I Heart K Rd
I headed uptown on Saturday afternoon to check out the shops and mooch about - discovered a great new shop called Xia (see pic above); stocks a range of Chinese goods like clocks with proud Revolutionaries raising their fists (the fists is the second hand, ticks back and forward), Chairman Mao porcelain figures, a dancing revolutionary girl raised up on one foot while pointing a handgun in the air, and some wicked Chinese and Japanese posters. Had a look at the window display in This Is Not A Love Shop as mentioned over here by Robyn - its outstanding, a kitsch 3D painting/sculpture of Axel Rose.
Also worth having a loookee, the excellent art exhibition at Distrupt Gallery (145 K Rd; near Verona Cafe) from the Richmond OG, Sparrow Phillips aka SP23. He's a graffiti artist who specialises in stencils, and here's a few pics. Get along and check it out; the show is on til 10 November, and if the artworks are out of your price range, he's also got the designs on t-shirts. Niceness!







King hit
TV3 showed footage of Destiny NZ's political launch at the weekend, screening the following quote...

'Civil rights legend Martin Luther King “did not take a bullet for same-sex marriage”, according to his daughter Bernice King, who flew all the way from the US at the weekend to endorse the rulership/dominion/possession political mandate of the Destiny Church.'

Unfortunately they failed to balance Bernice King's quote with the following information, which casts Dr King's beliefs in a slightly different light...

'Destiny quoted Dr King without authorisation during their “Enough is Enough” campaign in August, to the dismay of his widow, Coretta Scott King, who declined in a written statement to support the Destiny rally, and noted that one of her husband’s closest advisors (Bayard Rustin) was gay. “I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King's dream to make room at the table of brother and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people,” she said'.
The best thing about Destiny NZ is they are out in the open - we can see these haters coming a mile off. Thank fuck for democracy. Speaking of which...


Watch the pretty pictures.
Eminem's new video, Mosh.
O-Dub says.. "The video opens with the sound and sight of an airliner, flying off screen, accompanied with an explosion: the allusion is clear. From there, we see everything referenced from racial profiling by police to a parody of Bush sitting stunned in a Florida classroom, to renters getting evicted by greedy corpoglomerates, to Bin Laden being held up as Cheney's puppet. The ending images are of a mass of black hoodied youth walking through the streets - not to burn the motherfucker down but to register to vote. TO REGISTER TO VOTE. Put aside the fact that Eminem himself has never voted: seriously, this video is a kick to the head, a parade of images and messages that leaves even a tired, old progressive like me feeling simultaneously charged and astonished.

I have to admit: watching Eminem's "Mosh" is pretty damn stunning, especially from an artist who I've called "misanthropic" not that long ago. Em is now extending on Michael Moore's criticisms of the Bush Administration, creating a video where the main thrust is to call for insurrection through democracy. Be a cynic all you want, say it's just some clever P.R. ploy on Em's part to stir up interest in his upcoming Encore album but offer me a more visible call to action that you're going to see on MTV, BET, VH1, etc.?"

Em's last vid made fun of Michael Jackson and used a Peewee Herman laugh as the chorus hook, continuing his rep as pisstaker-extraordinaire, and then he comes back with this kick in the face. Easily the most effective political statement to come outta the US entertainment arena during their election year. Beats Bruce Springsteen and his tired old cronies rocking the vote.

Nas and his dad appeared on VH1's Hip Hop Honours special, doing a tune called 'Bridging the Gap' - starts off all swamp blues with Nas' dad singing, then Nas enters and the beat gets skippy - it's wicked. Check it here. You can also cop the Beasties doing RunDMC's 'Sucker MC's', and Fat Joe doing KRS One's 'South Bronx' at VH1's site.

from Funkdigital... "How embarassing and what a black eye to the music industry. And you wonder why we don't pay for music. Ashlee Simpson's stuffup on Saturday Night Live." Seems lipsyncing is really difficult. She is blaming her performance (or lack thereof) on a gastric disorder. She's also quoted as asking her fans on her website how she can delete the videos floating round the net of the unfortunate event. Ah, the joys of live tv.
Subject: How do I get rid of all those videos.
10/24/2004 8:35:08 PM - by Ashlee Simpson
Ok you people know the internet, I'm going to get rid of all these videos posted on other websites, how do i delete them?

