I don’t know if we mentioned this a while ago, but one of the most stylish companies out of San Francisco looks like it’s back for round 2 – Rasa Libre!
Despite the new website still being under construction, we still managed to get a sneak peek at the Fall catalogue, and as per usual the goods look very good indeed!
If Ol’ Dirty Harold was still around, you know he’d be rocking one of these.
Zoo York are set to drop a limited edition Harold Hunter New Era fitted cap.
It’s been almost ten years since The Lemonheads disintegrated post Reading ’97, following frontman Evan Dando’s very public battle with drug addiction, and following a ‘Best of’ release by Atlantic, all went quiet on The Lemonheads front.
But, you can’t keep a good man down. A decade later, Dando is clean, coping with bipolar, and this week sees the much anticipated release of a brand new self titled album on Vagrant/Polydor.
Recorded in seclusion at Allaire Studios, NY, the album brought together two of Dando’s strongest influences, drummer Bill Stevenson (Descendents/Black Flag) and basist Karl Alvarez (Descendents), who along with Dando’s long term Australian colleraborator from Smudge, Tom Morgan, co-wrote an album of melodic, emotive and wonderfully reflective rock. The overall sound is wonderfully familiar, as the saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.
‘Become The Enemy‘ is already a mainstay on their live show, a husky break in Dando’s vocals, that overwhelmed feel to the lyrics adding to the pumped up guitars. J Mascis adds his scuzzy guitars to ‘No Backbone’ and ‘Steve’s Boy’. Other guests include Garth Hudson on keyboards and Josh Lattanzi on ‘Let’s Just Laugh’ adds to pumped up drawling power pop – its the kind of infectious animated and melodic tune that Dando and Co did so well in the 90’s.
It’s almost as thought Dando’s simply been on pause for the last ten years or so, and are back with an album that’s every bit as infectious and endearing at ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’. So often you dread a favourite band’s ‘come back’, but this is a welcome exception. If you were a fan back in the day – you’ll be happy Dando’s stayed true to his sound, and at only 35 minutes long, it’s a short but sweet return to form from Evan Dando. Long may it last.
Catch The Lemonheads on tour in the UK in October.
5th – Norwich, UEA
6th – London, Forum
9th – Leeds, Met University
10th – Oxford, Brookes University
11th – Cambridge, Junction
12th – Liverpool, Carling Academy
14th – Coventry, Coliseum
15th – Nottingham, Rock City
16th – Manchester, Academy 2
17th – Glasgow, ABC
21st – Bristol, Academy
22nd – Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
What do you get when you mix the unrivalled intensity of 80’s thrash metal with the blood-splattered gore of Dawn of the Dead? That would be Leeds based zombie crew Send More Paramedics, of course.
New album ‘The Awakening’ is yet another collection of monstrous riffs, jackhammer drum blasts and more head-caving screams than you can shake your own intestines at. From opening hammer blow of ‘Everything Is Not Under Control’ to the foot stomping grooves of curtain-falling ‘Transmission’ it drips, bleeds and oozes quality from every flesh-torn orifice.
Complete with a bonus disc of chilling soundscapes, this is one album you simply cannot be without this Halloween. Rip it out the bag and choke yourself to death with it.
As the sun sets a little earlier every day and the moisture in the air gathers strength each month, the chaps over at Puzzle have decided to keep you from topping yourself by uploading shed loads of their best footage on YouTube.
Everything from classic Bastien Salabanzi and Flo Marfaing profiles, to Globe Global Assault comps; expect a lot of dropped jaws.
It wasn’t long before the skills started paying bills again for Danilo Cerezini, and this time its Blind that saw the light.
Blind must be stoked on their new rider, in fact all their riders because if you click here you can try and win 1 of 3 Ronnie Creager decks, whilst over here you can win a year’s supply of Jake Duncombe pro models!
Oh, and did we mention that Blind are filming for a new video? Well now you know.
Regular claimed the first win, and then the Goofy squad came back the following year to take revenge, but come October 20-22 the Lake Forest Skatepark will settle this battle once and for all with the 3rd Annual Etnies Goofy vs Regular comp.
Here’s what’ll be going on over the weekend:
Team Goofy has appointed Dave Swift, editor-in-chief of The Skateboard Mag, as their captain, while the Regulars appointed SLAP Magazine’s Mark Whiteley and Joe Brook as co-captains. Each team captain will choose five skaters worthy to go right to the finals, while the rest of the riders must endure Saturday’s Qualifiers to make the cut. Ten per team will qualify on Saturday and fifteen skaters from each team will then compete in the finals on Sunday.
Sanctioned by the World Cup of Skateboarding, etnies GvR has invited more than 100 of the top professional skateboarders from around the world to compete for the $70,000 purse and supreme stance braggin’ rights. Invitees include 2005 GvR MVP’s Ronnie Creager (Goofy) and Chris Cole (Regular), Ryan Sheckler, Bastien Salabanzi, Andrew Reynolds, Nyjah Huston, Rodrigo TX, Colt Cannon, Jereme Rogers, Mark Appleyard and many more.
A highlight of the weekend will be a special performance by the Beastie Boys immediately following the contest at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.
What I’ve always wondered is what happens if someone skates switch..?
The Blueprint Camp makes top-quality gear and you can’t deny it. I recently got to test some wheels they were flogging on the market and was pleasantly surprised.
There were four of them. White, with pastel pictures on the side. Perfectly round and soft enough to grip the ground without flat-spotting. Oh, and they didn’t turn yellow either. In my case book, that qualifies as something good to roll about with.
In fact, I even switched to some new wheels and then switched back because I enjoyed them so much! How often does that happen?!?
8/10
Ralph Lloyd Davis
Some sick news from the boys at Cliché:
JB Gillet has managed to get a valid Visa for the United States again! Yippee! It only took one day too many on his last visit and about 5 years for the problem to get sorted, but now JB’s a travelling man again and the Lakia video isn’t far off…
Another travelling man is Brophy. Apparently, he’s buggering off to California for the winter and then back to Oz to play catch up and get his mum to do his dirty washing. Just so you know- Brophy currently holds the title for most Moves getting’ the Moooos (http://www.clicheskate.com/team/riders/brophy.html). Can you do better?