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DJ Clark Kent “Blacks Out” with the Release of New Sneaker and Mixtape

Marlene Boyette — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:56:58 +0000

Leaders of the Boston-area sneaker elite, Concepts, teamed up with Nike Sportswear and DJ Clark Kent, to serve a more than generous offering for the sole that is guaranteed to give sneaker heads something to be thankful for well after the holidays have ended.

The Black Friday Nike Air Force 1, personally designed by sneaker enthusiast DJ Clark Kent (not to be confused with a “collector”), has redefined and reintroduced the term “classic” in relation to this popular Nike style. The shoe is, as Clark Kent described at today’s Concepts drop, “a fly luxury shoe without the luxury price tag”. The sneaker’s details include black pony hair, lenticular material, black patent leather, and a rainbow candy sparkle sole. We’re willing to bet that Clark’s impressive 1,800 pairs of Air Force 1’s, which are part of his massive 2,200+ sneaker arsenal didn’t hurt the chances of his design making it into production.

The Black Friday Air Force 1 dropped today, November 28, 2008 at 3 retail locations (see below) in celebration of the most anticipated shopping day of the year, Black Friday. Jetcomx was present at the Concepts drop to catch it all first hand.

Clark Kent first stopped at 21 Mercer (NYC) before making his way to Boston to sign sneakers and discuss how much better he feels that the New York Giants are than the New England Patriots. A crowd of about 150 people stood outside of Concepts, some of whom had traveled from as far as California’s Bay area to purchase the shoe. The first person in line, who’d been waiting since yesterday, broken foot, wheel chair and all, was handed back his money and given his pair of Black Friday Air Force 1’s free of charge as a gift from Clark Kent and Concepts, for being so dedicated.

In addition to the new Air Force 1’s, the world renowned DJ and Producer has also put together a little something extra for those of who truly appreciate the classics; a 51 track mixtape, titled The Black Friday Massacre, featuring everything from A Tribe Called Quest, to The Delphonics. When asked about the thought process behind selecting the tracks for The Black Friday Massacre, Kent said,

“Black Friday is a feel good day. I wanted the tone of the CD to reflect that feel good vibe, so I picked songs that [when heard] can take you back to a time when hip-hop felt good. I couldn’t have created that vibe by using music that came out recently because the music that’s out right now isn’t timeless and has no identity. When you hear this mixtape, these songs that you can identify with, they’ll take you back and if you can’t identify with the songs, each will teach you something about what timeless hip-hop is.”

Listen to a sample:

In addition to the release on November 28th, the Black Friday Nike Air Force 1 will also be made available at retailers across the US on December 20th, 2008.

(Thank You to Tarek, Deon, Frank the Butcher and Jimmy of Concepts*)

Here is the shoe release schedule for Black Friday:

Nike Sportswear at 21 Mercer (4:00 AM)
21 Mercer Street
New York, NY
212-226-5433

Concepts (10:00 AM)
37 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA

Shoe Gallery (8:00 PM)
244 NE 1st Ave
Miami, FL

The Black Friday Air Force 1 with Rainbow Trim

The Black Friday Air Force 1

DJ Clark Kent at Concepts on Black Friday

DJ Clark Kent Signs Shoe Boxes

DJ Clark Kent Chats with Fellow Enthusiasts at Concepts

DJ Clark Kent Shakes the Hand of the First Person in Line

DJ Clark Kent Autographed Shoebox

The Crowd Outside of Concepts in Boston on Black Friday

Throwback Thursdays: Schlock Me Tonite

Micah Nathan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:21:53 +0000

Billy Squier in a pensive moment...complete with Coke endorsement.

Years ago—sometime between Weird Science and Iron Eagle III—I heard this movie line:

“The human body is a fascinating specimen. 99% of it may be operating perfectly, yet if that remaining 1% is defective, the body dies.”

Or something like that. The actor may have been Donald Pleasance, and he may have played a detective. Standing over a corpse. Surrounded by police tape and murmuring cops. Or it may have been David Warner, and he may have played a doctor. Standing over a corpse. Surrounded by test tubes and murmuring lab techs.

