Keith Hufnagel may be famous for his organic pop but slowly and surely, his clothing and shoe brand HUF is starting to make some serious waves internationally right now, so have a butchers at a few select pieces of what’s in his latest collection.
Firstly, the HUF pro shoe comes light, stylish and ready for griptape straight out of the box made from a full grain leather upper and a cupsole lighter than air. These come in Cola, dark blue/black and camel colour ways and are comfy on the job. After last Saturday night’s fun, they also do a bloody good job on the dance floor.
If you are looking ahead to the Spring right now and already have a toasty winter jacket, HUF’s Halsted jacket will be a perfect partner for the months of March and April. Warm enough to combat the month’s ahead, this heavyweight cotton twill number comes with a full front zip, tasty inside liner art, two front pockets and a zipped pocket on the left breast to carry wallets and so on if the inside zip is taken with your phone/pod.
HUF also have a fine selection of shirts available this season. I have the Vintage Chambray on my back as I type this. 100% cotton thread, nicely shaped and super comfortable, the entire selection are made for on or off board daily wear and tear and come highly recommended. Get your eyes over to the HUF store to have a look through all of their other options right now, you will not be disappointed.
Photos courtesy of Brad Rosado, Matt Daughters and Seu Trinh
The back end of 2012 brought some great skateboard video treats across the globe and as you may well remember, we finished our year by screening the UK premiere of DGK’s first full video production after the 10th Anniversary Xmas Jam.
Pushing skateboard films forward is no easy task, but the DGK crew had their own plans of how their first major flick was to be rolled out. Actors, film crews, special guests, closed-off roads, crazy skits and of course, some absolutely banging skating was meticulously planned over a long period of time. With all of this in the mix and a great reaction worldwide, we spoke to Brad Rosado who filmed about 90% of the video to explain a few facts about how this came to fruition alongside a selection of DGK’s ever-impressive team riders discussing their most memorable days from filming ‘Parental Advisory‘.
Who directed the original plan for the overall production?
“The original plan for the production was a group collaboration between the DGK Team, Troy Morgan, Matt Daughters, and myself. We knew we wanted to make a video that no one would forget. When the skate portion of the film was near completion we started to brainstorm how the intro’s were going to be. There were talks about making it into a documentary but that turned into having skits. I think Daughters had this idea for a few years that the video should be focused around the team as if they were mini versions of people on DGK. One day I remember Baker (our graphic designer) showing a bunch of us a dope music video he found online. Troy saw it and I could tell he saw the vision he wanted for ‘Parental Advisory’ from that video. After that, he contacted Randal Kirk (the director) and we started to plan out the rest of the video.
When did the shooting originally start?
All together it took us about 3 years to gather all the footage for the skate sections. Everybody was filming for their parts up until a week before the finished DVD was due. The whole team busted their asses to the very end and it shows in their parts. We started to shoot the narrative part of the film in early Spring of 2012.
How were the actors picked to play the roles between sections?
The actors were found a few different ways. We had a few casting calls and that’s where we found the actual actors for the film. We found the skate kids through Susan Williams”Save A Heart’ program. We did a casting call with her one weekend and were able to find the majority of the younger actors there. They all skated and already had the background that represented the film correctly. A lot of people in the film had no acting experience at all. All they had to do was act natural pretty much. Randal directed everybody well and got the performance he wanted out of them to make this film what it is.
Which celebrities are involved in the cameos?
Some cameos we had in the film were DMX, Beanie Sigel, Kareem Campbell, Fabian Alomar, Vanessa Veasley, Peedi Crakk, and Cappadonna.
With weapons involved in the skits, did you need licenses to shoot in the public domain?
For most locations of the film we had permits and it was closed sets so we could do whatever we wanted. Most of that stuff was shot between 1am-6am so there was barely anybody out on the streets to see what was going on.
How difficult was it to cut HD footage together with VX footage?
That was one of the hardest things to figure out while editing the video. At first we had all the HD footage cropped and the VX stuff kept 4:3. This was probably considered the correct ways to do it. We ran into a problem when we started to add the narrative part of the film. It wasn’t transitioning right between the two sections so we had to make a rough call and stretch the VX footage to 16:9 and kept the HD footage normal. I know a lot of people don’t agree with this decision but we made the best judgement call to make sure the aspect ratios weren’t jumping around. Overall I feel it worked out and most people didn’t even notice. We went through over 25 different aspect ratios to find the right look to make it seamless.
