Sex shops are funny. Neon cliches hang above heavily cloaked windows, hailing a “Couples Welcome!” policy, or supposedly enticing DVD rental deals, inviting all-too-obvious questions like, Who the fuck goes there? or, perhaps, Do people not know porn is free on the internet? Inside you can usually find a predictable cast of characters, like the 20-something couple or middle aged man, all awkwardly dodging eye contact and trying not to judge themselves. More than likely, you’ll find some cheap fluorescent pink boa lingerie hanging in the corner, dildos sealed in plastic packaging across the walls, and [...]
Today we're back with another episode of our 200 part series, W.G.W.T.O. (What's Good With The Ocean?) The thing I often marvel at is the perpetual nature of the ocean. Through every war and every conflict on land, throughout the history of mankind, the ocean has been here, quietly evolving under the surface. It's like we're on one earth with two worlds, with one vastly more mysterious than the other. I'd like to direct your attention towards the kelp forests off the coast of California today. Tall as a three story house, with the potential to grow [...]
If I'm really being honest with myself, I might be a little too laid back for my own good. Somewhere deep down, possibly somewhere in the spirally centers of my DNA structure, is an unwavering pull toward all things settled. The unshakeable tendency to lounge. To lay back, and drift and daydream and let all the bullshit blow away in the breeze. In making the transition to adulthood though, some things have had to change. I comb my hair on most days. I drink coffee from time to time, and occasionally I'm even on time to stuff. Shit, I don't [...]
It's a bit difficult to neatly sum up the significance of The Source Family's legacy. Established in the early '70s with loads of contemporary relevance, The Source Family remains one of America's most extraordinarily peculiar social experiments. Their story is one of love, sacrifice, sex and religion: in many ways, an archetypal 1970s spiritual commune. Founded by the worldly and charismatic Jim Baker (later known as Yehowa or Father Yod), The Family grew out of teachings inspired by his own spiritual evolution-from mere human to what came to be known as "God Consciousness". In the years to come, [...]
It was only until I started meeting graphic designers, (mainly Russ an Hass) that I began to acknowledge the essential nature of design. Before working alongside them, I grossly disregarded the importance of thoughtful design when it comes to representing an idea, concept or business. The advent of the Adobe Suite has revolutionized the field for our generation, yet with so many tools at our disposable it seems there are still those that are able to use the tools better than others. Billed as "a playground for creative people," Berlin-based graphic design house HORT has garnered [...]
A "trend" in contemporary popular culture is less defined by its success and more by its transience. In many cases, the term is used with a negative connotation, to denote what was not important enough to hold ground in our ever-evolving pop cultural climate. Unfortunately, by labeling something a trend, we essentially discredit both its historic climb to common knowledge and whatever shape it continues to take after the public has thrown it away and moved on. Take the Bay Area's very own 'Hyphy Movement,' for example. Sprouting from its roots in the mid 90s, Hyphy grew popular [...]
It was half past midnight when I first met Uncle Dougie. After about an hour-long turn-up session inside the doors of Downtown Oakland’s The Layover , I stumbled outside only to be greeted by the regular dosage of controlled chaos that usually transpires outside a poppin bar on a Friday night. Situated next to the door was Uncle Dougie. A small crowd had formed around him. As I looked to see what all the attention was about, I noticed a neon, handwritten menu: Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches for $5. As I made my way over to the serving table, I [...]
So apparently it's not the real debut album after all. After a Bandcamp feeding frenzy and a ton of confusion, XL, and Paul himself, took to clearing the air about the 16-track release that surfaced over the weekend, under the guise of Paul's first proper LP. Be that as it may, the sixteen rough cuts supposedly kidnapped from Jai's archive are still thoroughly worth meditating on and vibing out to. For the record, I don't think I've ever shelled out ten bucks more willingly for an online release. To put it in context, JP's already been behind arguably my two [...]
Photographs By Rebekkah Castellanos It's been a few years now since we first met Rebekkah Castellano s. When considering her artistic progression, much has changed, while some things have stayed the same. First and foremost, Rebekkah still takes incredible photographs, but more recently, she's also added music to her growing repertoire, as one half of the group Xolo alongside her boyfriend Justin Cefai. In the Summer of 2012, Rebekkah had the opportunity travel to China. The trip was a gift to her [...]
When it comes to talking about Tyler, you can approach from a lot of different angles. If you've spent any significant amount of time tracing his, and Odd Future's meteoric rise through the vast collection of literature written about them over the course of the last few years, you might actually think those angles-well, talking points really-were all there were to the story. And the basic facts that spurred all that talk in the first place are still true, for the most part. Tyler and friends are still young and precocious. Their shows are still pandemonium, and angsty teenagers are [...]
