UO Blog

From Minneapolis

"My Bike" by Y.N. RichKids

Y.N.RichKids recently dropped a video for their song "My Bike" and they kinda kill it. You might remember their previous single Hot Cheetos & Takis that made a lot of noise for them last summer. Well, they've stepped up their rap game for this track and it shows! Lorin

From Elsewhere


Album Review: Ducktails

Ducktails is Matt Mondanile's rather groovy side project (you might know him from Real Estate)—it's grown from a one man job to a full fledged band for this most recent release, The Flower Lane, on Domino Records. The Flower Lane mixes tons of different sounds that I guarantee you'll want to hear this summer when you're cruisin' to the beach in your convertibleor sitting at home with the air conditioning on. Maddie



Packaging:
The Flower Lane comes in your standard LP sleeve, with some pretty cool checkerboard album artwork. Getting some real optical illusion-y vibes from it. Aside from the cover, there's an awesome inner sleeve that holds the actual record, and lists all of the people Matt collaborated with on the album in a faux-newspaper sorta way. On the back of the inner sleeve are all of the lyrics, because you're probably not going to be able to refrain singing along to the entire album.

Best song:
The song that most stands out to me on this album is "Assistant Director," (track 6) because it's just a nonstop jam. It really makes me want to have a disco dance partyI'm not joking. Another good one is "Planet Phrom" (track 5). This song is a little slower, and less dance-y (all while Matt sings hilarious lyrics about another planet), but you'll have to listen to find out!



What it's good for:
Basically this album is great for all those times you're just chillin' by the pool with your pals, but you still want the option to have a dance party somewhere in there. It's also good for when it's summer and 500 degrees outside and you need an album to cool you off. Matt Mondanile's sweet riffs will no doubt do that to you.

Shop Ducktails' The Flower Lane


From Elsewhere

Diplo Reviews Daft Punk

Diplo reviewed Random Access Memories and... well, I don't know. Did he like it? Did he not like it? I DON'T KNOW HOW HE FEELS! That talking steel guitar video is a very accurate representation of the album, though. —Katie




From New York

Avant/Garde Premiers The Cycle Revealed

The Avant/Garde Diaries’ spring season is starting off with a new series entitled “The Avant/Garde Diaries Premieres.” Samantha Casolari’s film, The Cycle Revealed, a "ruminative exploration of Robert Lepage’s production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle at The Metropolitan Opera," will be the first event in the series. The event will take place Thursday, May 16 from 8-11 PM at 372 Broome St., NYC. There will also be performances by Valentin Stip, and a DJ set by Dave Harrington, one half of Darkside. —Katie

From Elsewhere

Peace: "Lovesick"

Peace are made up of four guys from Birmingham, England, that a) know how to dress better than me, and b) know how to make some pretty excellent music. Their new video for the song "Lovesick," from debut album In Love, is a whirlwind true to the feelings of actually being lovesick. Watch Harry and Sam Koisser, Doug Castle, and Dom Boyce do donuts in the parking lot while serenading us with an incredibly catchy tune. These boys are my new favorite. Maddie

From Elsewhere


(Photo by Bekah Cope)

Interview: Turf War

Turf War are a band made up of five dudes (John, Cecil, Brian, Brad and Ian) from Augusta, Georgia that have now made a name for themselves with their new EP, entitled The Great Escape. Their sound is heavily influenced by classic rock and roll, which I'm a massive fan of, but there is also a taste of the South, where the band grew up.  Below I talk to frontman John Robinson about the importance of that one band Nirvana, how where you live can influence your sound, and how the Strokes are still up there for him, and probably all of us. - Maddie

First off, how did you guys meet and start playing together?

We all grew up around each other with the exception of Ian. A few of us played in crappy punk and hardcore bands in Augusta when we were younger so we knew each other from that scene. We come from a smaller town so you can't be picky about who you play with. There's a small minority of people that are into the music I was into, and they all played in Turf War at some point.

Did growing up in the South have any influence on your music?
Yeah, big time. We like simple pleasures. My parents grew up in rural Alabama so they're some sweet home Alabama chanting motha fuckas. My mom listened to a lot of '90s country, some Clarence Carter and my dad got me into good country and Tom Petty, I also grew up listening to CCR a lot. I always thought they made the perfect music for what I thought of the South. Then I watched "Behind the Music" and found out they're from California. Oh well. Shit happens.