What are your most memorable days from filming this flick?
There were so many good times with these dudes it’s hard to remember them all. The ones that stick out to me are some of the battles we overcame with the cameras we were using. During the last few months we would hit up Jkwon downtown LA every Sunday. During one of the sessions Marquise was in the zone and started to try halfcab fs nosegrind nollie flip out on the long ledge. We tried for a while and he landed a pretty good one. Quise knew he could do it better so we kept trying. After trying for a while longer he did the best one he could of possibly done. The camera I was using at that time never gave me any problems until we watched back the footage. For some reason on that one try it had an insane glitch from right before he popped until right after he landed. I tried everything I could do to make it playback properly but it wasn’t happening. That try was completely destroyed.
Quise was pretty bummed but he knew he had to do it again. We tried for a while longer and got another one. It wasn’t as good as the glitched version but it was still amazing! I remember people asking why we were doing it again since the last one was so perfect. I didn’t even know what to say. It sucks that no one will ever see how good he really did it but that’s the gamble you take sometimes when using a camera that’s 10+ years old. I don’t even think anybody thinks that the version in the video is less than perfect anyways. To do that trick 3 times is impressive! Thankfully we have upgraded to HD and glitches are a thing of the past.”
STEVIE WILLIAMS
“ATL has always been a home away from home when we were working on this project. For the majority of the video we had team apartments and the squad would fly in and out filming nonstop. Staying together and going on missions is what helped make this team a real family. The first clip I filmed for the video was in a school yard in East Atlanta. It was first time filming with Brad so I knew we had to break the ice and get it poppin. I was really just cruising around, but ended up getting a dope line on film for my part. I started off the line with a few flat ground tricks and then there was a quick flat gap I was trying to fs flip. On one of the tries I ended up landing in a manual by accident and held it to the end. That day symbolized beginning of the video and after that we just kept stacking clips and made it a reality.”
MARQUISE HENRY
“We were on a DGK NY trip for like two weeks we had are own apartments right downtown Manhattan. It was dope being in the city waking up hoping out of bed and just hitting the streets. We had a big crew mobbin’ up and down the city blocks, hopping on and off trains going to and from skate spots all day and night. I remember skating down Time Square with Dane, Brad and Seu and we see this random guy that had these dope-ass parrots. Seu shot some dope pics with them on head and on my board. That night we ended up chillin’ in Time Square till 4am and then skated 50+ blocks back to the crib. It was just dope being with the crew in New York having good times skating, chillin’, and livin’ man. Those are some good times I’ll never forget.”
JACK CURTIN
“So Stevie and I tagged along on an Expedition filming trip to China a few years ago. Every morning we would all get breakfast at the cafe downstairs from the hotel. Spencer Hamilton and I would get this super strong ice coffee every morning because it would get us so sparked. So one morning Stevie was at breakfast saying how he felt super tired and jet-lagged or something so I told him to have one of the ice coffee’s cuz it would get him hyped. He never drinks coffee so he was hesitant at first but eventually he got one cuz he wanted to get hyped to go skate.
So like an hour later we’re at the skate spot and Stevie is really hyped on it. He was trying these crazy manual tricks and he had already filmed one banger, but while he was filming the second one, he started freaking out cuz he needed to take a shit super bad. The coffee had messed his stomach up. The skate spot was in the middle of nowhere so there really wasn’t anywhere close to go, plus in China they rarely have toilets or toilet paper at the public bathrooms. Somehow he managed to land his 2nd manual trick while holding everything in, and as soon as he landed the trick, he took off in search of dumping grounds. He was gone for like 45 mins to an hr but I guess he found one because he came back with a look of relief on his face. He blamed me for everything and he swore to me that he would never drink coffee again.”