Search me
Here's some of the delightful search terms that have landed you folks here in the last five days...

Feelstyle; Jayzeezer; Bro town; mass sucides; woggles posters; Belinda Henley; amatanga; reasons not to eat mcdonalds; TV3/bro town; dimmer star times betchadupa; Alison Annan; Leona Johansson public sex; Brian Wells collar bomb video; breasts; Riot III; feelstyle reviews.

That's the joys of site stats for you. Here's Bizgirl's fun with stats. She suspects someone from her work is lurking on her blog, and hopes it aint her employer. I've wondered if any of my workmates read this, and if sol, why aren't you working? Slackers.

UPDATE: here's a few more search terms...
pauly fuemana married; benjamin crellin; dj peter gunz; Graffiti prevention officer Rob Shields...

Russell Brown is doing it for the kids.
From Hard News - Russell reviewed some new local hiphop. He talked about P Moneys new album, and Tha Feelstyle's debut, Break It To Pieces...

"... Break it to Pieces, the debut by Tha Feelstyle, is quite a different affair. While P Money is all crisp, digital beats and iconic samples, this is warm, funky hip-hop. In keeping with the collegial feel of the local music scene these days, there's even a guest appearance from Dimmer's Shayne Carter, who does his Curtis Mayfield thing on 'Savage Feel'. It's a riot.

The world's best Samoan-language rapper is no spring chicken, and he certainly has plenty to say - indeed, there's a little précis of what he's saying under each track title in the CD booklet. 'Le Amatanga' "means the beginning in the Samoan language. A moment of reflection to understand this moment in time", while 'Tha Medicine' "is about self-counselling."

This is a nice album, and in its way a very important one, in the tradition of Ermehn's Samoans Part II (on which Tha Feelstyle featured as the elaborately-named Field Style Orator), which you might say began the story. When I interviewed Mareko last year, I asked him about that record and he agreed that he felt part of its storytelling tradition. Amid a flurry of local hip hop releases Ermehn himself has an album of brutal, convincing South Auckland gangster rap set for release via BMG - with or without one particularly defamatory track."

Niceness. had a listen to it yet? Check it out, it's a fine funky feast for your ears, and perfect for summer, which is right around the corner, I hear.
UPDATE: Smokecds.com have it available online, with audio samples for your listening pleasure. good price too.

Sweet as.
Andy Morton aka Submariner(DJ/producer of Tha Feelstyle's album) is in Rome at the Red Bull DJ Academy, along with fellow Kiwi Amy B. Excerpt from the daily diary, last thursday follows...

"...I chat to Andy Morton a.k.a Submariner (Aotearoa) who's been reading my book of philosophy by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (and bumped into a statue of the dude one day as well). Andy's found the ornate details of the city mind-boggling; and has also been pretty boggled by the number of guest lecturers who've big-upped New Zealand music. "Man I've been feeling patriotic, got some pride for Aotearoa!" [A few days earlier he'd copped an Irish DJ dropping Downtown Brown's Mr Brown tune which suprised him, as there's only a few hundred copies of it in existence]

Darshan comes on the decks and the dancefloor gets more traffic, and Andy is brave enough to accompany me for a bit of a tutu on the floor, pretty nice to see this 90bpm man feeling some electronic house. He says "After hearing all these four/four beats over the last two weeks, I've been starting to get into it." Who else do I meet in the jam but our other kiwi participant Amy B and we pump it up. She says "Being here has made me realise what a wicked little scene we got in New Zealand, y'know?'

Dub Reggae Icecream Truck
"Xeni Jardin rides with Aurelito and Shakespeare, two Los Angeles-based reggae DJs who have converted an old ice-cream truck into a mobile sound system."
I first read about this in Giant Robot magazine a few months back; now it turns up on NPR radio over here. Now, aint that a great idea for our shores? And yes, I know Red Bull did a portable DJ thing here with a Hummer, but that's just a bit too Arnie for me.

