TheDopeFiend :: Your Daily Fix

Bandcamp

2008-09-18T16:52:00.004-06:00

There is no doubt Myspace has helped bands and musicians promote themselves in a huge way. It's a quick and easy way to set up a website. But there is one problem with it... it is a horrible "website". It's slow, messy and their music player just downright sucks. This is why I love Bandcamp. Bandcamp let's you create a free, clean, very custom mini-site without all the ads and extra junk. Among many other features Bandcamp allows you to upload your music, set a cost and sell your music at different bit rates, see statistics on who is linking and listening to your music and much more. Viewers can also quickly share a track on Facebook, Myspace or blog. Making it very easy for others to promote your music for you. If it sounds simple, well, it is. It's the perfect quick solution for promoting your music. Check out the screencast for more info.

Le Castle Vania - The Messiah

2008-09-17T17:35:00.004-06:00

As you know I am a big fan of Le Castle Vania. As I have said before he is consistently putting out good track after good track. His latest collaboration with Computer Club is a rework of the Drum N Bass anthem called "The Messiah" by Konflict. I applaud them for stepping out on a limb and trying a new sound for what makes a great dance floor banger.

MP3 :: Le Castle Vania + Computer Club - The Messiah (Radio Edit)

Quality of Content VS Amount of Content

2008-09-16T16:04:00.002-06:00

I have a quick question for you readers out there. I have been questioning the format of this blog and would like your input. Would you prefer more posts per day, with less written content and links to info? Or do you like the format now where there are one to two posts per day with a semi-in-depth writeup on the topic of the post?

Please vote for which format you would prefer. Thanks for reading, your help and input.

2008-09-16T13:39:00.001-06:00

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Remix Rush :: Hey Girl, Hey Boy

2008-09-11T18:18:00.004-06:00

Soulwax is making quite the buzz lately. Blog readers everywhere were nearly peeing their pants with anticipation for the release of the Soulwax remix of MGMT's "Kids". This is really nothing new though. Remixes of The Gossip's "Standing in the Way of Control" and Klaxon's "Gravity's Rainbow" will go down as some of my favorite remixes of all time. Now they have released the remix of Chemical Brothers' track "Hey Boy, Hey Girl that is just amazing. The gritty baseline in this remix is enough to make the hairs on the back on your neck stand up. I can only imagine what it would be like to see Soulwax live and listen to them perform these remixes they are putting out.

MP3 :: Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy, Hey Girl (Soulwax Remix)
(Bonus) MP3 :: MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Remix)

PleaseDressMe

2008-09-10T17:43:00.003-06:00

Despite the overly bubbly/cutesy logo, the concept behind PleaseDressMe is a great one. PleaseDressMe is a search engine designed specifically for t-shirts. The site allows you to search different tees according to color, price, keywords, tags and will also select random tees if you'd like. They have also developed a Firefox plug-in so you can easily access their search. It's a really good concept, I hope the quality of their results improves and grows. At the moment you get a lot of "College Humor" type results, but I think this will quickly change.

Blood is the New Black

2008-09-09T16:23:00.003-06:00

When it comes to graphic tees I am all about simplicity. I really like the combination of simple shapes and good colors. Blood is the New Black has a bunch of designs by a bunch of different designers that fall into this category. I am also always down to support a small company that prices their product at a reasonable cost. Many of the shirts over at Blood is the New Black are under $25, and they are having a sale right now! I am excited to see future work from featured artists at this label.

Simplify Media

2008-09-05T15:06:00.002-06:00

Simplify Media is a free, and legal service that makes it possible for you to stream your music library over a private network of people. Just download the Simplify Media application and follow a small setup wizard. Invite friends to your limited network and they are then able to view and listen to your music library. This is also very handy if you are away from your home library, say at work, and you want access to all of your music. The service is available for Mac and Windows, and they even have an iPhone/iPod Touch app.

Viva Radio

2008-09-03T13:48:00.004-06:00

Sometimes listening to my iTunes playlists or library just isn't doesn't do it for me. I enjoy the surprise of not knowing what track is coming up next, which is why I listen to Last.fm, or the recently "rediscovered" Viva-Radio. I say "rediscovered" because I first found this website a couple years ago, and found it again after I heard it playing at an American Apparel store. Viva-Radio plays an eclectic mix of music and feature various contributors who's mixes you can listen to on demand. They also offer a stand alone player that you can download and and play from your desktop.

Popdeck Stores

2008-09-02T14:46:00.003-06:00

Awhile back I posted about a website called Bountee, Popdeck is a very similar site only it's for skateboards. Basically Popdeck allows you to setup an online store using their website, upload your graphics to be printed on skate decks and then sold through the store you setup with them. You are able to set your own pricing for your skate decks, and any decks sold over $30 is split 50/50 with Popdeck. You can also print and sell your own wheels, and soon they promise to have trucks and other products as well. Chuck Anderson of Nopattern even has a store.

CTRL Fall '08

2008-08-29T19:40:00.002-06:00

The lookbook for CTRL's Fall '08 line is up and looking pretty interesting. It looks to me like this Swedish label has gotten a lot of inspiration for the current design going on in Brazil. Is it me or could you not totally see Lovefoxxx from CSS wearing a pear of these? A lot of the clothing is a bit "out there" for my own personal style, but I think if worn properly some of these pieces are really cool. Especially the girl's stuff.

2008-08-27T13:50:00.003-06:00

For all you Salt Lake City kids out there, be sure not to miss this one!

Mopa

2008-08-26T16:52:00.002-06:00

Good design is fairly easy to find these days. There is an abundance of great designers all over the web, but about once a week I run across a website, or portfolio that really inspires me. Mopa is a Brazilian design firm that has some amazing work. "Mopa believes in the good side of things, optimism is a part of its everyday," says the crew of Mopa, and it shows in their work. Full of bright colors and shapes the crew has a very distinct style.

Bandsintown

2008-08-22T18:35:00.004-06:00

The other day I wrote about the event listing website Eventful. Today I discovered a similar website (with an oddly similar logo) that looks just as good, if not better. Bandsintown, like Eventful, links up with your Last.fm and personalizes your account according to the artists you listen to. Although Bandsintown has most of the same features as Eventful, I like the overall user interface better. One thing it seems to be lacking is a section for adding favorite venues, if that were added it would have pretty much everything I would want in an event listing website.

Edit: I got an email from the guys over at Bandsintown and they said more features, such as adding favorite venues are in the works. They also wanted to clear the air about the logo similarities so there was no confusion. Here is a screenshot of Eventful's logo when they first launched a year ago. And it looks as though Bandsintown launched their site in 2006.

Remix Rush :: Shadows

2008-08-21T16:51:00.003-06:00

I had been waiting years for the opportunity to see M83 perform live. I finally got the chance on my recent visit to San Francisco and I was absolutely blown away. M83 has consistently put out good album after good album, but has only done a handful of remixes. That's why I was surprised to see his recent remix of Midnight Juggernauts. The thought of the two artists collaborating on something sounds quite unlikely, and I was unsure of how good it would be when I first heard about the remix. But when I heard the track I knew I shouldn't have doubted M83's ability to create a beautiful, airy, atmospheric soundscape of a remix. Granted it doesn't sound that much like the original, but doesn't change how good it is.

MP3 :: Midnight Juggernauts - Shadows (M83 Remix)

Mimobot VDC Content Creation Contest

2008-08-19T15:53:00.003-06:00

Last year flash drive character masters Mimoco held their first design competition. This year they are at it again, but switching it up a bit with the VDC Content Creation Contest. In celebration of their new VDC Mimobot series coming out this October, they are asking you to get your creative juices flowing and submit any kind of digital media creation you want - music, video, animations, wallpapers, screensavers, games and whatever other digital creations you can think of. The winners will be selected and their creations will come pre-loaded on the VDC Mimobot series. Submissions are being accepted now so get to it!