DERRICK WILSON
“One time we were heading to las Vegas from Phoenix am. It was Brad, Keelan, Marquise, Dane and myself. When we made it to the hotel, I went to the bathroom. After using the bathroom, I failed to realize that some toilet paper was stuck in my boxers. To my knowledge, Keelan and Dane were the first to know, they broke down in the lobby laughing! We went on day and night sessions, getting as much footage for the video as we could. Afterwards we chilled, gambled some. Minus the drinks and gambling, it was a fun productive trip. We made the best out of what we had!”
WADE DESARMO
“There were a bunch of situations we got into while filming for this video. One that I will probably never be able to forget was a trip we took to Philly and New York. Being from the east coast I always jump at the chance to skate Philly whenever possible, so when Brad told me about this trip we were going on that had Philly on one of it’s stops I was so hyped. Although if I could of seen what was going to happen I don’t think I would of been so enthusiastic. First day, I don’t even remember how but the VX broke, had to send it off for repairs so we didn’t have a camera anymore. We got lucky and Rasul knew someone who had just got a brand new VX and somehow we managed to borrow it for the last couple days we were in the city.
The first night we got it, we went straight to Love and started skating around and warming up. I had a line I wanted to try so we start going at it, things were feeling good and then one try the board just got away from me and nailed the cam real good. The person who lent us the camera happened to be skating with us at Love so once we knew the camera was jacked I had to try a few more tries and then act like I was over it so she wouldn’t suspect anything was wrong with the camera. Sent that one to the repair shop the next morning and we were once again without a camera. Definitely not the best time I’ve ever had in Philly but I still love it.”
LENNY RIVAS
“Barcelona was one of my favourite places to travel during this video. When we were there, everyday was a good day skating with my boys. We would skate all day, get tricks, and then go party all night. After my first trip out there I was already thinking about what tricks I would get the next time I went. On my second trip back to Spain I fell asleep on the plane and had a dream that I switch fs 360’d the Macba 4. During the middle of the trip we skated by the set and said fuck it, let’s do it. I warmed up for a bit and just went for it. It was a battle but one of the tries felt right so I put it down. My whole squad was there and that gave me the motivation to stack clips for the rest of the trip. When we put together my part for the video the clip looked a little old and didn’t make the cut. All I know is that I dreamt it and I made it come true. That’s what it’s all about.”
Find DGK on Facebook and Twitter and make sure this video is in your collection today. It’s out on DVD in your local skate shop and on i-Tunes for download. Support it.
Dropkick Murphys
(Teenage Bottle Rocket and Crowns)
London Forum,
18/1/13
Crowns’ jaunty folk suits the vibe of the evening perfectly, but although they deserve the applause from those present, the echo of a third-full Forum does their sound no favours. They’d probably sound great in a packed pub, so check them out at the Old Blue Last on Feb 20th. Go on, it’s free.
Entertaining antics abound during Teenage Bottlerocket’s set, mostly courtesy of the band themselves, the roadie in an Iron Maiden ‘Eddie’ mask urging the crowd to greater efforts, and the topless forty-something guy flailing his arms (and moobs) around in the impressively-sized pit. And the music? The cynical among us might dismiss the likes of ‘Radio’ and ‘Skate Or Die’ as mere Ramones rip-offs, but few bands channel da bruddas’ love of breakneck-speed, power chord driven melodies as well as the Wyoming quartet do tonight.
The Dropkick Murphys may be approaching their 20th anniversary as a band, but you can still rely on them to give it 100%, rock like bastards, and generally be the ultimate Friday/Saturday night band. Tonight they are nothing short of outstanding, barrelling through old (‘The Gauntlet’, ‘Worker’s Song’) and new (‘Burn’, ‘Going Out In Style’) with such tenacity and ferocity that not even two brief power outages can stop them.
It’s a beautiful sight to behold as both band and sold-out crowd fling themselves around the place with wild abandon, but an unexpected highlight comes courtesy of the mandolin-led ‘Rose Tattoo’. Released barely a month ago, it’s already a fan favourite, with bassist/vocalist Ken Casey almost drowned out by a 2,000-strong sweaty choir. It’s a genuinely poignant moment, and a fine riposte to those who would dismiss the Dropkicks as mere musical rabble rousers.
