers who had never played a drum-set maintain a groove behind a full band. I’m especially impressed with Reshwan and Katana who had never met before. Within a few short months they have become a powerful cohesive duet act eagerly learning the theory to support their development[...]
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9 years ago
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The Art for Progress music program at Humanities Preparatory Academy, now in it’s fourth school year, is the flagship of AFP’s arts education programs. Instituted in the Fall of 2012, the program serves two classes of 12-18 students four days per week, with each day’s lunch period serving as an additional class period enabling students to seek further instruction or individual practice time. The class is open to students of all high school years (9-12) allowing a rare occasion for teens of different ages to interact on a level playing field in a collaborative setting.
There are also two after school sessions per week, which give students an opportunity to either practice alone, or to join in group music-making, which is the ultimate intention of all AFP music programming. Faculty also participate, further enriching the overall experience of the students, and the teachers learn just as much as the kids!
The goal of the program is for every student to be able to play at least one complete song. Toward this goal, all students learn the basic mechanics of music in general, and to develop proficiency on least one instrument. Although much of the class time is spent building and developing skills, the focus of the program is ultimately on giving students the tools to express themselves.
The semester begins with discussions about students’ musical interests and experiences, with everyone having an opportunity to choose a song by an artist or group that they like to share wi[...]
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9 years ago
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Thanks to Chanel's recent Cruise 2017 fashion show in Havana, Cuba, it's official! The fashion world is truly fascinated with the beautiful and mysterious island nation of Cuba.
Karl Lagerfeld in Cuba. Photo Credit: Jezebel
From gorgeous architecture to free healthcare, Cuba is a country that is definitely top of mind right now. And the Chanel Cruise collection gleaned inspiration from "Cuba’s cultural richness, traditional guayaberas, and Tropicana-influenced bouclé separates, ruffle skirts, fedoras, and berets."
Chanel models taking over the Paseo del Prado street in Havana. Photo Credit: Rex
And with a country that boasts a 99.8% literacy rate, not to mention the first ever lung cancer vaccine, the Chanel showcase is a history-making event that Karl Lagerfeld once thought would be never happen. “It was like a private joke because I thought it was impossible,” Lagerfeld told Women’s Wear Daily.
According to Yahoo!, the showcase involved 700 models, editors, and celebrities, including Gisele Bündchen, Tilda Swinton, Vin Diesel, and more.
These lucky ducks were transported to the Caribbean island via cruise ship from Miami. How amazing!
Another scene from Chanel carnival that followed the showcase. Photo Credit: @SarahMower_
“I think that [Chanel is] taking advantage of this moment in which Cuba is in view on a worldwide scale,” Glensy Palay Alonso, a psychology student at the University of Havana, tells Refinery 29.
“Suddenly, Cuba is the most tal[...]
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In a recent interview with Nylon, indie artist Mitski spoke on the potential musicians have to be representatives and role models to listeners, especially the younger ones in the internet age, saying: “...it’s so valuable that kids confused about their identity can go out and be like, ‘I’m going to Google search this’ or ‘I want to look for other people like me.’ If they look hard enough they can find those communities online..." Anyone googling Mitski at the moment will quickly be directed towards her most recent single, “Your Best American Girl” and it’s accompanying video.
Mitski’s “Your Best American Girl”
In the video, directed by Zia Anger, Mitski is contrasted with the stereotypical indie girl, who enters stage left in a flower crown and press-on tattoos to steal the video's love interest away. It's a timely comparison given that this year's Coachella, a festival known for it's outlandish and occasionally culturally insensitive outfits, is only just behind us. The video also comes at a time at which musicians are using their videos to communicate messages about identity, self-respect, and self-acceptance. Think: Beyonce and the anthem that is "Formation." Even though the temptress wins "the All-American boy" as Mitski calls him in this video, her spirits aren't so easily dampened. After some reflection, Mitski returns renewed and with a smirk shreds her guitar, as if to say 'Sure, I lost the guy, but I also sold out the Bowery Ballroom in June and wrote an ama[...]
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9 years ago
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Winner of Best Narrative Feature at the Queens World Film Festival last month, H.O.M.E. is a poignant, beautifully shot film about the importance of human connection. Its director and co-writer, Daniel Maldonado, a lifelong New Yorker, shows us aspects of the city we don’t always see via two interconnected stories: One features Jeremy Ray Valdez as Danny, a young runaway with Asperger’s Syndrome who is living in the subways. The other thread concerns a struggling Ecuadorian cab driver, Gabriel (acclaimed Mexican actor Jesús Ochoa), who helps a distraught Chinese mother (Angela Lin) get home to Chinatown.