Minitek NYC

2008-08-18T12:24:00.004-06:00

For the electronic music lovers in the New York area, you may want to consider checking out the first ever Minitek Festival going down on September 12, 13 and 14 in NYC. The festival is focusing on innovation in both music and art. Featuring musicians and artists that are using unique techniques to change the way we experience performances and exhibitions. The tickets are only $80 for the entire weekend, and with the look of the lineup of performers that seems very reasonable. Head over the their website for more info, full lineup and tickets.

Cultist

2008-08-18T12:00:00.005-06:00

As Promised, more content for the ladies. It appears as though the female focused streetwear style blog/online boutique Cultist has "revamped, restocked and relaunched" their online store. The store has some really cute stuff from labels like Insight, Hellz Bellz and WESC. I especially am liking their selection of dresses.

[via: Gorilli]

New Album By Milosh!

2008-08-14T15:01:00.006-06:00

Milosh is one of my favorite artists of all time. The recent track he has produced for Adult Swim's Ghoslty Swim really left me craving for more new tracks, and it would appear my thirst will be quenched. Due out September 23rd Milosh will be releasing his new 9 track (a bit disappointed at the shortage of tracks) titled iii. Apparently the entire album was recorded during a trip to the Thai island of Koh Samui which I find a pretty interesting. Having been there myself I wouldn't really place it as somewhere Milosh would gather inspiration for his music, so I am curious to see if it's reflected in the album.Read more about the release over at XLR8R.

EDIT: You can also preview 3 of the new tracks over at Boomkat.

Eventful

2008-08-12T15:33:00.002-06:00

In the past I have been rather skeptical of most event and concert community websites. They never seem to keep good track of the smaller, less mainstream shows and venues. However, Eventful has quickly changed my opinion. The website's integration with many other tools is the best part. Eventful not only allows you to track your favorite local venues and the shows that are playing there, but it does a great job at customizing your profile to search out artists that you like. Eventful will even search you Last.fm profile and iTunes library for the music you listen to and then search for those artists playing in your area. You can also demand artists that you would like to see in your city, join community groups and discussions and add your favorite venues and artists to your watch list.

And for those of you with an iPhone of iPod Touch be sure to check out Eventful's iPhone application.

Women's Modern Amusement

2008-08-08T17:31:00.005-06:00

I know the female readers of this blog must occasionally feel somewhat neglected. So I have decided to add a bit more female oriented content to this blog and dedicate them to the ladies, especially my girl Yuri who was recently kind enough to let me crash at her place in San Francisco for 5 weeks, and who is also an avid reader of TheDopeFiend.

Modern Amusement has been a favorite clothing label of mine for some time now. They have recently, and finally announced they will be releasing a women's line due out this Fall. From what I have seen so far the line it looks quite promising.

[Via: YASLY]

Something in the Universe

2008-08-06T13:04:00.003-06:00

It seems the creative people over at Beautiful/Decay are taking their abilities to the next level. Something in the Universe is a creative agency formed by the creators of the magazine. Something in the Universe has already done work such as identity, brand strategy, illustration and marketing for an impressive client list including MTV, Ford, Target, Scion, Stuff Magazine along with plenty more. So far their portfolio has some very impressive work and it seems like an agency any designer would hope to work for.

[Via: Josh Spear]

GRN Apple Tree

2008-07-31T14:53:00.003-06:00

GRN Apple Tree has long been one of my favorite clothing companies. Throughout the years they have managed to stay unique with their designs, avoiding most of the overdone/overused trends that most clothing companies fall into. There is a series of GRN Apple Tree's newer designs that I particularly like. The series features large prints and masked monochrome or black & white photos, masked by angular shapes. The designs are large and bold, but stay fairly minimal without being to over-the-top. The Pommier V-neck, Snap Shot and Lamp V-neck are a few of my favorites.

World Wide Renewal Program

2008-07-30T12:24:00.006-06:00

Adult Swim is at it yet again! Quickly following up their last free download compilation with World Wide Renewal Program, download it here. This time around Adult Swim has teamed up with record label Chocolate Industries. Featuring artists such as Cool Kids, Diverse, Hollywood Holt, Vast Aire along with plenty of other experimental Hip-Hop big names. Adult Swim deserves major props for not only teaming up with such great artists to create these compilations, but also for making them free to download!

Remix Rush :: Divine

2008-07-28T17:23:00.004-06:00

Sebastian Tellier has been in the electronic music game for years, making sexy beats supported by his smooth classic vocals. Tellier has collaborated with such artists as Mr. Oizo, Guy-Manuel De Hommem of French Electro forefathers Daft Punk, and more recently had remixes of his single "Divine" done by Donovan, Midnight Juggernaughts, Night Facilities and my personal favorite done by fellow Frenchman Danger. Danger, who has quite a an impressive remix resume (not to mention some of the coolest promo graphics I have seen), has done an excellent job of taking Tellier's bouncy electro-pop jam and transforming it to a dance floor fist-pumper.

MP3 :: Sebastian Tellier - Divine (Danger Remix)
(BONUS) MP3 :: Sebastian Tellier - Divine (Night Facilities Remix)

Akutou Loves You

2008-07-25T13:13:00.004-06:00

The amount of talented illustrators, designers and artists out there today is sometimes overwhelming. Everyday I find a new illustrator or designer that has so much talent, but on occasion I find one that really appeals to me. Akutou, or Thomas Pereira, is a French designer that really struck me upon visiting his website. Having done work for clients like RAC, Futurecop!, Threadless, and doing work like this, this and this Pereira is on a fast track to becoming one of my favorite illustrators. He also has a great music blog on his site worth checking out.

Midomi VS iPhone

2008-07-24T15:01:00.002-06:00

There's nothing worse than forgetting the name of the artist who sings a song you heard. Or when you hear a song in a store an really want to know who the artist is that sings it. Midomi for the iPhone takes care of these problems along with providing many other cool features. This iPhone application allows you to sing, hum or play a song into your iPhone's mic, then searches Midomi's music database to match your singing, humming or the song with the closest results. You can also simply say or type the name of a song or artist to search the Midomi database. After you do a search and results are found you can then purchase the artist's tracks from iTunes, view YouTube videos, view photos and see more tracks available from the artist. The application's interface is very simple and easy to use. I only hope that the database becomes a bit more expansive, as many of the more obscure songs I have searched have no results. Overall a great application with many uses.

Josh Spear: Big Ticket Tuesday

2008-07-22T17:23:00.003-06:00

I absolutely love Nooka watches... and what's cooler than a Nooka watch? A free Nooka watch. The crew over at JoshSpear.com has started a free giveaway every week which they are calling Big Ticket Tuesdays. Each week they will select a various item, and then devise a way for one reader to win this prize. This week the prize being given is an awesome camouflage Nooka watch. Head on over and check out the rules, and check back every Tuesday for a new prize!

Das Monk

2008-07-17T18:10:00.001-06:00

As far as I am concerned the quality of graphic tees has pretty much been on a downward spiral for the past few years, but once in awhile you find some gems. Das Monk has some cool minimal, but well designed tees. Best of all they ship for free worldwide if you buy 2 or more tees.

via :: addic[tee]d

MGMT

2008-07-17T16:30:00.004-06:00

I am a little behind on this one, and I can't believe I didn't start listening to MGMT (their website is horribly awesome) until just recently. When I think of music of the current decade, I think of music inspired by the past revisited and done right this time. MGMT sounds like classic rock done right. Their first full length album Oracular Spectacular was released in stores in January of this year. It was only after hearing the remix Justice did of MGMT's track "Electric Feel" that I decided to check them out. After hearing the original version of the song I discovered that I actually like it better than Justice's version (even though it's a great remix), and I love the entire album.

MP3 :: MGMT - Electric Feel
MP3 :: MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice Remix)
High Res Music Video :: MGMT - Electric Feel

CompleteTechnique

2008-07-16T20:09:00.003-06:00

I don't often wear jewelery, most likely because I don't often find jewelery that I think is worth wearing or purchasing. This is not the case with the pieces made by CompleteTechnique. With much of their jewelry being inspired by the audio and DJ world they have pieces that include headphones, record player head shells, microphones, cassette players and speakers. Each piece is crafted from 14K/18K Gold or Platinum and constructed with the highest level of technique.