But I’m not here to talk about 80’s character actors. I’m here to talk about arena-rocker Billy Squier, he of the crunchy riffs and throaty whine.
[See post to watch Flash video]
Billy Squier’s 1982 release Don’t Say No went triple platinum, and his follow-up album Emotions in Motion hit double platinum. He managed to balance pop star status with arena rock credibility, back in the days when an outsized voice and matching hair overcame awkward stage presence. Toss in Squier’s contribution to the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack, and we’re looking at a rock star who filled arenas and dominated the MTV rotation. So if 99% of Billy Squier’s career operated perfectly, what about the remaining 1%? Here’s your answer:
[See post to watch Flash video]

Billy’s performance reminds me of that cousin who gets really drunk at your wedding and claws his way out of a morass of inhibition and repression and decides to finally, finally show everyone—including his wife—what he’s been hiding all these years.

And good for that cousin, because sometimes it takes alcohol to reveal our truer selves. But we’re talking about Billy Squier here. The Stroke Billy Squier. Everybody Wants You Billy Squier. Guitar rock god Billy Squier. Nothing about Rock Me Tonite says guitar rock god. It almost says Flashdance, but where Jennifer Beals exuded a sort of masculine femininity—the welder moonlighting as an exotic dancer—Billy Squier exudes incongruous androgyny and a collection of flailing, cat-on-the-prowl, hair-tousling, sweatshirt-ripping, herky-jerky attack and retreat dance moves that are so bad we wonder if Billy secretly courted self-destruction. If so, he got his wish. Rock Me Tonite was the defective 1% that killed Billy Squier’s career.

Of course it’s easy to poke fun at the past by comparing it to modern standards of cultural literacy, and the problem with Rock Me Tonite isn’t its terrible 80’s-ness. Well, maybe that’s part of the problem. But there’s a larger issue here. I’ll call it the PATT Syndrome, taken from Eddie Murphy’s 1985 single Party All the Time.
[See post to watch Flash video]
Just as Eddie Murphy became what he used to make fun of—a fame-bloated Rick James-wannabe, slumming it with groupies, sycophants, and someone who looks like Chris Penn—Billy Squier became what rock stars make fun of: Pink grapefruit satin sheets, drummers with hats, and choreography taken from the guy who directed Xanadu.

Mixtape Mondays: DJ Benzi, Plain Pat, and Kanye West - Sky High

Andrew Boni — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:28:27 +0000

Just released earlier this week, Sky High, by DJ Benzi and Plain Pat features remixes of 18 well-known Kanye West tracks, including “Good Morning,” “Champion,” “Get ‘Em High,” “Love Lockdown,” and “Stronger.” The tracks on Sky High were plucked from all four of Kanye’s albums (The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, and 808s & Heartbreak) as well as Estelle’s Shine. After giving this mixtape a couple of listens, it definitely ranks above some of the other Kanye West remix albums floating around out there. The best tracks on the mixtape are A-Trak’s remix of “Get ‘Em High” and “Stronger” as well as Discotech’s remix of “Homecoming,” which features Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Listen to “Stronger” remixed by A-Trak:

Here’s the complete tracklist on Sky High:

1. (00:01:18) Kanye West - Sky High Intro
2. (00:03:08) Kanye West - good Morning ft. Big Sean (The Kickdrums Remix)
3. (00:02:54) Kanye West - Champion (Nick Catchdubs Remix)
4. (00:02:49) Kanye West - Barry Bonds (Eli Escobar Remix)
5. (00:03:01) Kanye West - Crack Musik (Cookin Soul Remix)
6. (00:00:30) Kanye West - We Major (The Kickdrums Remix)
7. (00:04:12) Kanye West - Get Em High (A-Trak Remix)
8. (00:02:45) Kanye West - Throw Some (Cousin Cole Remix)
9. (00:03:54) Kanye West - Electric Touch (Steve1der & Mighty Mi Remix)
10. (00:03:25) Kanye West - Love Lockdown (Tom Wrecks Remix)
11. (00:02:36) Kanye West - Flashing Lights (Diplo Remix)
12. (00:02:39) Kanye West - Addiction (Kenny Dope & Terry Hunter Remix)
13. (00:02:39) Kanye West - Stronger (A-Trak Remix)
14. (00:02:07) Kanye West - Impatient Boy (Benzi Refix)
15. (00:03:01) Kanye West - HomeComing (Discotech Remix)
16. (00:02:37) Kanye West - I Wonder (Scottie B Remix)
17. (00:03:11) Kanye West - good Life (Strech Armstrong Remix)
18. (00:04:26) Kanye West - Can’t Tell Me Nothing (Dj Godfather Remix)

Click here to download Sky High

Philippe Petit and the Post Modern Crime Caper: A Review of Man on Wire

Callum Hanlon — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:20:30 +0000

In passing, I had heard of the man who had walked across the Twin Towers on a tightrope. I racked it in my brain along with equally bizarre feats: the guy who crashed down Niagara Falls in a barrel, Evil Knievel jumping sixteen cars on his motorcycle, David Blaine being David Blaine—they’re all there together. I already knew the outcome; he made it across. It’s interesting and all, but I was skeptical of Man On Wire, a feature length documentary that focuses entirely on a single fleeting moment. Does the tightrope walker, Philippe Petit have a drug addiction and in his recovery realizes that he must fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a circus performer? Is he doing this as a means for funding an expensive surgery for his terminally ill child? Is it an extreme method for conquering his fear of heights? How is filmmaker James Marsh possibly going to engage me with ninety-four minutes of tightrope walking, and what melodramatic background story was he going to try and scam me with?

Philippe Petit walks between the two towers

Petit enlightens the media’s inquires about his motivation for his tightrope performance with a simple reply, “There is no why.” Just like Petit’s balancing act, the film is not about the “why.” Man On Wire transcends the physical motivation. A skeptic myself, I could not help but become lost in Petite’s lust—his love for life. Petit recounts his adventures in a manner reflective of his exploits: he has the grace of a tightrope walker and the edginess of someone balancing above a violent death. When his old flame, Annie Allix recounts Petite’s nights leading up to the performance at the World Trade Center, she comments on his obsession with crime capers and gangster films. Though his tightrope walking is a public spectacle, it also entails mischief and deceit. As we learn about his character, the similarities to another lively Frenchman become strikingly apparent.
In Petit we see Jean-Luc Godard. Like Petit, gangsters and criminals fascinate Godard, and whereas Godard manipulates the genre into a light-hearted approach to the gangster film, Petit chooses to translate it into art of tightrope walking and the process that goes along with it. Instead of the visuals of film, Petit’s spectacle is the act of walking across a tightrope, which is strung up across massive public venues like the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Sydney Harbor Bridge and ultimately the World Trade Center. It is the magnitude of the venues that move the film along, not just because they are wonderful—which they are—but because the process behind each display becomes an adventure, which even in its innocence, rivals the exhilaration of the most formidable crime capers.

Phillippe Petit on a Tightrope Between the WTC

There are no jewels, no safes and no canvas sacks full of money, there are blueprints, moving vans and an impressive collection of Jheri curled wigs and over-the-top facial hair. Marsh utilizes reenactments in the instances when artifacts are not available, and in doing so gives life to the crime caper homage that keeps the film moving steadily forward. Though there are scenes that are incongruent with the purist approach to the documentary, Marsh appeases the documentary film’s necessity for archival material, with old footage and photographs of Petite training on practice wires, as well as images of his actual performances. The talking heads are also there, providing a narrative for the progression of Petit’s exploits. Though Man On Wire is enriched by the dramatization of the tightropes’ set up, the ultimate payoff is the footage of Petit’s performance at the World Trade Center.
The past few years, there have been a number of really great bank-heist films (Inside Man, Ocean’s Eleven, The Italian Job), but as thrilling as they are, ultimately, the payoff does not compare to that of Man On Wire. Yes, it’s true that we become sympathetic to the objectives of the charismatic thieves, but in the end, watching already wealthy actors pretend to get rich provides only a superficial sense of satisfaction. Man On Wire triumphs, because as a documentary it shows us the glory of a heist and the artistic exploits of a remarkable exhibitionist. Petit and his crew beat the odds, and in doing so achieve a payoff amply greater than any monetary gain. In a press conference following Petit’s post Twin Tower arrest, a police officer overwhelmed by the spectacle, sums it up best; “I figured I was watching something that somebody else would never see again in the world. Thought it was once in a lifetime.”
[See post to watch Flash video]