(Photo by Tim Song)

Your new EP, The Great Escape, definitely has some true rock and roll roots. Did any specific artists influence you when writing and recording the songs for it?
I take influences from the wide variety of music I listen to. For The Great Escape EP I wanted to go more roots rock than the first album. I don't think the title song is roots rock but the rest of it is more rock 'n' roll that anybody can get into. Kids, moms, dads, hipsters, druggies, homeless people... anybody.

How did you decide on the name 'Turf War' for the band?
Everyone asks that question. There really wasn't that much thought put into naming the band. I thought Turf War sounded cooler than the other names I came up with, and John Robinson and the whatevers just didn't have a good ring to it.

What is the album that had the most influence on you growing up that you still listen to today?

Nirvana, Nevermind. I can't escape the influence that Nirvana had on my life from age ten on. That was the first band that I knew who all the members were and I studied religiously and dressed like them and wanted to be them. We'll never be Nirvana but it would be nice to influence at least one kid the way they influenced me.



Since you guys are touring and will be playing Hopscotch Festival in North Carolina in September, who would your ultimate festival headliners be?
Man. That's a hard question to answer. I'm so fuckin' excited about Spiritualized headlining Hopscotch. That's a dream in its own. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers would be an amazing headliner.

Last but not least, what album could you never live without?

I would love to lie and say something cool like Exile on Main Street or a Replacements album, but honestly the first Strokes album is a time capsule for me. I can listen to that with some folks my age and for at least half of the record I feel 19 again. I don't get straight outta Compton I get straight outta high school.

Check out The Great Escape on SoundCloud, or get the limited white cassette tape here!

From Elsewhere


Album Review: Foxygen

Foxygen is your typical talented "damn-it-they're-so-cool" band from California, and their newest (awesome) LP, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, was released earlier this year. As it turns out, the January release is perfect summer music. —Katie



Packaging:
There's no double-gatefold action going on with this album, but the cover art is pretty awesome. Plus, the lyrics for all the songs are included on the inner sleeve, just in case you hear something that really speaks to you and you're too lazy to hop on the ol' Google.

Best song:
Really into "No Destruction" (track 2) because it's kind of got some Dylan-esque vocal shenanigans going on, and I'm always down for anything that's Dylan-esque. The band has an overall "classic rock" vibe, especially on their first single from the album, "Shuggie." (Like, '60s-psych-band classic rock, not Rush-in-1984 classic rock [even though Rush is delightful in their own special way].)

What it's good for:
You know when there's a movie montage about everyone having a good time in the sunshine, and maybe there are some slow-mo shots of people laughing in the grass and like, a dripping ice cream cone? That's what this album reminds me of. It's great summertime hangouts music. And it also makes cleaning your room feel a lot less terrible. (Because as I found out when trying to take these pictures inside, my room is a dark hell-hole covered in dust, but now it's clean. Thanks, Foxygen!)

Shop Foxygen's We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic


From Los Angeles

'Whose Line Is It Anyway? Take 2'

Remember how FUNNY Whose Line Is It Anyway? was? (Why did it go off of the air in the first place?) Well, almost a decade later, it's back! Even though improv legends Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie look a bit... older, Wayne Brady hasn't aged at all. But none of that even matters because they're all just as spot on as they were to begin with. 


I just want to throw out a special thanks to my parents for a TV and cable so I can watch this show like it never ended. I mean, how could you NOT be excited for the first props round of the season?! For a list of all of the games you forgot about, take a look here, before the start of the new show, titled Whose Line Is It Anyway? Take 2, starts on July 16. (Via Gawker)— Ally

From Los Angeles


FYF Fest 2013

So here's the FYF Fest lineup for 2013, which I personally think is massive! They've got some huge names on there, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deerhunter, The Breeders, MGMT, Jonathan Richman, and My Bloody Valentine, which is a BIG deal! They haven't been in the states since 2009. FYF this year will take place in Los Angeles on August 24th and 25th, for its tenth year running! This year will be huge! For more info on tickets, check the fest's site. Maddie