My Drive Thru VS Converse

2008-07-14T19:22:00.005-06:00

Last month I began seeing Converse ads popping up in a bunch of magazines that featured Pharrell Williams, Santogold and Julian Casablancas. I, like many others I am sure, wondered what Converse had up their sleeve. On July 10th is was revealed that Converse had gotten the artists together to collaborate on a track in celebration of their 100th anniversary. The track titled "My Drive Thru" is available as a free download on Converse's website. The website also features many other musicians that are all often talked about in the blogosphere including MGMT, Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound, YACHT, Kid Sister, Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces, Frank Carter of Gallows; Does It Offend You, Yeah?, and Sophie of Care Bears on Fire. Again this is yet another example of a company adapting to the changing digital world, creating music available for free to the listeners while still supporting the artists behind the music.

Also be sure to check out the amazing video produced by Pharrell and animated by visual effects masters Psyop. An interview with the Psyop directors is posted here.

In The Mod

2008-07-10T18:14:00.003-06:00

In The Mod is a small application that every designer will love. The application comes in four different editions: The Flickr Edition, Webcam Edition, Your Images Edition and the Online Edition. The concept of each edition is essentially the same, creating swatches from various photos from either various Flickr photos, photos from your webcam, and photos in your personal library. Have you ever been inspired by the color way of your favorite sneakers, or by a photo that you took of a building in you neighborhood. In The Mod can import and use photos to create a swatch of 1-1,000 different colors, and then export the swatch to Photoshop of Illustrator. A handy little tool in any designers collection of apps.

Yewknee Summer Mix Series

2008-07-08T19:40:00.003-06:00

Yewknee has begun the annual Summer Mix Series for 2008. While it's only been up for less than a week there are already plenty of great submissions. If you aren't familiar with the concept of Yewknee's Summer Mix Series the rules are simple. Compile a mix of your favorite music that follows a particular theme or concept whether it be obscure or obvious. Then get creative and come up with some cover art for your mix, upload it to your file storage of choice and then submit it. It will then be posted along with the collection of other great mixtapes and hopefully you will go down in history as a Summer Mixtape Master. If you'd rather not submit your own mix I still highly recommend checking out some of the mixes available. You will have plenty of themed mixes to last you throughout the summer.

Remix Rush :: Talk Like That

2008-07-03T18:34:00.002-06:00

There is not a single bad word that can be said about The Presets. They have now released two amazing albums and plenty of dance floor pleasing EPs and remixes. With their ever growing resume, having fellow Australians Miami Horror remix their track "Talk Like That" makes the resume that much more impressive. Miami Horror, who also have quite the remix tracklist, has taken the track and added their signature electro-disco touch. Those damn Aussies just keep putting out banger after banger and I hope they don't stop coming.

MP3 :: The Presets - Talk Like That (Miami Horror)

200 Nipples

2008-07-02T18:36:00.002-06:00

Behind the clever name of the t-shirt website 200 Nipples is also what could be a rather clever idea. This clever idea works like this - 100 limited edition tee designs are made available for purchase on the site (explaining the name 200 Nipples). The cost of the 100 tees begins at $1 and goes from there to $100. For example: t-shirt #1 is $1, t-shirt #2 is $2, t-shirt #3 is $3 and so on all the way to 100. The sooner you visit the site the cheaper you will be able to purchase the design for. The problem with the concept is finding a design cool enough for someone to want to fork out $40-$100 for. The design on the site at the moment is a design I wouldn't pay anymore than $10 for. So in order for this to work I think they are going to have to get some amazing designs by some very highly regarded designers. I like the concept though.

[via: Yewknee]

Intersection Magazine

2008-07-01T15:22:00.003-06:00

I am by no means a "car guy", which is why I was surprised when I found myself purchasing the magazine Intersection the other day. Intersection magazine seems like a hybrid of a fashion, automobiles, art, design and urban lifestyle. With very well done art direction they seem to tie everything together perfectly. It's kind of the Dwell for the auto world.

Unkle Releasing 4 Free Tracks

2008-06-27T18:07:00.004-06:00

I like to see musicians using alternative means of promotion and ways of selling their music these days. Such as Nine Inch Nails making multitracks available to download and remix, or Radiohead making their album In Rainbows available to download at a "name your cost" basis and more recently Girl Talk doing the same with his album Feed the Animals. Rather than fighting file sharing and download community, they are utilizing it to their advantage.

Unkle is doing something cool to promote their new album End Titles... Stories For Film (in stores July 7th). Starting today with the track "Kaned and Able", Unkle are making four tracks from the new album available free to download via four different websites. Each track will be released on a different day, and when compiled together make one seamless piece of music that also makes up the middle section of their album. This is another great example of how artists are using innovative ways to promote themselves, benefiting both the artists and the fans.

Download the first track and see when and where the rest are available here.

Zuriick Does It Again

2008-06-25T17:17:00.002-06:00

The masters of simple elegance, Zuriick, are back with yet another line of awesome colorways and styles. The line introduces two new styles... the Taylor and the Beata, as well as three new colorways for the classic Ake. I just got back from their warehouse and I had a hard time choosing just a few that I wanted, I wanted them all.

Purchase | Read

wejetset - Travel in Style

2008-06-24T16:18:00.004-06:00

If your going to be traveling this summer and need a place to find those random travel gadgets and goods look no further. wejetset is an all inclusive website about where and how to travel in style. The site includes a store with everything from the new WeSC headphones to super cool iPod cases to language guides. Not only does wejetset sell a bunch of cool stuff, but their magazine/blog is full of little travel tidbits and information as well.

Remix Rush :: Alice Practice

2008-06-23T22:36:00.005-06:00

Crystal Castles is amazing. The wailing voice of Alice Glass, the 8-bit bleeps and unique electro-dance-punk sound is unlike any other. It surprises me there isn't more good remixes of Crystal Castles, and until now I haven't found one of "Alice Practice" that I like. Futurecop! has taken all the good parts of "Alice Practice" and chopped it up to dance perfection. With only a year of music production under his belt, the Manchester based artist has released a handful of great tracks (not to mention he has the coolest Myspace I have ever seen). This track is a bit different than the other 80s inspired tracks Futurecop!, but it's just as good and it's a remix begging to be set to repeat.

MP3 :: Crystal Castles - Alice Practice (Futurecop! Remix)

Threadless Loves Lomography

2008-06-19T14:35:00.003-06:00

One of the things I like about Threadless is that it's not just a communal t-shirt site where you vote on your favorite designs, but a website and company that also supports the design/art/music community. For example, the recent "Threadless Loves" competition is in support of the massive worldwide Lomography community, and is sponsored by the Lomographic Society International. The challenge is to create a tee design inspired by the 10 Golden Rules of Lomography (found on the contest page). Up for grabs is $2,000 cash, $500 Threadless gift certificate, several different Lomo cameras and more. The contest ends July 5th so get to it.

STEREO @ Sound

2008-06-16T17:41:00.003-06:00

This coming Wednesday (June 18th) The Sugar Rush Kids and TheDopeFiend bring you the kickoff party to our new weekly club night STEREO. STEREO is a night dedicated to bringing a whole new breed of internationally recognized DJs and bands to Salt Lake City, as well as giving local DJs the opportunity to play and gain exposure. Unlike most other weekly club nights in Salt Lake City, STEREO will feature new DJs every week, many of which have never performed in Utah. Plans are already in the works to bring out MSTRKRFT, Eli Smith and other So Sweet artists, Steve Aoki of the DIM MAK fame, and many others.

For the kickoff party Dan-oh , weekly resident at Hollywood's DIM MAK Tuesdays, will be laying down a set that's sure to be unforgettable. Also performing will be Salt Lake's own Never Eat Neon and DJ Nova from Los Angeles.