Throwback Thursdays: Does Billy Idol Dream of Electric Sheep?

Micah Nathan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:20:41 +0000

As we get set to address a new millennium, science and technology are becoming the new weapons of change, and who better to arm you for the future battle than BILLY IDOL.

—From the 1993 press release for Billy Idol’s Cyberpunk album

I’m bringing cyberpunk back. Well, sort of.

The cyberpunk movement was such an inconsequential niche that even hipsters turned away their fake-eyeglass-clad eyes and sauntered with ironic nonchalance to more lucid forms of early 90’s nostalgia (flannel, leggings, A Tribe Called Quest, etc.). But cyberpunk deserves better. Well, sort of. And not by way of William Gibson, Phillip K. Dick, or hacker/phreaker/Johnny Mnemonic-wannabes. By way of Billy Idol. Yes, this Billy Idol:

[See post to watch Flash video]

The story of Billy Idol’s 1993 Cyberpunk is an example of what happens when the last sputters of a sinking subculture meet an ill-conceived concept album. You get a battle over “authenticity,” you get minor press coverage, and you get horrendous music. So the album was terrible, and sales were worse. Big deal. There was something prescient about Idol’s foray into the internet world. By 1993, mainstream media hadn’t heard of the cyberpunk subculture—a loosely-defined consortium of hackers, techies, sci-fi nerds, post-apocalyptic fanboys, and dystopian fetishists—so Billy Idol coopted the more marketing-friendly aspects of the cyberpunk movement (man/machine hybrids, urban nihilism, metallic-toned violence) and put his unique Idol-esque stamp on it. By “Idol-esque stamp” I mean guttural screeches, fist pumps, and strange hair. As Billy explains:

[See post to watch Flash video]

Nothing says 1993 better than a chunky font, unnecessarily active camerawork, and shots of Mr. Idol (resembling Corey Haim?) plugging away on a thick keyboard. Toss in references to Mark Frauenfelder and early internet stalwart The Well and I can already hear the Michael Cretu backbeat. Sade, dis-moi….

But before we drown in drippings of irony, let’s give credit where it’s due. Billy released Cyberpunk with a 3.5” floppy containing a Mac-based presskit, and marketed his album via “electronic mail.” Unimpressed? Don’t be. We’re talking about 1993. Bill Clinton began his first term, Czechoslovakia dissolved, and the World Wide Web as we know it—no fees, no more Gopher protocol—launched. And there was Billy Idol, at the forefront of internet marketing. Well, sort of. Just like he was sort of at the beginning of the post-modern zombie craze, as seen in his 1984 video Dancing With Myself:

[See post to watch Flash video]

Now that’s a video. Zombies, a post-apocalyptic cityscape, a chained shadow-girl, some guy with a straight razor, a Tesla superweapon, and Billy Idol’s infamous “Octobarina” tat. Mr. Idol, your credibility remains secure. Now go give us some more Ikea hip-hop.

An Interview with Mick Boogie: Motivation Personified

Marlene Boyette — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:26:51 +0000

Jetcomx’s newest kid on the block, Marlene Boyette, recently had a chance to sit down and chop it up the Renaissance man himself, Mick Boogie. By deejaying A-list celebrity events across the globe, producing sick mixtapes AND running a successful clothing store, Mick brings new meaning to the term “motivated”. By the time the interview was over, he had me feeling like I may need to step MY game up. Check it…

Hey Mick, thanks for taking the time to do this interview for Jetcomx.com, its much appreciated.