UPDATE: Just came across this article on Aurelito and Shakespeare from LA Weekly.

I caught the new video from Fast Crew on C4 last night - laughed my head off when I saw the villian in the vid is played by my main man Radar. He runs off with the Fast Crew chasing him, runs into an office and photcopies himself, creating multiple Radars to battle the Fast Crew, then it goes all animated for a minute or so. It's hilarious, but that's Radar for you - he's doing it for the kids. He is a dope mofo. And I'm loving the Scratch School DJ lessons that Sirvere and CXL are doing on the Holla Hour. It's a real eye opener.

And there's something wierd with the new PMoney video. The track is called Stop The Music, Scribe guests on it, and I've seen it twice in the last few days on C4, and both times the presenters introduced it saying 'look out for Sam from 8 Foot Sativa on drums and Justin from Elemnop on guitar'. The catch is neither of them actually play on the recording, but you wouldn't know that from the presenters blurb. When you pick up a copy of the album, the beats are credited to PMoney and the guitar by Tyna (ex Dubious Bros). Hey Pete, WTF?

You like to go-go, baby?
Selma Blair stars in the new John Waters movie A Dirty Shame ("Threatening the very limits of common decency") as a go-go dancer whose stage name is Ursula Udders. There's a good interview with her at suicidegirls.com.

DRE: Have you gotten sick of talking about the breasts yet?
SB: No it’s ok since I’ll probably never get to talk about my big breasts again seeing as how I don’t even need a brassiere. I did my mommy proud.
DRE: Have you ever thought of go-go dancing professionally?
SB: I do everyday for my dog and my husband. I truly do. I wake up in the morning and I give them a little sugar.
More here. Blair is worth catching in an indie film called Kill Me Later; I saw it on video a while back, and she's great in it. She plays a bank employee whose goldfish dies, her boyfriend cheats on her, so she decides to go to the roof of the bank and jump off, but before she gets to do that, she gets taken hostage by a bank robber, who promises to kill her later.

also at suicidegirls, interviews with...

John Kricfalusi, talking about new episodes of Ren & Stimpy airing on SpikeTV and the first two seasons of the original show are being released on DVD

expat Kiwi Alison Maclean talks about her documentary film Persons of Interest

RJD2 talks food..
DRE: What’s your favorite food?
RJD2: Sushi.
DRE: Do they have good sushi in Philadelphia?
RJD2: It’s ok. There are only a couple of good sushi spots.
DRE: You’ve been to Japan, is it good there?
RJD2: Everything is good there.
DRE: Are you into the punk girls?
RJD2: I’ve got a girlfriend so I’m basically married at this point. I’m into whatever.

There's also interviews with QTip, Christopher Walken, Lemmy from Motorhead, Eric Idle, Jet Li and Stephen Fry to name but a few. And some naked punk/goth girls. But you knew that.

Tha Feelstyle (left)

Break it to pieces.
That's the name of the debut album from local hiphop MC Tha Feelstyle, and I picked up a copy yesterday, and it's very cool - funky beats with rapping in English and Samoan. Check it out. There's a great interview with him that was in the NZ Herald at the weekend, over here. Their reporter followed Kas (Feelstyle) and a video crew back to his homeland Samoa for a video shoot for the song Su'amalie/Aint mad at you. You may have copped this on C4 - Feelstyle is the only rapper I've ever seen who can spit a rhyme and operate a machete at the same time, which is one hell of a skill. Props!

Check the cover art above right, it's a beautiful velvet painting by Charles McPhee.

Shayne Carter to Liam Finn: You're going down, bitch!
Liam Finn and his band Betchadupa are finalists for the Apra Silver Scroll Award for NZ songwriters.
Finn the younger said in the weekend paper that "Really, I don't care who wins, so long as it's not Dimmer. To me Dimmer just sounds like Shayne Carter trying to be Marvin Gaye, but he's left out all the Marvin." Sorry? "He sounds really gay."
Carter's response? "... I'm looking forward to the awards night. I don't usually go to those kind of do's, but we're going this year, even if it's just to have a scrap with Betchadupa."
Finn and co's song is about Australian bats. Carter's outfit Dimmer are up for their song Getting What You Give. The shitfight is going down October 26, Wellington Town Hall. Wish I was there. Carter and his band of heavyweight thugs will pummel Liam and his cocky little grungenik mates. Should be hilarious.
And aint having two competing sunday papers a blast, especially when they duplicate each other - this week they both had stories on the Simpsons, and one on breast cancer, last week they both did stories on Linda Clark. The Sunday Star times even managed to review the same cafe twice in the same issue - two reviews of Cafe Rikka in Newmarket.