If you live in SLC and you are looking for something different check out STEREO.

Every Wednesday
Club Sound
579 West 200 South
Email here for VIP list

Electric President - Sleep Well

2008-06-13T11:05:00.006-06:00

Sleep Well is the second full length album to come from the genre-bending indietronica duo Electric President. I have anxiously been awaiting this album, and like all records that are released on Morr Music it was well worth the wait. Similar to their previous album, Sleep Well is is full of haunting, lo-fi vocals, electronic blips and folky guitar riffs. It is a great second effort for Electric President and almost sounds like a sequel to their first album. Sleep Well was released on June 6th and is available now.

MP3 :: Electric President - Monsters

Part of the Weekend Never Dies

2008-06-12T10:45:00.003-06:00

I think almost every musician/artist has dreams of touring the world, playing for hundreds of thousands of people and making people lose themselves for a short time. Part of the Weekend Never Dies is a documentary about the four members of Radio Soulwax. Filmed at over 120 shows and 6 different continents Part of the Weekend Never Dies gives us a look into the touring life of a DJ/Band on the road. It also features James Murphy, Nancy Whang, Erol Alkan, Tiga, Justice, Busy P, So-Me, Peaches, Kitsuné & Klaxons in behind the scenes footage and interviews.

View the trailer

Kitsune Noir Desktop Wallpaper Project

2008-06-11T17:01:00.003-06:00

When you spend as much time in front as your computer as I do you tire easily of your desktop wallpapers. In addition to using the application I previously mentioned, Desktoptopia, I also eagerly await the weekly release of the desktops on Kitsune Noir's Desktop Wallpaper Project. The project features super talented artists such as Mopa, Ryan Cox and Kelsey Brookes every week to produce designs and illustrations that are used for Desktop Wallpapers. All of the designs are free for download and available in almost all resolutions and even for the iPhone and PSP.

Party W/DJ Craze Tonight

2008-06-09T16:16:00.005-06:00

If you are in Salt Lake City tonight come party with DJ Craze, Kanye West's official tour DJ, at the Hotel. Never Eat Neon will be opening along with DJ Juggy, and then Craze will blow you mind.

"This is Craze - the man who arguably defined his hometown Miami turntablism scene, only to return now to reinvent this take on the Miami sound; a neo-genre of his own special blend of every which way club codes from the ghosts of discos past, present and future."

If you are interested email me to get on the guest list.

Remix Rush :: Monday

2008-06-05T12:47:00.002-06:00

After hearing the recent release of LA based glitch master, edIT, he has quickly become one of my favorite producers. Surprisingly it wasn't until I saw them perform at Coachella this year that I knew about his other group project The Glitch Mob. The crew have taken Nalepa's track "Monday" and added their unmistakable, heavy-hitting, glitch-hop sound to it. Nalepa is known for his more downtempo/atmospheric music, but this track reworked by The Glitch Mob is anything but.

MP3 :: Napela - Monday (The Glitch Mob Remix)

Find more free downloads on their official website.

I Vote For Art

2008-06-03T17:43:00.004-06:00

I love simple online tools that do their job well, especially when they allow you to make a little extra dough using your creative talents (ie. the amazing t-shirt site Bountee). The new Australian site I Vote For Art would fall into this category. I Vote For Art is simple, it allows you to easily buy and sell art and support small independent artists. Artwork is voted upon by users of the website, the most voted being featured on the homepage and towards the top of the artwork pages. Pieces must be submitted and accepted before posted to the site, and judging by the work so far the site's management has a pretty good eye.

Orisue Spring 2008

2008-05-30T14:40:00.004-06:00

Orisue has been putting out fresh stuff since 2005, and with their Spring 2008 line they have turned it up a notch. Admittedly I am still not super-fond of some of their tee designs, but their new lookbook features great new styles of hoodies, denim and a select amount of cool tees. Orisue's hoodies feature custom cuts and innovative use of materials, like the Mariner with its knit hood and pockets. The colorways of this season's denim has some unique selections like the Stack (tan) and Mint. My personal favorite piece of the line has to be the new Necalli zip hoodie with its button pockets and the clean "kelp" color. There are a million and one tee shirt lines out there, but with new pieces like this Orisue is seperating themselves from the rest.

Orisue's online store appears to be down, but you can find much of their new line at 80's Purple or Karmaloop.

Remix Rush :: Go Back

2008-05-28T17:33:00.004-06:00

Along with anyone else who loves hard-hitting Electro bangers, I have had my eye on Atlanta's Le Castle Vania for quite some time. Since his remix of Snowden's Black Eyes, Le Castle Vania has released good track after good track. His latest being a remix of GRUM's heavy hitting Go Back. GRUM has also quickly become one of my favorite Electro producers, and I couldn't think of anyone better to get their hands on this one to remix. Le Castle Vania is also 50% of DJ/producer duo Lies in Disguise who have been missing for a bit from the "blogosphere", I am looking forward to new tracks coming from that project as well.

MP3 :: GRUM - Go Back (Le Castle Vania Remix)

Baggu Shopping Bags

2008-05-22T16:53:00.005-06:00

More often than not the key to good product design is simplicity, with a bit of edge applied in moderation. As is the case with Baggu. These reusable shopping bags were designed to replace the paper and plastic bags you use at the grocery store. Unlike many other bags I have seen with the same idea in mind these bags are actually stylish and their colorways are awesome. Baggu bags are made from a durable rip-stop nylon and come with a handy little stuff pouch so you can keep it in your purse or man-bag. The best part about Baggu (besides doing your part to help save the environment) is the cost. One bag is $8, 3-packs are $22 and a 6-pack is only $38!

[via: Cool Hunting]

Junior Lucky Bastard 2008

2008-05-20T16:44:00.007-06:00

I am one of the lucky ones who's job doesn't suck, that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to travel to exotic places doing all kinds of cool things, partying and meeting lots of cool people all on someone else's dime. That is exactly what the winner of 55 DSL's Junior Lucky Bastard Contest will be doing. So if your job does in fact suck, or even if it doesn't and you want to try your hand at being the next Junior Lucky Bastard, you should check it out. Applications are submitted by making your most creative video about how you deal with your every day life. Your video must be 1:55 min in length and must be submitted by June 1st 2008. Flex those creative muscles and see if you have what it takes to be the next Junior Lucky Bastard.

Subtle - ExitingARM

2008-05-19T14:06:00.002-06:00

ExitingARM is the new album out
by the Oakland sextet Subtle. The album is said to be the third installment in trilogy of albums, the first two being A New White (2004) and For Hero : For Fool (2006). ExitingARM is the perfect finale to wrap up the trilogy, and probably the best out of the three. The group prides themselves in being hard to classify and completely genreless, and rightfully so. This album consists of many layers of various instruments combining elements of rock, electronic and jazz among others. This will be one of the best albums to drop this summer, I highly recommend checking it out.

MP3 :: Subtle - Sick Soft Perfection

Dropbox

2008-05-16T12:17:00.008-06:00

Dropbox is a new online service making it possible to easily and seamlessly sync and access your important files over multiple computers. After installing Dropbox the application creates a designated folder on your hard drive, simply drag and drop files into this folder and they are synced with your online account. Installing the application on multiple computers works the same way, except those files are now synced with all computers on your account as well as your online account. This is a great way to make sure you always have current working files if you are on-the-go or away from your computer and the ease-of-use is unmatched by any other option I have tried. Not only does Dropbox sync and backup your files, but you can also create public folders to invite others to collaborate and share files with. At the moment Dropbox is still in beta and only offers 2GB of storage. I am really hoping they offer pay plans with more storage which I am guessing is likely. The service is available for both Mac and PC and works fine over cross platform networks.