No problem. My pleasure…

Why don’t we start off with you telling us a bit about yourself? Where are you from, when did you first begin deejaying and what / who are some of your biggest influences?

I’m from Youngstown, OH and moved to Cleveland, OH in 1996 for college. I started taking it seriously after college when I didn’t like the job market (laughs). My influences range from Jazzy Jeff and Kid Capri to Stretch Armstrong and Bobitto.

What was the first piece of vinyl that you ever purchased?

Wow… the first one I remember was (appropriately) Tony Basil’s “Hey Mickey” in kindergarten.

[laughs] That’s interesting. What’s the best city, in your opinion, for record digging?

When I used to dig [for records], I didn’t live in NYC…so [digging in] NYC was always amazing. (Mick Boogie recently relocated to Brooklyn, NY from Cleveland, OH)

What is your most prized music related item and why (record, piece of equipment etc.)?

My “He’s The Deejay, I’m The Rapper” [DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Price] cassette. The first hip-hop thing I ever bought. Got it at a Kmart in Naples, Florida in 4th grade…and it changed my life.

I know that you have been doing a lot of gigs across the US and abroad. To date, what / where was the most memorable event that you deejaying and why?

I really enjoyed spinning with [DJ Jazzy] Jeff at Will Smith’s Hancock Movie Premier Party… A-List all the way. A very dope experience … and Will is probably one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

I imagine that would be an amazing experience, both as a DJ and as a fan of Will [Smith] and [DJ Jazzy] Jeff. Do you feel that the evolution of technology is leading to the deterioration of turntablism as an art form / element of hip -hop?

Nah…it’s advancing it. I can be so much more creative now during my sets. I love it.

What is the creative process involved in putting together a project such as you and Terry Urban’s recent Mashup Mix “Viva La Hova”?

Time, effort, creativity and a good musical ear. Finding the right beats, samples, producers, acapellas, and mixing them all in a pot and hoping it comes out good… and it did!

There’s no disputing that. It’s defiantly a solid project. Are you at all surprised by the amount of attention that “Viva La Hova” is receiving?

A little… but we kind of felt it was special when we finished it. When people were coming up to my wife at her job talking about it though… that’s how we knew we made it… [laughs]

Entertainment Weekly recently asked you to create a prospective Obama Inauguration Playlist. I’m sure that the sheer thought of possibly rocking a historic event like this was inspirational enough, but how did you go about the song selection for this project?

I looked up what Obama liked, cross-reference that, with songs that work for multiple audiences, and added some “MB favs” on top of it… and there you go.

In addition to being an in demand DJ with a popular blog, word on the street is that you also co-own a lifestyle boutique by the name of Motivation and have an almost clinical addiction for sneakers.

[laughs] Yes. Check us out at www.mtvtn.com. It’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is doing really, really well. Very excited to be part of it. And yes, I love sneakers!

Can you tell us a bit about how your involvement w/ Motivation came about, as well as what your most rare / exclusive pair of kicks are?

My partner Mike and I have been good friends and business partners for a few years before hand, so with our combined talents, connections and ideas, it was a great logical progression. Sneaker-wise, nothing too rare but I love stuff like my Stussy dunks and my De La Soul’s. I also have these burgundy leather YSL’s that are crazy!

If you weren’t a globe trotting DJ, what do you think your occupation would be?

I have a Masters in Marketing, so I’d probably be sitting at a desk somewhere promoting something, somehow, someway!

What are 5 songs that you could never hear too many times?

Biggie – Hypnotize
Jay-Z – PSA
Bel Biv Devoe – Poison
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge
Daft Punk – Around The World

Do you have any projects currently in the works or anything that our readers should be on the look out for?

Some cool mixtapes coming up for Hypebeast and a remix mixtape project for Adele, who is like the Amy Winehouse of Sony.