They’ve never been a ‘cool’ band, but the Dropkicks’ combination of Irish folk music, punk rock and raw honesty has got them further than they ever expected. Certainly, as a rip-roaring finale of ‘Skinhead on the MBTA’ heralds the usual mass stage invasion, it’s clear that no-one here cares about such a triviality – and nor should they.
Mallory Knox
‘Signals’
A Wolf At Your Door Records Facebook
The eagerly anticipated debut album of Cambridgeshire rock band Mallory Knox is almost here with a release date of 21st January. The album is being released through Wolf At Your Door Records.
Opening song ‘Beggars’ is easily one of the most catchy songs on the album, with a very upbeat tone to it, it is clear that Mallory Knox’s style is fitting into the new trend of upcoming rock bands such as Don Broco and Deaf Havana – but Mallory Knox are much heavier. It’s a fast paced and exciting album for sure.
Mikey Chapman’s easily recognisable and unique voice will make you remember who Mallory Knox are as he uses his lungs to their full capacity; some ‘singers’ scream and shout, but not Mikey, he can actually sing, which can sometimes be rare from a rock band nowadays. Bassist and backing vocalist Sam Douglas’ voice mixes in perfectly in all songs, it’s sort of like soft whispering in your ears.
Acoustic guitars and slow drum beats are proven to be a a new development from the band as we are introduced to songs such as ‘1949’ and ‘Bury Your Head’ which are a work of art. One thing a rock band can never go wrong on is having a slow intro to a song into full on headbanging with thrashing guitars.
Loud, uncompromising and bold is an easy way to describe this album. One outstanding song on Signals is ‘Bury Your Head’, this being the first ever “slow” song by Mallory Knox, it is sung with emotion and has is truly stunning. The soft piano is something new from the band that have never shown a calm side that is quite like this.
The only trouble to Mallory Knox is that some of their songs can sound very familiar, and that is because a lot of the songs sound the same, but that isn’t to say they aren’t fantastic. Signals is a difficult album to review as it clearly shows the band incredible development since filming ‘Resuscitate’, their second ever music video, in a potato warehouse in the middle of nowhere in early 2010.
Expect a lot more from Mallory Knox in 2013.
RATING: 10/10 FOR FANS OF: Young Guns, Don Broco, Deaf Havana, You Me At Six
Check out Mallory Knox’s latest single ‘Lighthouse’:
P.O.S.
We Don’t Even Live Here
(Rhymesayers Entertainment) www.doomtree.net
It had been a little while since the last album from Minnesota’s P.O.S but, like all the best artists, the wait was well worth it. His new album, ‘We Don’t Even Live Here’, is the natural progression from its predecessor, ‘Never Better’, seeing the rapper embrace the electronic side of music that he loves whilst maintaining his punk rock ethics, melding them into another powerful statement against authority.
From the opening track Bumper, where fuzzed distortion and thunderous drums smash through the speakers, Stefon Alexander lays down his values – “They on some nonsense, we on some non-stop”. He loves his family, his crew and his friends, he hates being told what he should do and how he should live within walls and his lyrics get right to the root of the problem. His greatest triumph on this record however is that he delivers his ideas without becoming a preacher, it’s not tired and it doesn’t feel like you’ve heard it all before.
There is plenty for hip hop heads to get involved with too, ‘Fuck Your Stuff’ reps his crew brilliantly on a ridiculously big beat, ‘Wanted/Wasted”s beat has a classic Doomtree sound and the stripped-down ‘Lockpicks, Knives, Bricks and Bats’ could easily find itself on earlier P.O.S. albums, sonically speaking. The variety never stunts to flow of the record either, the Bon Iver assisted ‘How We Land‘ is the standout track and ‘Get Down’ three-quarters of the way through the album is as big a dance track as you’ll hear all year.
We love P.O.S., always have, always will and when he drops albums like this, it’s hard to see that ever stopping. The chorus line from Get Down sums it up perfectly:
“No-one gives a fuck about shit, so fuck your shit, we fuck shit up cos shit’s fucked anyway, shit is run into the ground (I know right?), I don’t wanna think about it, I just wanna get down”
I love rap that talks about being a gangster, I love backpacker rap that talks about life and social consciousness, but sometimes, just sometimes, I get a need to listen to filth. Back in the day there was Too $hort delivering unutterable smut but what about the new generation? Well, thankfully it looks like there’s a new kid on the block that’s going to take that crown, get it drunk, lay down with it and do something most definitely X-rated to it.