Remix Rush :: Between the Rent

2008-05-13T16:27:00.003-06:00

Every remix of a Snowden song that has been released has been a good one. The latest rework of Between the Rent, by Wisconsin's party starters The Glamour, has been added to the ranks of quality Snowden remixes. There is something about the wailing voice of Snowden's Jordan Jeffares that welcomes any good dance beat. In this case The Glamour has done a great job with distorted, echoey blips married with stuttered vocals to create a perfect dance floor mover.

MP3 :: Snowden - Between the Rent (The Glamour Remix)

Creative Recreation Summer Line

2008-05-12T21:56:00.002-06:00

Creative Recreation make shoes unlike any other. They pride themselves in designing shoes that are difficult to categorize. The Orange County based company makes shoes that are neither athletic, dress or street footwear, but a hybrid of influences samples from many categories. I really like the materials, unique design and especially the colorways of the new summer line. The line has great designs for both men and women, as well as designs varying from casual to more semi-formal. Available at Balance Lifestyles, SportieLA and Zappos.

Anticipated Album Releases

2008-05-09T17:57:00.005-06:00

:: The Presets - Apocalypto
Available on iTunes now, actual CD release May, 15
:: The Black Ghosts - The Black Ghosts
July, 8th
:: Apparat - Things to be Frickled: Parts and Remixes
Amazon, April, 15th
:: Para One - Water Lilies
May, 20th
:: Air - Air
Amazon, May, 20th
:: Ladytron - Velocifero
Amazon June, 3rd

TRKFLD

2008-05-06T13:30:00.004-06:00

"We Make Bags." it's as simple as that to TRKFLD, who do much more than just that in my eyes. TRKFL (Pronounced Track + Field, as far as I can tell) makes a wide variety of colorful and unique backpacks, handbags, messenger bags and more. All of their products are made from Sunbrella® brand fabric which is a high quality acrylic designed to be fade resistant, water repellent, breathable and best of all super vibrant. Unfortunately it does not look like they have and online store at this point, but check their store list and see if there is a retailer near you.

Coachella Review '08

2008-04-30T17:00:00.004-06:00

Surprisingly this year was my first visit to Coachella. I had not planned on going and have never been big on music festivals, but this year I made a spontaneous decision to drive down with some friends. The line-up this year included a lot of acts I was excited to see, most of them electronic performers. I had many expectations as to who would blow me away, who would be okay, and who would most likely let me down. For the most part I would say my expectations where all proven to be wrong. Here is the rundown on my Coachella experience and on the performances I saw.

See videos
See photos

BLOWN AWAY

Justice
Okay, admittedly I actually didn't expect to be blown away by Justice, it was more of a hope. I had seen a DJ set by Justice before In Hong Kong and enjoyed it greatly, but it didn't quite live up to the hype. Their performance at Coachella lived up to the hype and surpassed it by a long shot. I would go so far as to say it was the best performance I have ever seen. The set was compiled of live remixes of their songs, and also what seemed to (hopefully) be previews of some new tracks to come. The stage set, lights, sound, everything was perfect. The only downfall to the experience was the lack of some people's enthusiasm in the crowd. I will never doubt Justice again.
See Video

Simian Mobile Disco
I wasn't sure what to expect of Simian Mpbile Disco's performance. I had seen videos of how the make their music live, circling around mostly analog instruments tweaking knobs. The show started out a bit slow for me, but by the time the build up to Hustler was being played it was totally on. This performance would probably rank in my top 3 performances of this year's line-up, I was totally blown away.
See Video

Boys Noize
Surprisingly it was the smaller, daytime DJ events that had the best vibe. The crowd at these events seemed to be there specifically for the DJ and the music. Boys Noize has impressed me remix after remix, consistently releasing good tracks. I was then even more impressed when he released his full length album Oi Oi Oi last year. I had high expectations of Boys Boize and they were fully met.
See Video

PLEASANTLY SURPRISED/SHOCKED

Holy F*ck
Holy F*ck has never made a big impression on me before this performance. I have had a hard time sitting down and listening to more than just a few tracks of theirs at once. The live performance by these guys completely shocked me, it is truly live electronic music. The way they sample and loop their music is amazing. I highly recommend seeing them.

Kid Sister, A-Trak & Flosstradamus
It is good to see people making fun, dancey, silly, good hip hop. Kid Sister's performance was pure entertainment. It was fun, light and her music is made for partying. Opening for Kid Sister was the world famous A-Trak who was not surprisingly fantastic, and backing her up was Flosstradamus. I had expected the show to be good, but I was surprised at how good it really was. I would put this performance in my top 5 at Coachella this year.
See Video

Hot Chip
Again, I like a track here and there by Hot Chip, but have never been one to listen to an album in one sitting. Going into the show I expected more of a rock show, but what I got was a dance party. During their live performance their music is so much more energetic, bouncy and fun than on their album. It's always nice to gain that much more respect for a band after seeing them live, and that was my feeling after this show.
See Video

LET DOWNS

Aphex Twin
In my mind Aphex Twin is one of the godfathers of electronic music. With an insane resume/discography I went into the show expecting to be blown away, instead I ended up leaving early. The music was nothing that I had heard from Aphex Twin before, and sounded painfully generic. Maybe I went in with too high of expectations, but regardless it was a big let down.

Mum
I am convinced that there are some artists/bands that just don't really work in the Coachella atmosphere. I would say Mum is one of those bands, especially the time of day they played and their order in the lineup. I had just seen Sebastian and Busy P play their sets, and then moving from that into Mum was a difficult transition. Not only that, but I had expected their set to incorporate a much more of an electronic element. I am a big fan of Mum and their electronic, blippy sound, but their set seemed more symphonic than electronic, and truthfully was just pretty boring.

Fatboy Slim
I decided to see Fatboy Slim mostly out of nostalgia than anything else, also the fact that in most parts of the world he is regarded as a god in the dance music scene. To me he mostly came off as a creepy old guy still trying to relive the glory from his last solid album that was released 8 years ago. Maybe that comes off as sounding a bit harsh, but really the only thing that intrigued me about his performance was the enormous LCD screens he was DJing on top of. His performance, actions, facial expressions all seemed contrived and hokey.
See Video

OTHER WORTHY MENTIONABLES
:: Glitch Mob (Including edIT)
:: Sebastian
:: Stars
:: Yelle
:: Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Adult Swim VS Ghostly

2008-04-23T15:16:00.003-06:00

Adult Swim is at it again with yet another surprising music release, this time teaming up with electronic masters Ghostly International. The release is appropriately titled Ghostly Swim and features Ghostly artists like Tycho, Cepia, Dabrye, Matthew Dear and JDSY. I love all those artists, but I was very excited to see that Milosh had contributed to Ghostly Swim. His track titled "Then It Happened" has to be my favorite on the compilation so far. Like Adult Swim's first musical release done with Dangermouse titled The Mouse & The Mask, Ghostly Swim is available as a free download from their site including awesome cover art and music video.

Songbird

2008-04-17T12:47:00.003-06:00

I have had my eye on the web browser/music player hybrid Songbird for awhile now. Songbird has recently released version 0.5 and it's looking pretty awesome. Songbird brings you features of other music players like iTunes, playing music from your hard drive and iPod. In addition to these features Songbird also doubles as a web browser that can play/download MP3s directly from music blogs or other music sites. Although I can't really see using Songbird as my primary browser, it is built using the Mozilla platform so you definitely could. Overall I think the new version of Songbird is a solid tool for browsing MP3 blogs. Additional features include downloadable skins or "feathers", iTunes Library Import, LastFM Audioscrobbler plug-in, Album Art Manager and a long list of other available plug-ins.

[Available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux]

Remix Rush :: Beeper

2008-04-15T14:35:00.003-06:00

A-trak has been on a roll lately developing quite the remix resume. "Lately I've been putting more emphasis on production..." says A-trak, and it shows. A-trak seems to have broadened his focus from hip-hop to putting out more electro dance floor bangers. In just the past while he has released remixes for Boys Noize, Kanye West, Digitalism, Architecture In Helsinki, Simian Mobile Disco and more. His latest work was done on Sinden's track "Beeper". To be honest I wasn't all that keen on the original version, but A-trak has added that extra little something that makes it a little more hard and dirty. It's rumored he is currently working on a remix for MSTRKRFT's new release "Bounce", I can't wait for that to drop!