Maldonado’s first feature, H.O.M.E. has both a dreamlike, impressionistic quality and realistic characters and scenes, a testament to his unique artistic vision and desire to create something human and relatable. The New York subway system is also a major character in the film; through Danny’s eyes, it is a repository of complex beauty and sometimes overwhelming stimuli.
The film will be screened at 10:45 pm on Friday, April 15, at Cinema Village, as part of the Manhattan Film Festival. Last week I spoke with Maldonado about the making and the meaning of H.O.M.E.:
You studied film at the School of Visual Arts?
I kind of went about it in a roundabout way; instead of trying to get into a 4-year program, I went to night school, because I was pretty much supporting myself. After two years of night classes, I completely fell in love, so I switched into the degree pro[...]
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It’s seventy days until The Vans Warped Tour! The annual outdoor tour has been making its lap of the continental US every summer since 1995. Although it started as an alt rock sponsored by every skateboarder’s favorite brand of shoe, Warped has expanded into an all-inclusive fun-for-all. Attendees can now see rappers, rockers, pop punkers and every genre in between at their local show. From The Aquabats and Antiflag to Goldfinger and Green Day, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, The Misfits and Pepper, Saves the Day, Say Anything, The Starting Line, Tonight Alive and countless others have cut their teeth during the hot days of Warped. In a way, the tour is a great equalizer. Sure, there are different stages with bigger speakers that allow for larger crowds, but out amidst the muddy fields and catering tents bands as big as Blink 182 share space and probably sunscreen with up-and-coming acts. Everyone is there for the same purpose: music.
Here are some bands from this year’s line-up that you should be sure to catch when Warped comes through this July:
3OH!3
Genre: Rap?
Hometown: Boulder, CO
For Fans of: LMFAO, Travie McCoy/Gym Class Heroes, early Ke$ha, white guy rap, Coloradians
Listen to: "BASMF" off of Night Sports
Against the Current
Genre: Pop Rock
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
For Fans of: Set It Off, Tonight Alive, We Are The In Crowd
Listen to: "Running With The Wild Things" off of In Our Bones
Bullet For My Valentine
Genre: Heavy Metal
Hometown: Bridge[...]
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9 years ago
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No April Fools joking in this report. Beyoncé's 200-piece activewear line will hit specific stores U.S. Topshop, Net-a-Porter, and Nordstrom on April 14. She announced the release date to her 65 million Instagram followers on March 31.
Ivy Park will offer comfortable workout gear, ranging from leggings, to crop-tops, to jackets.
According to a statement by the Pop icon herself: Ivy Park "purposefully goes against the celeb collaboration phenomenon. "
She also says that her line is intended to "push the boundaries of athletic wear, and to support and inspire women who understand that beauty is more than your physical appearance."
The inspiration behind the athletic line came to the superstar after realizing how much she tends to wear athleisure. "When I'm working and rehearsing, I live in my workout clothes," she says, adding "but I didn't feel there was an athletic brand that spoke to me."
As we've said before, athleisure is not disappearing anytime soon. And Beyoncé's line has even sparked a Twitter war with activewear giant Lululemon.
Tweet from Lululemon, courtesy of Jezebel:
The tweet was since removed, however the brand will have a tough time living that gaffe down. In the meantime, here's is a clip introducing the line to the world.
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9 years ago
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I’ll never forget when Wesley Nessler walking into my 9th grade class at Ft. Lauderdale High wearing checkerboard slip on shoes. I remember thinking to myself, what in the world is this kid wearing? Well, I didn’t hesitate to ask, and quickly found out that these trend setting kicks were Vans. It’s now decades later, and it would be hard to find someone who doesn’t know those shoes and that design, and as I walked through the door at the Vans’ 50th Anniversary celebration Wednesday evening, I was not surprised to find that checkerboard design in full effect.
From the super cool 3D art installations, iconic surf films and classic photography exhibit, it became quite clear that Vans has been a huge influence in American lifestyle, culture, art and sport for a very long time. Furthermore, Vans has become a cultural pillar that stands alone in its broad range of influence. It would only be fitting for the company to tie this historic evening together with diverse music performances that also span across many generations.