100s is a 19 year old from Cali and has a mouth on him that would make even the most hardened pimps blush. His mixtape, Ice Cold Perm, is one of the best albums of the year without a doubt, showcasing both his lyrical talent and his ability to flow elegantly over the beat. The content is mostly about bedding ladies, but at no point does it get one-dimensional.
Whether he’s talking about Romeo and Juliet getting down or the difference between his old hood-dwelling flames and his new mink-coat wearing, expensive carpet having conquests, 100s is a rapper you’ll immediately be down with. He has character, swagger and let’s not forget that hairstyle of his. The record is free to download and you can get a sample in the video below – It’s not politically correct, you have been warned, but it is brilliant. Get involved.
Brighton has a strange but pleasant scene. Be it, music, skateboarding, art or general culture, you can pretty much discover something interesting on the coastline down there without having to dig too hard. We discovered The Wytches at a show in London last week, a new band that have just released this new video and are making themselves heard in the run up to the 2013.
If you take the psych garage-rock vibes of the 13th Floor Elevators and MC5, then pound them into your ear canal with a dose of Bleach era Nirvana, you will be somewhere close in finding their sound. Of course though, every band has it’s own unique formula and The Wytches deliver noise filled, catchy tunes that are worthy of your time.
Fidlar
w/ Drenge
Dingwalls Camden, London
4th December 2012
Hidden away is Dingwalls, but tonight Fidlar and support band Drenge are determined to make their voices heard. Drenge are made of two brothers from Sheffield who capture the familiar indie sounds of the steel city tonight. While taking elements from indie veterans The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines, making Drenge sound like a distant relative of theirs.
Dashing through like lightning bolts Fidlar burst into the hysteria and ear-piercing guitar rhythm of ‘Cheap Beer’, before pounding every ounce of energy and mutiny in ‘Stoked and Broke’. Lead singer Zac Carper tells the storming crowd “I want everyone under 30 down at the front” and within seconds the stage gets completely gate-crashed. There are limbs being pulled in agonising directions as one member of the audience even manages to yelp that they’ve broken their hand. Well that’s Rock ‘n’ Roll for you!
Oozing from the L.A quartet comes ‘No Waves’ which prides itself on the birth of a sea of mighty mosh pits. Guitarists Brandon Schwartzel, Elvis Kuehn and drummer Max Kuehn at one point even attempt to make a deal with the security who have been taking a firm monumental stand centre-stage to fight off crowd surfers. This promise comes with trying to make peace with security by getting them out of the way if the crowd “turn it down a notch”. All is well for the first verse of ‘Max Can’t Swim’ then it is back to pure teen destruction.
The likes of rowdy tracks ‘Got No Money’ and ‘Carnivore Girls’ take a blow to the 500 capacity venue, soaking the walls in sweat. The stage diving continues song after song as the band advise kids to “drop out of school and start a band”. It’s Fidlar’s rendition of Blink 182’s ‘Damn It’ though that eats up the venue, swallowing the stage whole by the end of the truly exhausting set.
The rising skate-punk four-piece released their official video for ‘Cheap Beer’ last month. Check them out.
These days, it seems that more and more of London’s venues are covered in corporate branding, so it’s comforting to arrive at the Brixton Windmill and find it still resolutely independent and reassuringly shabby. Certainly, Lucero seem to have adopted it as their home from home – this is the third visit for Ben Nichols’ crew, and tonight is the first of a four night stand.
Sweetheart Contract are Londoners, but their sound is steeped in Americana, with alt-country rhythms, twanging rockabilly bass and even a touch of harmonica in the mix. You could argue about authenticity, but the numerous folks tapping their feet along to the catchy ‘Summer Heist’ and ‘Honesty Is Comedy’ would rightfully ignore you. Singer/guitarist Dexy is blessed with the voice of an indie-pop angel, but sprinkles everything he sings with a touch of gritty defiance. Check them out – you won’t regret it.