That’s great. I’m actually a big fan of Adele, so I’ll be looking forward to hearing that project. Thanks (again) for your time, Mick!

You’re welcome.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Joshua Callaghan and His Invisible Urban Street Art

Andrew Boni — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:28:54 +0000

Have you ever noticed those ubiquitous, unsightly utility boxes located in cities and towns? I’m talking about the gray ones usually seen on the corners of intersections and plastered with bad graffiti and/or Kerry/Edwards ‘04 bumper stickers. Well, their existence as we know it could soon change. A man by the name of Joshua Callaghan is on a mission to transform these hideous boxes into works of urban art.

First, Callaghan takes pictures of the settings that the boxes are situated in. He then blows the images up and pastes the photos onto all sides. This then creates the illusion of an uninterrupted view, better known as invisibility. His unique creations can be seen all around Los Angeles.

“The city called for proposals to decorate some utility boxes in a recently renovated town square,” he explains. “They were looking for painters, but when I heard about the call I inspected the boxes and simply had the idea of using photographs. As far as I know no-one has walked into one of the boxes that wouldn’t have walked into an uncovered box…but I love watching people do a double-take. The images are all unique, based on the context. They are printed on special adhesive vinyl and should last for 10 years at least. It will be interesting to see the surroundings change around the boxes as time passes”

Invisible Street Art Takes over the Bike Lane

Callaghan's work hides a car

A Fake Pond Scene

People Doing a Double-Take

Hel Toro, Daniel Striped Tiger, Fat History Month at the Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA 11/08/08

Callum Hanlon — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:22:13 +0000

On Saturday, November 8th, Hel Toro hosted their CD release show at the Middle East Upstairs. The New Harmless is Hel Toro’s third LP, and it marks a deviation from their typical hardcore sound. Where their older recordings were primarily aggressive hardcore with few melodies, The New Harmless marks a departure from strictly hardcore to a flirtation with guitar parts marked by indie-riffs.

I arrived at the show on a night of rather dismal weather, but the wetness did not deter an impressive turnout. People littered the sidewalk in front of the Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Cigarette smoke was plenty as people chatted anxiously awaiting the upcoming performances.

As I made my way inside, the sound of a heavily distorted guitar and a battered drum set filled my soon to be deafened eardrums. Fat History Month is a band that would be most readily described as a two-piece experimental noise band. The band took an different approach by not playing on the stage, but instead they set up in front of the stage, on the ground with the rest of the crowd. The vocals were a bit mottled, so it was hard to fully appreciate the performance; however, it was a good warm up to a hardcore show.

Next was Daniel Striped Tiger, a band that seemed to have a small cult following, or some really dedicated friends. As they took the stage, I could not help but notice a number of excited (and somewhat intoxicated) shouts coming from a small group directly in front of the stage. The band looked somewhat flustered and I was interested to see how that appearance would translate into the usually aggressive behavior of the stereotypical hardcore band.

Daniel Striped Tiger

As soon as the music began, I could tell the band had transformed from a timid caterpillar into a rabid pitbull. Their fingers skinned the necks of the guitars, sliding up and down the guitar in aggressive power chords. The most entertaining part of the show was a failed attempt to start a pit.

One of the rather eager fans (complete with flat-brimmer and obscenely large plugs) tried very unsuccessfully to start up the quintessential hardcore pit, but with only one other member in the brotherhood of mosh, the movement failed miserably. I am not opposed to getting involved in the pit, but at the moment I had my camera in my hands and I was not willing to risk damaging that over-priced piece of plastic.

Hel Toro

Next was the headlining act: Hel Toro. I had heard Hel Toro’s music before and I had heard some pretty impressive reviews of their shows from friends, but I never had the fortune of being present at a live show until that night.

The three members of Hel Toro—Rick Maguire and brothers Dave and Aaron Silverstein—casually walked onto the stage and began to set up. If they possessed any hint of excitement, they didn’t show it as they plugged in their amps and set up the drums; it seemed like it was just another practice session.