The modern day rockers Yeasayer kicked things off with a an impressive set of hits and newer jams, while New York hip hop legend Nas brought the roof down with classics and some newer cuts. The energy level in the room was off the charts at this point as the night was beginning to wind down.
It was great to see so many smiling faces in the huge crowd of both young and older guests. They experienced a special evening that will be remembered for a [...]
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9 years ago
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2016 is shaping up to be an interesting year for music. Kanye continues to tweet utter nonsense, the new Adele is still climbing the charts, Kendrick Lamar pulled a Beyonce and released a new album out of nowhere. A quarter of the way through and the year is already a mixed bag. Here are some highlights from the past month to ponder as we enter the warm months and festival season.
The Good:
The Foo Fighters, helmed by the nicest-guy-in-rock-and-roll Dave Grohl, are easily one of the best liked bands in the business. From playing surprise shows to playing through bodily injuries, the band wins hearts with pretty much everything they do. Even their foray into television, the HBO documentary series called Sonic Highways that focused on the evolution of American music, was well received and granted a second season. It seemed like the grandeur that is the Foo Fighters would go on everlong. That is until the band’s drummer Taylor Hawkins, during an interview at the Guitar Center Drum-Off, said when asked about the future of the band, “We’re on ihateus right now, we’re on an indefinite ihateus.”
The mention of an ihateus (hiatus) sent fans scrambling. What did he mean ‘hiatus’? Sure, Grohl had appeared sans-band and played what could sort of be considered solo shows, namely a rendition of “Blackbird” at 2016 Oscars, but was that really enough to topple such a successful and beloved band? Was Hawkins serious? Did being the drummer for a guy known as “the drummer from N[...]
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9 years ago
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The eponymous heroine of Xavier Giannoli’s film Marguerite is a tough sell on paper: a wealthy French socialite who fancies herself a great operatic singer, but who is in fact utterly tone-deaf. Yet, as played (with great sensitivity) by Catherine Frot in this French tragicomedy set in the early 1920s, Marguerite Dumont — at least when she’s not singing — is a warm, sympathetic presence with a true appreciation for music. We’re appalled by the sounds that come out of her mouth, but we can’t help but feel for this woman whose vulnerability and unhappiness is palpable.
The character is based on American socialite Florence Foster Jenkins, who has already inspired several plays as well as a forthcoming Hollywood film starring Meryl Streep. Where Jenkins was merely bad, Mme. Dumont is truly awful; her wild screeching performances are some of the most stunning (literally) moments in the film. This could have been fodder for an out-and-out farce, but though Giannoli’s unconventional movie has many humorous moments, it is also dark, poignant, and visually sumptuous.
The film begins with various people arriving at a benefit recital given in Marguerite’s opulent home. There’s young soprano Hazel (Christa Théret), arch young music critic Lucien (Sylvain Dieuaide) and his friend Kyril, an avant-garde artist (Aubrey Fenoy); we’re also introduced to Marguerite’s husband Georges (André Marcon), who pretends that his car broke down so he can avoid the concert. Several opening acts [...]
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9 years ago
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Kiev, Ukraine–based knitwear designer Anna Marinenko of Ohhio crafts the most massive and burly 100 percent Merino wool blankets, scarves, and more, that look ridiculously lush and comfortable, available on Etsy.
Photo Credit: Ohhio
And what's extraordinary about these oversized items is that Marinenko weaves them with her bare hands instead of using knitting needles, thereby creating a warm collection of comfort that features a hefty 3-inch-thick stitch.
Photo Credit: Ohhio
Image of Anna Marinenko with another designer, a photographer, a model, and a stylist
Photo Credit: Ohhio
According to Slate.com, Marinenko also sells colossal and peculiar-looking wooden knitting needles, along with huge spheres of super-thick yarn for consumers who wish "to make the chunky knits themselves."
However, as Ohhio's motto goes "we knit emotions," pointing to the brand's passion for creating "comfort, beauty and style using simple elements and honest materials." As stated on their Facebook page, "we believe, Ohhio blankets all designed to please the eye, the hand and the heart," later adding "all we knit is love."
A Model wearing chunky knits, holding humongous knitting needles, standing amid oversized balls of yarn
Photo Credit: Ohhio
A cozy cat bed Photo Credit: Ohhio
Image of large knitting needles Ohhio sells
Photo Credit: Ohhio
And her decadent designs are attracting high-profile RTW designers like Christian Siriano, who just featured Ohhio knits in his recen[...]
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