I am a vinyl junkie...
Think I'm gonna have to buy this book.



Vinyl Junkies, by Brett Milano (St. Martin's Griffin)
Reviewer: Nick A. Zaino III, Paste magazine

"Every guy with a record collection and a girlfriend should read Brett Milano’s Vinyl Junkies with her as relationship therapy. The book follows die-hard collectors from different walks of life—from R. Crumb’s country and blues 78s to several vinyl addicts in Milano’s native Boston, where he writes for the Boston Phoenix and the Boston Herald. The book presents an engaging look at a diverse subculture—from the rabid nerd completists to the musicians and industry types you would expect to have a serious relationship with their records (including R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore). But Milano also writes about “normal” people with jobs and relationships and whose fashion choices range outside jeans and obscure punk T-shirts.

Anyone who has a shelf full of Journey and Foreigner albums and considers himself a collector will probably feel ashamed after reading about the lengths to which Monoman (of Boston’s The Lyres) goes to obtain a rare Tony Jackson EP from an overseas dealer or the description of George Stone’s apartment, where—except for a couple of folding chairs—his collection has taken over the entire space. But Milano’s subjects are all human, and even the most eccentric collectors escape stereotyping— though at times the author enforces such notions (for example, a particularly passionate speech about the merits of the Partridge Family or a record considered a personal holy grail, a 1957 pressing of Scythian Suite by Prokofiev).

Milano strikes a balance between more serious scientific research and light-hearted self-examination. Someone who flies to Japan to pick up a rare jazz album might deeply love the music or they might have an issue with their seratonin levels. Some people like the grooves on the record, while others believe in a scientific argument for the warmth of analog versus a cold digital sound. He gives both viewpoints their due, but always with a knowing smile, noting they equally bring out the inner geek, making the details almost irrelevant. Collecting, after all, ultimately isn’t a logical pastime, and that’s part of what makes it worthwhile."

Speaking of vinyl junkies, the new issue of Wax Poetics is out this week, and the latest issue of Scratch magazine is in stores here now too. Cover story is a wicked indepth interview with Kanye West. There's also a great interview with P-Money in the new issue of Back to Basics, Aoteaora's hiphop mag. This mag is going from strength to strength - check it out.

P Money does some arse kicking.
I went to the Aotearoa Hiphop Summit at the weekend, saw some wicked graffiti art including some cars getting painted (nice work, Sparrow!), some good hiphop and some not so good hiphop. There are a lot of local hiphop albums dropping in the next month - for example, RES, Alphrisk and The Feelstyle all release their albums Oct 11. Grant Smithies noted in the Sunday Star Times yesterday that...

Lately there have been substantially more local hip-hop records on the radio, video clips on TV and CDs being sold than ever before. "Behold the long-awaited flowering of Aotearoa's hip-hop underground!" cry the grateful multitudes, including me. Virtually every recorded utterance by a local rapper is declared not just socially relevant but witty, wise and original beyond measure. Lift up the hoodie of any passing local rapper and you'll find big bruises from too much back-patting. Well, P Money isn't among those doing the patting....
"Look, nobody could doubt that I love New Zealand hip-hop, but it doesn't help the music to just say everything that's made here is great. A lot of mediocre local songs are currently getting thrashed on the radio. We need to stop being stoked just because NZ rap songs are finally on the radio, and start trying to get better rap songs on it. Everyone needs to push themselves harder." A big sigh billows down the phone, followed by a phrase you'd expect from a frowning grandad: "I mean, where's the work ethic?"

Read more here, or here (if the SST has hidden it behind their stupid archive).