MP3 :: Sinden - Beeper (A-trak Remix)

Remix Rush :: YOA

2008-04-11T15:59:00.004-06:00

The Twelves have consistently been dropping good remix after good remix, but it's their recent remix of "YAO" by Theatre Of Disco that I completely fell in love with. This bouncy, electro-pop track infused with the cutest female vocals is the perfect Springtime house party soundtrack. I imagine red plastic cups with names markered on the side, girls with their mascara running down their face from jumping in the pool in their underwear and this track on full blast in the background. Have a listen and see what weird fantasies come to mind when you hear it.

MP3 :: Theatre of Disco - YOA (The Twelves Remix)

Sugar Rush Vol.II

2008-04-10T02:25:00.004-06:00

See a few photos from the last party here.

Desktoptopia

2008-04-09T17:41:00.003-06:00

Desktoptopia is an awesome little desktop/wallpaper manager that will automatically update your PC or Mac with fresh wallpapers directly from their online vault of wallpapers. Simply install their free software and set your preferences to how often each wallpaper changes and which libraries you want them selected from. They claim to have a panel that only selects the best of wallpapers submitted, and most of them I have seen so far have been pretty cool. However, if for some reason you aren't liking the selected wallpaper you can easily skip to the next.

[Via: Josh Spear]

M83 - Saturdays = Youth

2008-04-07T16:38:00.004-06:00

I few days ago, after listening to the new album Saturdays = Youth by M83, I posted the following on Twitter - "the new M83 album... reminds me of everything good about 80s teeny-bopper movie montages." A few days later I read an article in XLR8R's April issue that explained Anthony Gonzalez's inspiration for the entire album was '80s movies, specifically noting The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Say Anything. Then after having a look at the cover art it became apparent. I was shocked to see how well they (produced by Ken Thomas, Ewen Pearson and Anthony Gonzalez) were able to get this across in the album without being cheesy, and still sticking to the original M83 sound. My favorite song on the album is by far "Graveyard Girl", have a listen, also check out the music video.

MP3 :: M83 - Graveyard Girl

Purchase Saturdays = Youth

FeelTheNoise!

2008-04-02T10:55:00.009-06:00

New mixtape out by myself - Kidplastik. Feel free to repost and spread around the blogosphere.

MP3 :: Kidplastik - FeelTheNoise! (43:30 Min.)
External Link

Tracklist:
1. Quite Riot - Come On Feel the Noise
2. Plus Move - Boss
3. Classixx - Cold Act Ill (Radio Edit)
4. Boys Noize - Oh! (A-Trak Remix)
5. Ghostface Killah - Charlie Brown (Yuksek Remix)
6. Donovan - Yo!
7. The Bell - I Am History (Whitenoise Remix)
8. Hail Social - Heaven (Designer Drugs Remix)
9. Thieves Like Us - Drugs In My Body (Designer Drugs Remix)
10. Kill The Noise - Hey You (Le Castle Vania Remix)
11. Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (Dusty Diamonds Feet of Fury Remix)
12. Late of the Pier - Space and the Woods (GRUM Remix)
13. Cansei de Ser Sexy - Music Is My Hot Sex, Hot Sex (Kill The Noise Remix)
14. Queens of the Stone Age - Better Living Through Chemistry (Streetlife DJs Remix)
15. Daft Punk - Around the World (Villians' More Cowbell DJ Edit)
16. MSTRKRFT - Bounce (feat. N.O.R.E.)
17. Super Mal - Bigger Than Big (Bag Raiders Remix)
18. HEARTSREVOLUTION - CYOA (Flosstradamus Remix)
19. Alex Gopher - The Game (Bloody Beetroots Remix)
20. The Toxic Avenger - Poker Face (Lies In Disguise Remix)
21. Mr. Miyagi - Pick Your Poison (JFK Remix)

Remix Rush: The Cribs VS Postal Service

2008-04-01T10:25:00.003-06:00

It seems any mention of the blip-pop masterminds Postal Service generates mass amounts of buzz along with questions of when their follow-up album to Give Up will be released. This is exactly what happened when I Twittered about having found a recently released remix by Postal Service. I was bombarded with requests from friends as to where they could get their hands on it. The remix seems to have been released late February/early March, and is a rework of the track "I'm A Realist" by English rock band The Cribs. The track isn't exactly all I had hoped for in a new remix by Postal Service, but is a good bouncy tune and would fit nicely with any springtime playlist. With any luck this is an attempt to generate some buzz for an album release this summer!

MP3 :: The Cribs - I'm A Realist (Postal Service Remix)

Vitamin Water

2008-03-27T17:51:00.002-06:00

I have never been a big drinker of Gatorade, Powerade or any of the other similar drinks. Call it this inner designer in me, but when I first saw the packaging for Vitamin Water I had to try it. With 15 different flavors and vitamin combinations Vitamin Water's selection is pretty awesome. Each one of these flavors/vitamin combos is engineered for a specific purpose, whether that be energy, focusing, relaxing, balance, endurance and a lot more. It tastes as good as it looks too, no sugary aftertaste and very refreshing.

Sugar Rush Vol. II

2008-03-26T15:20:00.004-06:00

The first ever Sugar Rush dance party was held on the on the 1st of this month and the event far exceeded are expectations. With over 800 kids walking through the door and onto the dance floor shit got insane. The folks at MixRevolution and TheDopeFiend are back at it with Sugar Rush Vol. II. The lineup includes NeverEatNeon, Nova, Matt Hoffman and Mikal2000. This time around we have selected a different, smaller venue so if you plan on attending you best get there early, this event is sure to sell out.

Brought to you by Zuriick and Skull Candy.

Stay tuned for more info and official Sugar Rush mixtapes to come.
VIEW FLYER HERE!

Giant Vintage

2008-03-25T16:23:00.004-06:00

If you are like me you agree that for most vintage goods the price tag is usually pretty ridiculous. Giant Vintage has loads of sunglasses that are strait from the 80s and 90s and most of them are $20 or less! Some of the pairs are a bit too much for my liking, but many are already on my "to buy" list. Time to stock up for summer days in the sun.

Remix Rush: Control

2008-03-20T20:14:00.003-06:00

It's no secret I am a fan of the "king of party", Mr. Steve Aoki. I honestly have no idea how the guy makes time for everything. Somehow between DJing at a different club pretty much every night of the week, running his record label/clothing line Dim Mak and posing as the posterboy of the party scene he finds time to produce a banger of a remix by Metro Station. I heard Metro Station not long ago, but since they have been somewhat of a guilty pleasure. While listening to Metro Station I imagine teenage girls locked in their rooms, relating to the lyrics and browsing Myspace while they are supposed to be doing their homework. "It's like... totally... cornily... awesome!" Steve has managed to transform their track "Control" into a DJs secret weapon to get the crowd hyped.

MP3 :: Metro Station - Control (Steve Aoki Remix)

(Originally posted at RCRD LBL)

iPartee

2008-03-18T14:20:00.005-06:00

No, despite what it sounds like iPartee is not another random overpriced accessory for the iPod. It is in fact a website designed for people who want a one-stop-shop for party events. In a nutshell this site allows you to plan events and share info with friends, share and promote your events, see what events your friends plan on attending, post photos of events and of course gives you widgets to share this info on your site. One feature I would see using a lot on this site is the venue guide. Whenever I visit another city I find myself browsing tons of useless websites trying to find what is going on where. If iPartee catches on I could see it being a great tool to browse venues and events in unfamiliar cities. In the sea of cool websites popping up these days it's a bit hard to stand out from the rest, but if iPartee manages to do so it could be great.