Illustrations By Charles Schridde I couldn't have been the only one whose jaw dropped when we were given our first glimpse into the exquisite home of Mr. & Mrs. Draper in the fifth season of Mad Men. Their apartment was doper than nearly anything I'd ever seen-chic, minimal and full of vibrancy, their abode made me wonder if homes of the sixties really looked like that. It wasn't until recently then that I came across the work of Charles Schridde . [...]
I've been sitting here for a while now, watching these teasers for Daft Punk's Random Access Memories , and trying to figure out a more eloquent way of saying "Daft Punk make shit a lot of people really like a lot". Well, anyway, that's pretty accurate. The Robots' most ubiquitous songs worked their way into the fabric of global pop culture, most centrally, because they make people feel good. "Get Lucky", of which a few million of us have now heard just over sixty seconds, is already pretty undeniable, and after a surprise, simultaneous debut at Coachella and SNL, [...]
In a sense, Jessica Willis ' career started when another ended. It was, in fact, getting fired that provided the spark for Jessica harness her own creativity and step out on her own. A preschool teacher, turned costume designer turned stylist, Jessica's already built up a portfolio featuring some of today's more iconic faces and brands. Finding comfort in the ever-evolving realm of the avant garde, Willis' versatility is reflected through the eclectic identities of her clients. If brands like Cerre or Hotel De Ville don't ring a bell, perhaps names like Rita [...]
I couldn't help but hear Timbaland peaking through on this one. More specifically, I couldn't help but recognize the resemblance to "All N My Grill" , from that twitchy synth line to the skeletal percussion underneath it. Even more than the '90s-staple-sampling songs predating it in the James Blake catalog, "Life Round Here" feels like a pretty overt nod to the sultry, futuristic jams we '90s kids absorbed in our most formative years. On a related note though, James Blake also has an entirely new LP, in many ways as pretty and meditative and subtly stunning [...]
Photography By Max Claus Another night, another celebration. Bigger names and a bigger stage made this one a bit different from the rest. But with each event comes the unexpected, for better and for worse, and this one was no different. In the pictures below, there are a lot of familiar faces, probably some folks you've never met, but have seen repeatedly on photo recaps like this one. So our first thank you goes to them. To the folks that have been rockin', [...]
Photography By Nicholas LA There's something about the montage that effectively opens Licks that sends shivers down your spine. As the opening credits roll, Oakland scenery drifts by outside the passenger seat window-stately Victorians, liquor stores, kids playing-all set to Lykke Li's gorgeously delicate "Time Flies" . A lone car creeps down the block, while unsuspecting kid stands on his stoop, looks up, and catches a bullet to the head. His mother comes barreling down the stairs, torn [...]
Photography By Ian Flanigan What a difference two years can make. Back in April 2011, the Coachella crew and I were first making our rounds at the Polo Fields, when we spotted Tyler and Hodgy, armed to the teeth with supersoakers, blasting groupies in the face from point-blank range. On a sweltering Saturday afternoon, the white-hot ball of chaos billed simply as "OFWGKTA" would take the stage, and we'd wade through a sea of late-teenage elbows to catch a glimpse of all the fun they [...]
There's been plenty going on since the last time we checked in. On the more low-profile side of our collective radar, Lapalux and the Bay's own Friendzone both dropped full-lengths heavy on heady, warped beauty. Somewhere in between Schoolboy dropped an absolute banger, Shlohmo and Jeremih teamed up, and the Basedgod dropped a tape that's damn near magical. On the visual side of things, well Tyler killed it-twice, and once along with Earl, and once for his solid sophomore album-which we'll talk about soon enough. Not to mention the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' short film piece, with [...]
I like food. You like food. We all like food. Good food's even better, and good food with friends, well let's just say that's hard to beat. While most of my self made meals usually hinge on simplicity and convenience, dinner parties are more or less rarities in my life, something so tight in theory, but hardly ever executed upon. Until Feastly. It was actually my friend Chinzalee who invited me. "Come through tomorrow, I'm having a Feastly dinner," she said. I immediately obliged. The brainchild of Noah Karesh, Feastly was launched in 2011 with the goal [...]
In 2013, it's pretty much a guarantee that you know someone who raps or produces. The increasing availability of methods of making music and promoting it has meant that our social media feeds are occasionally flooded with caps-locked pleas for more listens and downloads, but it has also been responsible for some of the most interesting sounds of the past few years. In the era of retweeting and reblogging, there is a common complaint that our generation is lacking in authenticity and originality. But originality has never been about creating something out of thin air; more often, it's the result [...]
Wine & Bowties
Sexy Track // “Devil Or Angel” // Lou Doillon
HAERTS: “All The Days”
Daft Punk - Lose Yourself to Dance (Simøne Remix)