From Elsewhere


Stream Random Access Memories

Look out, y'all. Daft Punk dropped another teaser for Random Access Memories in anticipation of their album release on the 21st of May. In the video we get a preview of the actual vinyl packaging, plus a snippet of the track "Give Life Back to Music." More importantly, the full album streaming is now available on iTunes! Pretty hyped for this. Lorin

From Austin


ACL Lineup

Austin City Limits Music Festival has announced their lineup and it is pretty incredible. It's actually much longer than that little graphic up there would lead you to believe, so make sure you check out the lineup in its entirety here. This year, the festival is taking a page from Coachella's book and running two weekends, Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13 (tickets are available here). While it sucks that you have to wait 5+ months to go, at least you can look forward to how pleasantly unsweaty you'll be at an October music fest! —Katie

From Los Angeles


Osei-Duro x Space 15 Twenty Present: Megan Whitmarsh at the Bazaaaaar Pop-Up Shop

If you're in L.A. tonight, be sure to stop by the Bazaaaar pop-up at Space 15 Twenty (1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd.) for a special evening with clothing line Osei Duro and artist Megan Whitmarsh! Come by from 7-10pm to take part in a live fashion meets art show, with live drawing! The audience is highly encouraged to participate! DJ Al Dente and DJ Last Looks will also be there in order for you to get your groove on. RSVP on Facebook! - Maddie

From Elsewhere

Great Gatsby Record Set

If you have $250 lyin' around, please buy this ridiculously awesome Great Gatsby soundtrack vinyl. They are literally coated in gold and platinum! Whaaaaat? You probably can't play them, but they sure do look cool. If you are a normal human and can't spend $250 but still want to hear the tunes, you can listen to them all fo' free on Spotify. —Katie

From Elsewhere

Interview: TORRES

Tennessee-based band TORRES is playing at our new Knoxville store's opening party. We spoke with frontwoman Mackenzie Scott about finding her voice, her favorite thing about living in Tennessee, and her love for the "Man in Black."
Interview by Ally Mullen

Introduce yourself!

My name is Mackenzie Scott. I sometimes write and sing and play the guitar, and sometimes I do these things at the same time in front of people (the singing and the playing the guitar, that is). I also drink ungodly amounts of coffee and run a Facebook account for my cat, Little Bat.

Are you a born and raised Tennessean? 
I’m actually not a born and raised Tennessean at all. I was born in Orlando, Florida and grew up in Macon, Georgia from the age of three. I’ve only been in Tennessee since 2009.


What's your favorite part about Tennessee?
I’d have to say it’s probably the whiskey.

Your voice is amazingly dreamy yet raw at the same time. Have you always been a singer? When did you realize you could sing well?
Thank you. I’ve always tried to sing, but I kept it a secret when I was young. I’d lock my door and sing Britney Spears songs into the mirror, but when I was around people I’d always make it a joke. I’d sing in cartoonish voices and play characters because I was too insecure to sing seriously and be myself. That’s why I got into musical theatre when I was in middle school and continued through high school. That’s also when I learned that I could actually carry a tune without having to be afraid of someone listening. Ironically, playing characters on the stage gave me the confidence I needed to be myself, unabashedly.

When did you first decide you wanted to make music? 
I’m not sure. I think I’ve always made music in some form, since I was six or seven. My parents gave me the opportunity to learn to play a lot of instruments at a young age. 


How old were you when you began to play guitar? 
I started playing the guitar when I was about 16.

What musicians did you look up to when you began? As a female, did you specifically look up to women at all?
Male and female alike, I had a lot of influences: Johnny Cash, Joan Jett, Ryan Adams, Brandi Carlile and Tori Amos were some of my early heroes around the time I started writing songs.



Can you tell us five things that you sing about/that have influenced your writing?
1. Heartache in the morning
2. Heartache in the afternoon
3. Heartache in the evening
4. Jesus
5. Lucifer 

How much does living in TN influence your music? 
It doesn’t really affect the music at all. 

How about your style?
It does affect my style. The Man in Black lived here; I pretty much wear whatever I think Johnny would wear. That usually means I’m wearing black, even on a scorching summer day.



What's your go-to live performance outfit?
Black pants, black boots, collared button-down shirt, black blazer, and sometimes a wide-brimmed hat.