Lucero arrive to a heroes’ welcome from a sold-out crowd, but neither crowd nor band seem quite as invigorated as they did five years ago at this very same venue. Still, it’s a cold Wednesday night outside, and old favourites ‘Sweet Little Thing’ and ‘Nights Like These’ are a fine tonic for weary souls, whilst a few tunes from recent album ‘Women & Work’ are lent a welcome ragged edge in the live setting. They play for nearly two hours (but for some reason ignore 2007’s superb ‘Rebels, Rogues…’ album), and by the end, it feels like we’re part of the congregation in some kind of alt-country chapel, with the preachers bashfully enjoying the devotion on display. Six old Memphis road-dogs they may be, but Lucero know – as ever – how to create a sense of occasion.
PARKWAY DRIVE
w/ Emmure, The Words Alive, Structures
The Roundhouse, London
17/11/12
Parkway Drive are the headliners at tonight’s show at a packed out London Roundhouse, and judging from the expectant air looming about the venue, it’s going to be a great night.
Up first are the techiest band tonight; Structures. They sound great and manage to get the crowd pumped up early in the night. Definitely one to watch live, as they sound a great deal more powerful on a stage than a CD.
Next on are The Word Alive, who blend melody and heaviness superbly. They manage to cram loads of songs into their relatively short set and the crowd seem to be warming to them by the middle of the performance. Pleasingly, the band seem utterly grateful to be able to play to so many people, and thank the crowd over and over, which is good to see!
Emmure are probably the ultimate marmite band. Yes, lots of people will turn their noses up at them, but they manage to pull off one of the best live performances of the year tonight. They sound monumentally heavy, and the crowd react to all of frontman Frankie’s commands without thought. They too sound better live than on a cd, thanks to massive tone and drums, along with Frankie’s unique vocal delivery. Grand.
Parkway Drive however, will ALWAYS steal the show when it comes to a live performance. Packing 2 projectors and all the lights you’d ever want onto the stage tonight, PWD are on perfect form, sounding monstrous as usual. They are deliver their set like it was their last ever show, with the crowd response matching as they go mental throughout the entire performance. With a lengthy setlist comprising of all their best songs from previous records and some huge new tracks from new release ‘Atlas’, their show is pretty much spot on, and they remain THE live band to beat. Very, very impressive indeed.
Structures The Word AliveEmmureParkway DriveParkway DriveParkway Drive
When did the shooting originally start?
Crowns’ jaunty folk suits the vibe of the evening perfectly, but although they deserve the applause from those present, the echo of a third-full Forum does their sound no favours. They’d probably sound great in a packed pub, so check them out at the Old Blue Last on Feb 20th. Go on, it’s free.
The eagerly anticipated debut album of Cambridgeshire rock band Mallory Knox is almost here with a release date of 21st January. The album is being released through Wolf At Your Door Records.
It had been a little while since the last album from Minnesota’s P.O.S but, like all the best artists, the wait was well worth it. His new album, ‘We Don’t Even Live Here’, is the natural progression from its predecessor, ‘Never Better’, seeing the rapper embrace the electronic side of music that he loves whilst maintaining his punk rock ethics, melding them into another powerful statement against authority.
I love rap that talks about being a gangster, I love backpacker rap that talks about life and social consciousness, but sometimes, just sometimes, I get a need to listen to filth. Back in the day there was Too $hort delivering unutterable smut but what about the new generation? Well, thankfully it looks like there’s a new kid on the block that’s going to take that crown, get it drunk, lay down with it and do something most definitely X-rated to it.
Brighton has a strange but pleasant scene. Be it, music, skateboarding, art or general culture, you can pretty much discover something interesting on the coastline down there without having to dig too hard. We discovered 
Hidden away is Dingwalls, but tonight Fidlar and support band Drenge are determined to make their voices heard. Drenge are made of two brothers from Sheffield who capture the familiar indie sounds of the steel city tonight. While taking elements from indie veterans The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines, making Drenge sound like a distant relative of theirs.
These days, it seems that more and more of London’s venues are covered in corporate branding, so it’s comforting to arrive at the Brixton Windmill and find it still resolutely independent and reassuringly shabby. Certainly, Lucero seem to have adopted it as their home from home – this is the third visit for Ben Nichols’ crew, and tonight is the first of a four night stand.
