Author: Crossfire

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Music News Preview

Son of Dave announces new album and tour

Son of Dave will release the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2008 album ‘03’, on March 22nd this year. The record, entitled ‘Shake a Bone’, was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini.

As a long time contributor for underground music rag The Stool Pigeon, Son of Dave will also have his columns published in one easy volume, which has been named ‘We Need You Lazzaro, You Lazy, Greasy Bastard’. The book will also be available from March 22nd.

In support of these endeavours, Son of Dave has announced a string of scattered UK dates;

February:

26th – London Blues Kitchen,(Free Entry)

March:

25th – Manchester, Academy 3
31st – Brighton, Hectors House

April:

1st – Bristol, Thekla
2nd – Leeds, Brudenell
23rd – Nottingham, Bodega
24th – London, Jazz Café

May:

6th – Southampton, Brook
7th – Sheffield, Leadmill
26th – Newcastle, Cluny

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Preview Skateboarding News

Nightlife with Blueprint

Blueprint‘s Paul Shier, Nick Jensen and Colin Kennedy ride the night in Mallorca.

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Night Raids

NikeSB/Fluff book launch

Nike SB’s new bumper book on their European Ams had its London launch in a swish East End art gallery recently. The 600 page tome was the brainchild of Dutch skater and Fluff magazine editor Marcel Veldman in cahoots with Dutch design house Vijf890.

The book took a little over a year and a half to compile, and managed to succeed in capturing every single rider on the footwear company’s European amateur programme- all 117 of the bleeders! The London launch featured the lol’some Ramsgate escapade documented by Sidewalk editor Ben Powell, and saw a turnout of the great and good of the British scene as well as a smattering of the usual suspects for whom the lure of a free beer will see them crawl over broken glass (and we wholeheartedly include ourselves in that category).

The book is available through SB stockists for a short period, but come back next week for an interview with the top boy Veldman himself, and your chance to win a copy!

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Album Reviews Preview

Freeway & Jake One

Freeway is one of those rappers you know you like, but you feel just hasn’t reached the top of his game, well that’s all changed with this record. His Rocafella status propelled him into the spotlight and he ran admirably with it, but it wasn’t til he guested on Jake One‘s White Van Music on The Truth, that I really saw him in his element.

Teaming up again with Jake One looking after all the production duties on The Stimulus Package, Philly Freezer has definitely stepped up a notch and proved himself to be not only a good storyteller, but a distinguished voice amongst the plethora of rappers out there. Starting as they mean to go on with Throw Ya Hands Up – a straight up boom-bap banger – the duo get those necks moving and don’t let up throughout the entire album.

The drums snap hard, none more so than in Never Gonna Change and One Thing [which features an excellent verse from Raekwon] and allow Freeway to vibe over the beat with ease. It’s easy to imagine the big man bouncing from foot to foot as he delivers his lyrics.

The subject matter flits from calling out snitches to how awesome he is to a superb objective look at how drugs have caused problems across the board from the point of view of the drug itself. Not something you’d expect from a more commercial rapper, but, once again, Rhymesayers have sprinkled their magic and it works perfectly. Even when he tries a little crooning on Freekin’ The Beat, he doesn’t fall flat, a true sign that this album worked.

Take a bow chaps, this one’s a biggun. Check the video below for the proof!

Abjekt.

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Preview

Beauty and the Beast 2

So the honeymoon is over and from the abundance of Pabst Blue Ribbon seen throughout the tour it seems like both the blushing bride (Girl) and the grizzly groom (Anti-Hero) have already developed a post-wedding drinking problem. The tension shows, as our first encounter with this wonderfully oxymoronic pair last year the Beauty edit was a little clean cut for my taste, while the Beast knew exactly how a concrete skatepark tour should be treated.

Yes, we skateboarders do not shell out for high-def pivot fakies to a Boards of Canada soundtrack (though saying that I probably would), we want our cash converted into fucking GOLD – raw, haggard skating, big airs where the dude can barely keep his balance upon landing, punk rock, staffs made of empty booze cans and nosebluntslides that go EEEEEEEEEEECHHHHH. This time around the honeymoon is absolutely over and the bride is pissed off, and I love it.