When you're not singing your own songs, what's your #1 karaoke song to sing to?
"Crimson & Clover" by Joan Jett

From Elsewhere



Grimes: "Venus in Fleurs"

Grimes, aka the greatest woman ever,  released a video for "Venus in Fleurs," a song surprisingly not off of Visions, an album you are probably very familiar with by now. What makes me most happy about this video is that she released it herself on her Tumblr, with a note making it clear that she doesn't really care about the press. You tell 'em, Claire! Anyway, besides the politics of the music biz, this video is very nice, and was created by Video Marsh, all using footage from the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in British Columbia, that is beautiful but also super spooky at the same time. Maddie

From Elsewhere


10 Years of Justin

In case you didn't hear, we are all going to be blessed with a second installation of Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience. Set to be released September 30, the album's release date will also coincide with (ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?) a Justin Timberlake tour. He's also doing a tour with Jay-Z this summer (because bestiez always tour together), but the fall tour will be his first solo outing since 2007. That's six years without Justin! And I can't even believe that his first solo album came out way back in 2002 (much love, Justified). So, in honor of 10-ish years of solo Justin, and the month of May, and everything else good in the world, let's take a look back at J. Tims illustrious solo career. —Katie


"Cry Me A River" 2002
Remember when this first came out and it was like, "Oh my god, Justin is so edgy! This is about Britney! Cool dance moves! Hot bod! Did you see the way that sliding glass door shattered!?" And then it's 2013 and you watch the video again and get a little depressed because you realize Justin was actually being a total weirdo stalker and even the sexy countertop dance moves don't help us forget that? Me too. :(


"Senorita" 2003
If you ignore Justin's baggy & casual cargo khakis, then this video is pretty much timeless. Everyone in it is so hot. Justin was on his A-game with his head hair and face hair in this video. Also, the red-dress-wearing dancing girl is someone I still aspire to be if I'm ever trying to woo someone at a bar. Of course, when I attempt to be her, it looks more like this, but it's the thought that counts, right?


"SexyBack" 2006
I mean, do I even have to tell you about the cultural impact this little ditty had on the world? No. I do not.


"My Love" 2006
This is when we realized Justin had thrown all his fedoras in the garbage for good ("Goodbye, hats! I am now a serious artist!"), and was now permanently doing the "I'm a cool, sexy guy in a suit" thing. Which was sad for a minute because Justin in legit clothes isn't as fun as this. But the beauty of this song helped us move on.


"Babyback Ribs" 2002
And also, how can we ever feel sad when this video is just a short YouTube trip away? LYLAS forever, dude.

From Elsewhere

Knoxville Opening Party

This Saturday, May 11, come on out to our newly opened Knoxville, TN, store and celebrate with us! We'll have free beer (for you of-age folk, of course), and free tunes, including a DJ set by Washed Out, as well as sets by Jackson Scott and TORRES. The fun starts at 6 PM, so set yo' clocks. The new store is located at 503 Market St., Arnstein Building, Knoxville, TN. See you there!

From Philadelphia

Trend: '90s Graphic Tees

Trying to explain the importance and awesomeness of the '90s would involve some kind of thesis-style paper that I have no time or patience to write.  Being a '90s kid automatically excuses any and all laziness we may have (I mean, come on. We grew up watching shows like Beavis and Butthead, listening to the Spice Girls and typing "777 if you like pizza" in AOL chat rooms).  It's no wonder that people want to go back in time and revive the music, movies, TV shows, killer fashion, and overall vibe of the youth.  The '90s was the best decade ever, hands down. If you miss it, or just missed it in general, relive the good times with our graphic tees of some of the most iconic '90s things ever. —Ally

This tee is simple and to the point. 1995 was a good year for OJ Simpson and a terrible one for Deadheads. Welp, at least we were able to use our new Windows 95 to talk about it online.

Kelly Kapowski Tee
Kelly Kapowski was the most popular girl at Bayside in the early '90s. Even though she'd never date a dweeb like you, wearing a shirt with her on it shows some dedication.