After a couple minutes of setting up, they were ready.

It took about one second before the crowd exploded. That guy who had previously failed in starting a pit must have been in heaven, because the center of the crowd turned into a circle of wildly intersecting paths with people flailing their arms and crashing bodies resembled the fight for the last Wii on Black Friday.

Although it was so loud, somehow the sound was very clear. I can attribute this to the impressive acoustics of the Middle East Upstairs—something that I cannot say for its subterranean sister. The band powered through a mix of songs, some being straightforward hardcore, and others more experimental/indie/hardcore. The energy in the crowd continued at high levels and when Hel Toro finally finished their set—which was highlighted by drummer Aaron Silverstein knocking over his hi-hats, snare and ride cymbal—the crowd instantly took to a “one more song” chant.

The band had already departed from the stage, but soon returned and commented that, “[it was] going to be kind of anti-climactic after Aaron already kicked his drums over.”

Hel Toro Drums

Regardless of the fallen drums, they plugged in for one more song, and the crowd continued their aggressive waltz as if there had been no pause. I guess they were trying to get in their last kicks.

The show ended around 1:30 and everyone made their way out, but not after massive congratulations to the members of the band, who graciously wandered through the crowd, thanking their audience for their attendance.

I’d like to think that my review was thorough enough for a reader unfamiliar with the band that is Hel Toro. Unfortunately, I know that you can dress any car up to look like the motor vehicle of the century, but the real way to experience it is to test-drive it. Give Hel Toro a test drive in the metaphorical sense, and check out their latest album, The New Harmless.

Listen to “Bad Vision” from Hel Toro’s Gimmick:

Aaron Silverstein of Heltoro

Hel Toro

Rick of Hel Toro

Beautiful/Decay Releases New Pieces to Fall 2008 Lineup

Andrew Boni — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:12:26 +0000

On Tuesday, Los Angeles based clothing company Beautiful/Decay unveiled three new Artists Series Apparel t-shirts. Two of these designs came from typographical wizard Alex Trochut. The third is a Sentimental Soycheese mandalic homage to the coming of the apocalypse (according to the Mayan calendar) in 2012.
Also released this week, were four new designs (including the “Kobe” for girls) from Aya Kato’s fantastical, Japanese-manga-meets-French-art-noveau magical mind. The patterns and designs on these shirts are sick.

Contest #2: Design a Sticker for Jetcomx and Win a Triko Tee, an Insight Tee, and a Mishka 59/50 New Era Fitted Hat

Andrew Boni — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:50:03 +0000

Congratulations to Billi Kid for winning Contest #1! Billi Kid’s design will be the new banner for the site. With his amazing design, Billi Kid won a Bonafide Icon NYC Exploited t-shirt. Now that Contest #1 is done, it’s time to explain Contest #2.

General Description: We want you to design us a sweet looking image with 3″x3″ dimensions. Your image will then be turned into a sticker. Be as creative and artistic as possible. Browse around Flickr and Deviantart if you need some ideas, then fire up Photoshop. When you think you’re done, email the image to submissions@jetcomx.com. After approximately two weeks, the best design will be selected and the creator will win the prize. See below for details on the prize.

Specifics: The design must contain the word “jetcomx” somewhere. We prefer that you send in vectorized designs, but we will consider any type of design. This is simply because vectorized designs are much easier to turn into stickers. Your image must be 3″x3″. You can send us a .jpeg, .png, or .tiff. If you are chosen as the winner, you must send us the .PSD.

Prize: Jason and the rest of the crew over at JackThreads.com were kind enough to supply the prize for this contest, which retails for $100 even. The winner will receive the following:

One Triko T-shirt with Yellow Digital Print Design
One Insight T-shirt with a Black and White Pattern
One Mishka 59/50 New Era Fitted Hat in Death Adder Camo Blue

Triko T-Shirt

Insight T-Shirt

Mishka 59/50 New Era Fitted Hat Death Adder Camo Blue