Embrace Miami

2008-03-13T12:57:00.003-06:00

If you were to gather a majority of the biggest electronic/dance music names talked about throughout the blogosphere in the past year and throw them all into one massive event you would have Embrace Miami. Miami seems to be an epicenter for insane dance parties and with Embrace's roster of DJs and artists it is sure to add to the reputation. The website isn't all that informative about the actual event, but with Deadmau5, Switch, Sinden, Drop the Lime, M.A.N.D.Y., Junior Boys, DJ Medhi, VNDLSM, Erol Alkan, Simian Mobile Disco and Boys Noize all performing at the same event I am not sure what else you need to know.

Ghostland Observatory

2008-03-06T18:39:00.003-07:00

I recently went on a three month stretch of not having a car, and quite honestly the thing I missed most about my car was driving alone and cranking my music. I can't think of many better stress relievers. Today while driving I came across a track I hadn't payed much attention to before but really struck a chord at this particular moment. The track was "Silver City" by Ghostland Observatory from their album delete.delete.i.eat.meat. These guys have a really wide variety of sounds and "Silver City" has to be one of my favorites. I highly recommend checking this track out as well as their new album that was just released on the 4th of March by the name of Robotique Majestique.

MP3 :: Ghostland Observatory :: Silver City

Design By Humans

2008-03-05T15:16:00.004-07:00

I have expressed before my love/hate feelings for Threadless. The idea was a great one, and they opened the door for a whole new way of selling products. On the other hand, not all, but many of the designs they print look amateur, the tees they print on are super cheap and fit funny. That being said there are people who have taken the idea and created similar, improved versions of Threadless. One of these site being Design By Humans. The minute I visited the site I saw several designs I wanted to purchase right away. The site is simple and to-the-point and new winners are announced weekly. They offer shirts with specialty inks, mixed media and classic prints. I am not sure of the quality of the tees and ink, but I plan on purchasing a few tees so I will keep you posted on my findings.

[via :: Yewknee]

Remix Rush: Lauren From Glebe

2008-02-27T16:23:00.005-07:00

Occasionally I come across a remix so good I hesitate spreading it around. So good I don't want it to get burnt out or overplayed. When I first heard this remix of "Lauren From Glebe" by Damage I hesitated posting it. After listening to it on repeat for a week I couldn't resist. I have been waiting for a good remix of a track off Muscles' new album since it was released. This edit keeps all the great elements of the original and adds just enough to make it a hyped-up banger. This is the second remix Damage has done of a Muscles track, the other being of "One Inch Badge Pin" which is also really good. Damage is yet another artist emerging from Down Under with a hand full of great party tracks like remixes of Ming and Ping, Frankmusic and Lifelike.

MP3 :: Muscles - Lauren From Glebe (Damage Edit)

Orisue Keeps It Fresh

2008-02-26T16:15:00.005-07:00

I have had my eye on Orisue for awhile now and it's been great watching their style and brand develop. Having seen them at Magic this season and thinking back to all the bad clothing I saw there, it's apparent that these guys stand out from a lot of the other shit. The new line this season has a ton of great stuff including cut-and-sewn crew sweaters, cut-and-sewn full-zip hoodies, fitted hats and one of my personal favorites the Tiger Hoody which has an offset neck zipper. Check out the rest and shop over at Karmaloop.

The Fader/New Ear/Panda Bear Winner!

2008-02-19T22:56:00.002-07:00

Congrats to Nicholas Hamidjaja out of the T-Dot for winning The Fader/New Ear/Panda Bear Cap Contest! You just scored yourself 1 of 80 of these super limited edition caps! You best not go and sell that shit on Ebay!

Tradeshow Roundup

2008-02-18T14:09:00.007-07:00

I am back from Las Vegas and back to the freezing temperatures of Salt Lake City. Over the four days in Vegas I was able to check out all four of the major fashion tradeshows going on during the week - Magic, Pool, Project and United. I would have to say I enjoyed Project and Pool the best, however, I think Magic did step up their streetwear section this time around. United had its highlights, but In all I feel their were more creative things going on at Pool and Project. Here are just a few labels or projects that stuck out as I was browsing up and down the many, many isles of convention center carpet:
:: Beautiful Decay
:: Spitfire
:: Zuriick
:: Quite Hero
:: Deter
:: Rise Up
:: Denada Designs
:: Dim Mak

Magic, United and More

2008-02-11T20:46:00.001-07:00

I am off to partake in the trade show madness tomorrow in Las Vegas. I will be attending United, Magic and hopefully more. Stay tuned for tradeshow goodness and Las Vegas badness.

Etnies Plus

2008-02-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

The new line out by Etnies called Etnies Plus has got me drooling on my keyboard. It has been a long time since I have seen a pair of Etnies I would consider wearing, but almost every single shoe in this line (both Men and Women's) are amazing. I particularly like the Rock Steady Hi and the Upsetter. Word on the street is these are very limited edition, if anyone has any info on where to score a pair I would love to know!

RCRD LBL

2008-02-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

If you like good music, and you like good free music, and you like to read about good free music I suggest you head over to RCRD LBL this very minute. RCRD LBL is an online record label that gives exposure to both emerging artists and artists already established. The music released on RCRD LBL is absolutely free, and absolutely legal. Of course the idea of a music blog with free MP3s is not unique to this site. What makes RCRD LBL unique is that the artists are compensated by ad revenue generated by the site. So every time you visit the site you are supporting your favorite bands. Everybody wins... you get to fill your iPod, artists get to share their music and get paid.

Snow Covered Morning EP

2008-02-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have always been a fan of artists that aren't afraid to cross musical boundaries. A friend of mine by the name of Marcus Bently recently released his new EP titled Snow Covered Morning. Previous to the work he has done on this EP he has been known for his more acoustic approach to music. After working with well known House producer Kaskade and experimenting with a more electronic sound he has released a very impressive first attempt at the sound. I personally think Bently would fit nicely in your album collection right along with Modular artists VHS or Beta and Cut Copy. Bently has proved his musical skills no matter the genre, nice work.

MP3 :: Marcus Bently - Beautiful World

Available on iTunes here

Remix Rush: Feel Good Inc.

2008-02-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

Last night while listening to LastFM Radio I heard a song on the recently released "D-Sides" by Gorillaz which influenced me to check out the entire 2-disk release. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across a remix on the album I hadn't heard yet... a remix of Feel Good Inc by Stanton Warriors.

The entire second disk of the 2-disk set is compiled of remixes by masters like Metronomy, Soulwax, DFA, Hot Chip and more. Some of the reworks are better than others, but in all I would recommend checking it out. The first disk also has some good original tracks that didn't make it onto previous releases.

MP3 :: Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc (Stanton Warriors Remix)

The Fader/New Era/Panda Bear Contest!

2008-02-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

If you have missed out on the other contests to get your hands on Panda Bear's collaboration with The Fader and New Era you have been given another chance! This is the first in a series of super-limited-edition caps put out by The Fader and New Era and was designed by Noah Lennox himself. So here is how to score this cap along with a free 1-year subscription to The Fader - simply email me with your name, address and your top 5 blogs or daily reads (please include "Panda Bear/New Era/The Fader Contest" in the subject line). Simple as that. The winner will be randomly selected this Friday (the 8th). Don't forget to include your top 5 blogs or you will be disqualified.

Oh PS - There were only 80 of these caps made, so if you want one you best enter!

HARD NYE

2007-12-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

My friend Jeff and I were talking the other day about plans for NYE. He mentioned we should head down to LA for Hard NYE. At the time I was like, "Ah, I don't know if it's worth driving all the way down there and dealing with the insane mass of party kids and all the other shit". Later I got to thinking about it and almost punched myself in the face. Since when is a road trip with friends to go see Justice, Peaches, A-trak, Steve Aoki and tons of other kick ass DJs a "pain". Damn, what was I thinking? There's going to be a midnight countdown by Peaches herself, along with acrobats and a special screening of Daft Punks new film Electroma. So if the stars align properly and I am able to take make it to what is sure to be an insane party, perhaps I will see you there.