90210 Tee
ANOTHER mega babe from the '90s was Brenda Walsh. She went through a lot on during her time on the show, but we still can't help but be pissed about her leaving after season four to go to London. Maybe it was because the New Sunday Trading Laws in 1994 allowed shopping on Sundays in Britain.

I never really listened to Tupac, but apparently there was a big feud between him and...

this guy. Now, any dance party you go to plays a Biggie remix, sparking the "who was better" debate.  Their music may only be played for the next 30 or so years, but the debate will go on forever.

The hip hop group Wu-Tang created the acronym C.R.E.A.M., which you can find tattooed on the inside of many 20-something-year-olds' lips. C.R.E.A.M. stands for "Cash Rules Everything Around Me," but like many other acronyms, certain letters tend to get changed. In this case, the "C": cats, cookie, cake, Channing Tatum... you get the point.

Although the group formed in 1985, they released five albums between 1990 and '98. While googling the band for fun facts for this post, I realized for the first time that Quest Love is not a part of the Tribe. Bummer.

As iconic as this hip hop and comedy duo was, I do not recognize EITHER of them without Kid's hi-top fade. Someone start a "Grow It Back" petition online, please?

In the '90s, MTV was the most important channel on television. It had everything you could ask for in place and more...

MTV had Spring Break.

MTV had music.

No, seriously, MTV had music! It had everything, I promise. I wouldn't lie to you.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective gave us the chance to use the phrase "alllll righty then" after everything our parents told us to do. A life of sarcasm begins.

Ghostbusters was filmed in the '80s, but the cartoon spinoffs from the series featured the loveable, broccoli-fearing character Slimer. He was cool, and a lot of fun to draw in your notebook because he was kind of hard to mess up. All you needed to draw was a big, gloppy mess with a lime green crayon.

Bugs & Taz Throwback Sweatshirt
Cartoons were really, really cool in the '90s. Bugs Bunny and Taz the Tasmanian Devil weren't really part of that crew (except that time they were in Space Jam), but they look so hard in this sweatshirt that it's almost believable. 

Lisa Frank X UO Lips Muscle Tee
Do we really need to tell you again why Lisa Frank was the coolest woman in the world? JUST TRUST US. <3

From Elsewhere

Between Two Ferns/Spring Break Anthem

"Would you ever consider hosting The Oscars? I don't consider what you did at The Oscars hosting The Oscars. Would you ever consider hosting them properly?" Galifianakis is the best. Franco is the best. Lonely Island is the best. They're just all the best. And so good at the internet. —Katie

From DC

(Photos by Maddie Flanigan)

Interview: Roger Gastman

Roger Gastman talks about everything, but the one topic he's most interested in at the moment is the underground D.C. graffiti culture of the late '80s into the '90s. Here, we discuss his vast collection of memorabilia from the time, his personal love of graffiti , and what he's doing next (which I hope includes throwing another party).

Interview by Ally Mullen and Maddie Flanigan

Hi Roger, can you give me a brief description of Pump Me Up: The Subculture of the 1980s, the show you just wrapped up at the Corcoran Gallery of Art?
It’s a collection of the D.C. subculture in 1980s: punk rock, go-go, hardcore, gangs, graffiti, and underground culture. A lot of rock culture from D.C. that has never been documented.

What got you interested in the whole subculture depicted in the show?
I grew up in D.C. and in the ‘90s, was running around writing graffiti, and I was always interested in what came before me. What was there before? Who did something first? I kept digging up more and more information over the years and I met someone who was doing graffiti a few years before me. I followed them further downtown—probably some places I shouldn’t have gone—and met Cool Disco Dan, the focus of my documentary The Legend of Cool Disco Dan. He wrote graffiti and opened my eyes to a lot of what the D.C. culture was in the ‘80s, especially the black subculture.



How was your style of graffiti different from what Cool Disco Dan was doing?
For me, graffiti was about punk rock and hardcore. I went to hardcore shows and everybody wrote graffiti, especially during this time. Dan came out of the go-go graffiti community and his was graffiti was completely different from the type we were doing. He had crossed over.

What brought you together?
All of the go-go graffiti writers who were writing their names in the ‘80s stopped in 1987-’88. The crack epidemic came and they started hustling. Dan was never into crack or hustling—he just wanted to continue to write his name. He figured out people in the hardcore scene were writing their name and Dan taught us a lot about downtown, a lot about going out and the culture of downtown and showed us what sparked this kind of graffiti.