The action is pretty well distributed throughout as in it doesn’t stop for breath, this year the Beauty edit mixes savage footage with passive aggressive editing that will have you skating before you can even think about watching the Beast edit. It’s a shame that Sean Malto had to drop out with a pretty horrendous looking hellbow, and Mike Carroll’s retarded child of the happy couple bonus edit was sadly absent (he got a spider bite, so ignore your pseudo-Buddhist intentions and kill that fucker the next time you see one in the tub, anyone who messes with Carroll is riddled with bad karma), but B & B are the gift that just keeps on giving.

The standard of skating is spectacular as expected, the big ones to watch are Vincent Alvarez, who looks set to be the next big ATV in skateboarding’s proverbial driveway and Chris Pfanner is pfast and pfucking pfantastic. He’s also the only man in history with a name so alliteration unfriendly that every skate journalist has done what I’ve just done to make up for it. This impresses me.

So once again Girl and Anti-Hero provide the perfect excuse to crack open a can of whatever-you-like and vicariously live the most fun sausage fest I wish I was in. Get on it.

Stanley.

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Preview

London Underground

Car park capers from our funereal friends. Sing along to that catchy ditty if it moves you.

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Features

Spot Check: South Norwood

By Drawing Boards Adam and Peter

South Norwood is the unlikely recipient of a small yet flowing concrete skatepark, but it could have been so different. Although this is a Spot Check here’s a little background for you.

We had heard there was a skatepark being built in the area and immediately feared the worse as the only park built in the area previously is a shoddy metal skatepark with gravel floor. We arranged a meeting with the local councillor Duncan to see if we could be involved. He showed us the plans for the skatepark and as predicted it was your typical council metal monstrosity featuring that wack quaterpipe to driveway to quaterpipe combination. We were gutted! To make matters worse it was being made by a company who build childrens playgrounds!

We told him politely that the council were wasting there money if they were to build this park. He advised us that the council were bound to their contractors and in order to go outside the current contractors we had to prove they would be unable to do an adequate job. So we completed a case study of why the other park (aka Wandle) hadn’t worked and also 2 case studies on parks we felt had worked, Mile End and Meanwhile 2. We threw in the names of reputable skatepark builders in the country and he went back to the council.

Once the new companies had sent in their designs we took along a couple of well known skaters from the area to look over the tenders to get a more rounded view. The council were happy it was in budget and set about work straight away with Wheelscape, managing to complete the park 3 weeks ahead of schedule.

There is already a frequent flow of skaters, including many Fairfield heads along with a new breed of local kids. Also the we have been invited to be involved in the remaking of the other park as well as being consulted in future skate related projects. Result! We have been trying to get things done for at least 2 years and it’s nice to actually see a result with loads positive feedback.

We realise we have banged on a bit but the point is this: If you hear money is being spent on a skatepark in your area then get involved. There’s no point in moaning after another rubbish park is built. Compared to the council you are the experts so make yourselves heard.

Find this park in South Norwood Recreation Ground – Map Here.

Write your own Spot Check and represent your town’s local spot by getting in touch here.

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Music News Preview

FYS LOL

Four Year Strong have announced a number of ‘Platinum’ bundles of their new album ‘Enemy of The World’ which can be purchased at the following link. I want to watch The Craft with them!

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Music News Preview

Envy On The Coast post new song

Envy On The Coast have put a new song online.

The brilliant Long Islanders have posted a track from forthcoming album ‘Lowcountry’. Check out ‘Numb’ here.


Envy On The Coast – Lowcountry #1

Envy on the Coast (NEW SONG! NEW ALBUM 3.30.2010) | MySpace Music Videos

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Music News Preview

Google shuts down selected MP3 blogs

Google has deleted a number of prevalent MP3 blogs without warning, claiming that they violated copyright law.

The blogs hosted on Google’s Blogspot and Blogger services included the likes of I Rock Cleveland, Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, Masala and It’s A Rap, while their owners have yet to be informed on the specifics of their infringements.

Bill Lipold, owner of I Rock Cleveland, responded, “I assure you that everything I’ve posted for the past two years, has either been provided by a promotional company, came directly from the record label, or directly from the artist.”

He goes on to add, “Apparently DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) operate on their own set of odd rules,” explaining, “they even requested that the BLK JKS official blog remove their own song.”