Wear Palettes

2007-12-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

Like most other designers/artists I find myself being influenced by a huge variety of sources. More often than not I get a great idea for a project when I am away from the computer. Like say a color scheme for a website from a well dressed woman walking down the street. The blog Wear Palettes has taken inspiration from the street photography of The Sartorialist and created color schemes using the awesome web tool Colour Lovers, then posting them all on their blog. A great idea for cataloging inspiration for design and fashion. I think it would be interesting to do this with a party photographer's shots, like this one from Shadow Scene. I am sure you could come up with some some interesting schemes.

edIT Drops Bombs

2007-12-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

edIT is bringing something new to hip-hop. Something that has been lacking for some time now, a new perspective. In my eyes hip-hop has been stuck in a rut. Sure there have been occasional producers and MCs doing their thing, but when I heard edIT's new full length Certified Air Raid Material it immediately stood out in my mind as something different. This album brings aspects of all my favorite genres and mashes the into one undefinable style of music. It's obvious that edIT has been influenced by the French dance movement, as most tracks have that dirty/gritty sound you might here in an electro dance floor banger, but it's more than that. It seems edIT has also been influenced by a lot of glitch and IDM for this album as well. Stand out tracks in my mind include "Battling Go-Go Yubari in Downtown L.A." (coolest song title ever), "Artsy Remix" featuring the The Grouch and "Crunk De Gaulle" featuring TTC and Busdriver. These MCs and edIT productions skills are a recipe for an instant classic, as well as a dance floor shaker.

MP3 :: Battling Go-Go Yubari in Downtown L.A. (Highly recommended)
MP3 :: Crunk De Gaulle (ft. TTC, Busdriver & D-Styles)

In Love With Bountee

2007-12-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

Strait to the point here... Bountee is the coolest website I have come across in a long time. This says a lot because I visit hundreds of sites a day, and spend an embarrassing amount of time in front of this LCD screen. Bountee gives you the ability to design and sell t-shirts in the simplest and easiest way possible. There is no voting necessary in order to have your design printed. You make it. You sell it. You get paid! I love that everything has been done in the simplest way possible and gives the designer the power. You determine the price (anything above the base price), the color of shirt, the placement of the design, everything. After your design is created and uploaded Bountee does the rest, taking care printing, ordering and shipping. I plan on putting this website to use ASAP!

BONUS
CrownDozen and Bountee have teamed up to bring you 3 free t-shirts a week throughout all of December! Head over here for the details.

TheDopeFeed

2007-12-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you who use RSS readers I'd like to let you know I finally fixed the feed for this site. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy.

Mag.nificent

2007-12-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

I am a complete sucker for magazines. In fact TheDopeFiend originally began as Mesh Magazine, a printed magazine I was publishing. If you also love the high you get from the smell of a freshly printed 'zine check out Mag.nificent, a blog that features "Magazine culture, obsessively & compulsively documented". This blog covers a huge variety of different magazines and is sure to open you up to more mags to feed your addiction.

Boosted VS Madsteez

2007-12-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

I think it was close to 7 years ago when I first started Mesh Magazine I published an interview with Mark Darren AKA Madsteez. His crazy style really caught my attention and I knew it was only a matter of time before he blew-up. Now his name is all over and his artwork is crazier than ever. The recent project he collaborated with Boosted Mobile on is no exception. The Madsteez x Boosted Device Case Collection has pieces designed to accommodate just about any of your electronic gadgets such as cell phone, iPod or Blackberry. In addition to the electronic device cases the collection also offers a larger sized nap sack, messenger bag and hip bag, all of which are made from "vegan-approved" materials. Check out BoostedMobile.com for more info and retailer locations. Also peep this exclusive Boosted interview with Madsteez himself to see what he has to say about his art and his future plans.

Zuriick Fall '07

2007-12-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Zuriick's new Fall/Winter line has been released and it's about damn time. I have been patiently waiting for some of these new shoe designs for months and they are finally here. The line includes new colorways of the original "Ake", which I love for its simple but original design. Zuriick's new line also brings us three entirely new designs including the Jakob (my personal favorite), the Kettle and the Beata. These new styles present some features Zurrick has never had before like laces, high/mid tops and different fabrics. In addition to the new designs Zuriick has made other improvements, making their soles a bit thicker, more durable and stepping-up the quality of their shoes overall. Be sure to check out the new tee designs as well. Head over to Zuriick's blog to find a retailer near you, or their online store to purchase.

Remix Rush: Mr. Miyagi

2007-12-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

For one reason or another the Klaxons have been thrust to the forward of the NuRave movement (hate the word or not, I am still using it) being hailed as the genres poster boys. And even though I dig the Klaxons, I don't see much "rave" in their music at all. I would be far more likely to throw several of their remixed tracks into this category. One in particular I recently came across is by hard-hitting duo Mr. Miyagi. This is by far my favorite remix of Atlantis to Interzone to date, and if anyone was going to do it, it would have to have been Mr. Miyagi. The two have been on a remixing roll editing up tracks by Cicada, Melomantics and have had one of their original tracks remixed by none other than JFK. Also check out their official mixtape if you get a chance.

Klaxons :: Atlantis to Interzone (Mr. Miyagi Remix)

[via :: Ohh! Crapp, a music blog very much worth a checkout. They've got some great posts and great interviews]

Humble Voice

2007-12-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

Social networks are important for self-promotion, inspiration, boredom, and well... networking! Although, it's getting more and more difficult to choose which social networks to join simply due to the number of them out there. If you are an artist, or appreciate artistic work I would recommend checking out Humble Voice. This is a social network and portfolio site that showcases the portfolios of musicians, photographers, writers, videographers and other artists. It seems like a very to-the-point website that has filtered out all the extra bells and whistes, and focused on the essentials. Create and customize your own multi-paged portfolio, link-up with and browse the profiles of other artists. The website is very well built and deserves a huge pat on the back, I just signed up for my account and can't wait to start customizing it.

Karmaloop TV

2007-11-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Conventional TV is dead. Conventional advertising is dead. Mediums have changed and so have the companies that have chosen to fully utilize these new mediums to their advantage. Karmaloop TV is a great example of this. Karmaloop has long been a progressive online boutique carrying the freshest urban clothing designs. Rather than simply sticking to only that, they are now adapting and creating web-based TV to promote the culture and audience that supports their online store. Featuring video snippets about people in the fashion, music and art industries Karmaloop TV has hours of entertainment. I am excited to see companies like this adapting and being progressive in this way. Not only are they promoting themselves, but also the culture that helps support their company. Nice work.

80's Purple

2007-11-26T14:38:00.001-07:00

I would be willing to say that over 50% of my clothing is purchased online. I have a few favorite online boutiques that I often check for new goods, one of them being 80's Purple. Nearly every label that 80's Purple carries is purchase worthy. With a great selection of both men and women's clothing, you will find goods from WeSc, GRN Apple Tree, Insight, Boxfresh and more. The prices are that of what you would pay at your average boutique, the selection is acceptional and be sure to check out their eyewear for some awesome vintage sunnies.

Remix Rush: Flux

2007-11-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Call it Indie-Electro, call it electro-rock, call it the better than any song on A Weekend In The City, just don't call it non-danceable. Bloc Party gets back to their up-tempo roots on their new EP Flux with the original version and four amazing remixes of the track. It's no surprise that my favorite remix on the EP is by one-half of MSTRKRFT, the one and only JFK. This is not the first Bloc Party track JFK has graced with his remixing abilities. He and his MSTRKRFT counterpart remixed Bloc Party's Two More Years, which probably got more play by fans than the original. It seems JFK has been doing some solo work lately having also re-worked tracks by Goose and Mr. Miyagi. I hope this is not a sign of trouble on the home front for MSTRKRFT, either way JFK is doing his thing and doing it well.

Bloc Party :: Flux (JFK Remix)

Buy the EP for only $3.49.