Do you think the underground movement of graffiti affected the city at the time?
In D.C. at the time, there was much more dangerous going on. When people are writing graffiti in places like Georgetown, DuPont Circle or heavily trafficked tourist areas, they were more aware of you. If you got busted, something was going to happen to you. But for the most part, the city didn’t care about graffiti. Until the late ‘90s.


How does D.C. compare to other cities when it comes to graffiti?
Cities like Philadelphia, L.A. and New York are much richer in graffiti history, leading back to gang graffiti in the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s.

Where did graffiti begin?
Traditional graffiti as we know it today, writing your name over and over again for the sake of it, started in the late ‘60s in Philadelphia and NYC. People argue about who started it. Philadelphia can win that argument by having a more defined graffiti scene through the ‘60s that was more stylistic, but New York made graffiti famous by the subway trains that they were starting to put out in the early ‘70s.

How would you describe yourself and what you do?
I am a collector, a hoarder, a curator—whatever you want to call me. In the last several years I’ve been putting out magazines, books, documentaries, doing museum shows, gallery shows, working with artists. I am a fan and I’m interested in a lot of this subculture, mostly the subculture that spawns out of the ghettos: graffiti, music, etc. I’ve been able to put together good collections of ephemera and artwork and probably saved a lot of things before they were destroyed or dug up things people didn’t know still existed. 



You don’t write graffiti now, right? Would you ever go back into it?
Sure. I know plenty of people that had second or third graffiti careers in their late ‘30s or ‘40s and did just as much graffiti as they did in their teens. I guess you can’t count me out yet, but I’m not active.

What was your tag and what’s the story behind it?
“Clear” and there’s no real meaning.

Roger tagged my notebook

Where do you think graffiti is today versus where it was in the ‘80s?
In the ‘80s, graffiti was a huge movement. It was in the galleries and it was getting a lot of attention. In the late ‘80s it died out, the trend stops, but in the mid-‘80s it was everywhere in the U.S. and across Europe. In the last ten years, give or take, it’s turn into a multi-million dollar business. It’s not a subculture anymore; it’s its own culture with many different subcultures that have come off of it. It’s the fastest growing art movement in the last 40 plus years.

What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working on distribution for The Legend of Cool Disco Dan. I’m working on a film Wall Writers that we just finished about graffiti in 1967 and 1972. John Waters did the voiceover for that. I am also working on a couple other books and working with Sanrio on a couple of projects too.

Who are a few graffiti artists you think everyone should check out?
1. Cost (Queens, NY)
2. Revs (NYC)
3. BLADE (NYC)
4. Freedom (NYC—the Freedom Tunnels ended up being named after him.)
5. Risk (L.A.)

What was your last purchase on your credit card?
Emergen-C at the airport in Phoenix.

What are you watching on Netflix?
I just finished watching all of this really horrible TV show that was amazing called Blue Mountain State. It’s about a football team and every other thing is like a dick joke or getting drunk. 


What’s the best party you’ve ever thrown.
There’s been everything from a Christmas party a few years ago with male strippers. At a birthday party last year we had this big fat man baby bartending. A sword swallower. We had Angelyne, the original ‘80s version of Paris Hilton, come over. She drives a pink corvette. It was a win.

What do you play most on your iPod?
I still listen to the same things that I was listening to when I was a teenager: Naked Raygun, Cock Sparrer, and ‘80s D.C. bands.

What’s your screensaver?
OJ Simpson wearing gloves.



If you could wear one clothing brand from back in the day again, what would it be?
Cross Colours! I never wore it but I wish they’d bring it back so I can wear it.

Where do you get the images for your blog, Roger Gastman Talks About Everything…
I get a few dozen emails a day from my friends, or from some random person I met of fucked up, weird images and links if you can imagine. Or it’s three in the morning and I can’t sleep so I type in crazy searches into Google images and see what pops up. I have folders and folders of thousands of ridiculous image people send to me everyday. What’s on the blog is PG-13 compared to what I’d like to post, but I have clients I work with… but if you get on my personal distribution list you get some real gems.

Thanks Roger!