That Guy & Some Other Dude

Seems theres a surefire way to release a unsigned electro/funk record these days and it ain't skinny jeans, a pre pubescent moustache, and singing about nailing the bateder, not entirely. It's all in the name...

Two of raddest easy listening tracks I've heard as of late (read: I overherd a DJ on a bus the other day and scribbled their conversation down on a coffee cup in shorthand) are as follows;

Tim and Jean - Come around. Two young cats from Perth who will hopefully follow this up with a stellar first release. Peruse www.myspace.com/wearetimandjean

Ted and Francis - Erland. Another couple of guys from the good side of Aus. Amble on down to http://www.myspace.com/tedandfrancis.com/tedandfrancis

So here it is, my theory, and stay with me here as this is groundbreaking stuff. The key to successful music is to team together two guys, the former with a boring name starting with T, and the latter with a more traditional but not often used name with British lineage.

BOOM!

Say for example, my name was Tom (fairly generic, starts with T. Tick), and I start a band (synth and guitar only, duh) with a dude called, say, Felix (British? Yep. Uncommon? For obvious reasons). Regardless of what fingertapping and strumming goes on behind closed doors I've got immediate summer festival noteriety on the Australian coast of my residence, regular play on alt. radio stations, and rock star appeal thats got to add at least +2 (on the accepted metric 1-10 scale) to ladies within my reach.

Radical (and plausable) right?! You can thank me later...

Let's take it back to the concrete streets...

Ain't nothing like the old school. It's a failry generic comment that things were better 'back in the day', but when it comes to skateboarding, I'm a believer (cue 80's punk track and pool skating montage). Classic street and pool skating have a vibe to them which feels completely lost in the current scene. It's more laid back, more friendly, and for your average chump (member #834 present) with less than average skills, far more approachable.

It is for this reason that I will trade the battered two kick for a classic plank worthy of the deepest backyard concrete hole. Maybe I'm caught up in a celluloid comedown following a couch session with Dogtown and Endless Summer, but I'm digging the vibe and following another whim. On my upcoming trip to California (...cha bro) I'll be walking in and rolling out. Whether 12 year old groms will be calling me names in another attempt to break my immature spirit (sniff...), only time will tell.

Anywho, shopping list;

1) Tony Alva deck

(http://www.alvaskates.com/)

2) Dogtown set up

(http://www.dogtownskateboards.com/)



Because getting a deck from the birthplace of pool skating will make me a better skater. Can't argue with that logic, I read it on a beer coaster once, or maybe it was a book, scratch that, it was probably a blog, this one.

Pump it UP!

For those who like to walk in style (read: poor people catch buses, rich people wear kicks and walk), last week saw the release of the collab Reeok pumps worldwide to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the radical innovation. Adding to the list of things younger and cooler than myself.

Select stores worldwide recieved ther own collab in limited release; here in Aus through Espionage. Our local flavour is this classic black and white with carbon fibre detailing (fairly legit but not quite 'too legit to quit'). They look like the last thing you might see before realising that you can't hoverboard over water without power, and you'd be right, you can't. Check http://www.sneakers4life.com/

On the other hand, so legit are the french collabs released through boutique Colette in Paris that I stare longingly across the water in a direction that I believe France to be while listening to language tapes in a desperate attempt to find a cool house for my feet (Me donner les pompes et personne n'obtient la blessure... cultured right?!). Aight, that's some radical for your feet, because they deserve some too