Actin' Childish

I'm a big fan of Community on NBC, and will be one of the first to cry if it doesn't return from it's current 'hiatus'. More specifically, I'm a big fan of Troy and Abed (in the morninggg). This man crush on Donald Glover and Danny Pudi led me to buying Childish Gambino's first album a while back as he's got some of the raddest lyrics out there. His new track is 'Heartbeats', from the album 'Camp', sounds like hip-hop infused Justice beats, which is muy bueno with me. Plus anyone that manages to drop "You give really adequate handjobs and its awesome" with no musical backing on Conan is a boss.

Here's the Conan performance



And here's his acoustic version of 'Got This Money'



He's almost better live than in the studio which says alot in the day and age when 12 year old hacks like MGMT are selling records. We've all been fooled into that experience once. I can imagine it'd be what its like to meet your favourite pornstar in real life. There's no way that thing is going to look as good out of the packaging as it did on your illegal download.

RR

Look Ma, no hands

Whether they're artists or just people with too much time on their hands it makes me miss summer. I can ride my bike with no hands, just ask my mum, shes so stoked.


"Golden Tree" by Martin Brooks from Ninian Doff on Vimeo.

Street Etiquette

I've always been a bit fan of the guys at Street Etiquette for how they capture the fashionable Brooklyn vibe and bring out so much colour of the city in their shots. They recently shot a video for their friend Jesse Boykins III called 'Light to Dark' which is kinds soulful.

Panty Raid!

Not generally the biggest fan of dubstep, or stepping in general, I'm more of a skater. This ditty did catch my attention though. Serene dub

Starting The Weeknd Early

I'm not much one for trawling the music blogs and Hypem for new tunes these days because, to be honest, I'm far too preoccupied freehand sketching new meme's to submit to memebase before screwing them up, throwing the paper in the ever rising waste basket and chastising myself "You think the moderators havent seen this before...nube". In addition to that, I'm even less inclined to listen to a whole album because who the hell buys music on iTunes unless their cold war era grandmother gives them a gift card for Ramadan. In all reality people my age are more likely to have shared memories of when Napster was shut down than the first hard copy CD they bought.

That being said, one release this week has really caught my eye (and yes, that is indeed what SHE said, but stay with me). I've been following The Weeknd since my felly mots at HCASH threw me their track 'The Morning' off their mixtape House of Balloons a year ago, which has some of the most radical lyrics and original beats I've heard in a while. Here it is for those who havent had the pleasure...



I was even more impressed to find out that The Weeknd is actually one Ethiopian/Canadian dude named Abel Tesfaye, and not just because I want to sound multi-cultural. The sound on the tracks is so well polished is sounds the work of a larger group. Plus how many Ethiopian/Canadian people do you know?! Yeah, thought so.

Yesterday Tesfaye released his new mixtape Echoes of Silence, which despite being a bit of an existential wank of a title is a seriously great listen through piece of work thats making a hungover thursday at work with the looming prospect of spending christmas on the other side of the world to my family a pleasing situation. I'm not sure even how to describe his style but I'm a big fan. The track 'Next' is current on repeat, just listen to the lyrics.



Merry Christmas folks.

Rad is Love

Rev Rad

Mates are the Raddest

If there's one thing I enjoy more than an entertaining sunday coffee chat, a casual afternoon skate, or a session at the beach in high summer, it's doing any of those things with my mates. Having mates is the best. It's entirely understandable that those without any have an abysmal outlook on life. You know when you're having a terrible day a mates there to give you some quality banter, or to share the excellent moment you see a fat school kid fall over in public. Most of all, you know that when the HCASH worthy lady you were courting ups and dissappears like yesterdays news that they'll be there to remind you of the simpler days when the most important thing in life was winning Mortal Kombat on Super Nes. and making sure your friends parents didn't find the stash of porn you had under the house.

Apparently Chivas Regal recognises this as well, as they should. Because what's better than sitting about with some old mots and knocking back a couple on rocks?!*



*Nothing

Awesome

In all likelihood it's probably exactly what a film clip made by me and my mates will look like when I make it large in the hip hop world. I find it strange that there's no super babe in a bikini for him to roll by on his trike and throw a casual "awesome" at. It's the logical next step

XV - Awesome from Elie Smolkin on Vimeo.

Plus I've always felt compelled to rap, being the only black guy in my group of stereotypically dressed white friends and all.

King of Cool

Accessories are a Necessity

In these times of sartorial over-exposure it’s simply not enough to buy a designer suit and slap on an expensive watch, because money doesn’t buy class. Every rapper with a #1 single from the last 10 years has an Armani suit, a glovebox full of spanking new Rolexes, and still manage to look styled by their mother. How they wrangle their music video hot tub parties is beyond me.

The old what you wear vs how you wear it. It’s as black and white as the guy in the Turnbull & Asser shirt next to the guy who’s wearing the tee he got 3 for 10 at Jay Jay’s. Today I was wondering how a dood such as myself with skinny wrists can wear a watch without rocking a full shirt and avoid looking like the latter nube. The answer is man accessories, which should be a staple of all guys. We all have that mate that rocks rings, ties, bracelets, etc (not at the same time as that sounds a bit bent) to a T and nobody can pull them up on it.

For now this means some Kiel James Patrick nautical wrist business and a preferably 60s/70s material Patek Philippe, Breitling, or Rolex (watch is on lay away).

That’s doin it right.

Great Scott

Sure some may not be useful, or even liked by true enthusiasts, but you’ve got to take your hat off for a well done throwback. It’s a bit dated now but the Nike MAG’s that dropped in September for charity are a solid effort at recreating the originals rocked by Marty in Back 2 the Future II. Partly because we a) all secretly wished they made L.A. Lights in adult sizes (if this is news to you, keep strong), and b) nobody likes to do up their laces. Forgetting that these don’t actually lace themselves and you yet again have one more first world problem, these are a radical homage to the original, which let’s be honest when coupled with the hoverboard are the only reason we say this was our favourite in the trilogy.

For the launch of the show and the auctions (with all proceeds going to Marty McFly’s foundation) they recreated some of the memorable props from the film, which I’m sure helped people to keep flashing those paddles for a pair of kicks no doubt made in Taiwan.

Plus, Kevin Durant knows a payday when he sees one and it ain’t coming from the NBA this season.

That settles that...

Some wise friends of mine once raised the contentious issue of the quality of Lake Bell's position in the hallowed halls of babedom (schwing). While any rational man would see her value, haters gonna hate. What you can't hate is someone who knows how to drive radical cars, know what's under the hood, and does it all with a faithful dog by her side. End of discussion

OCTV Ep 1 Lake Bell from Rachelyn Remz-Porter on Vimeo.

Notice the song 10s in. That's why I'm the ordained Reverend of Rad.

Man Up

There’s just a certain way a guy should wear a suit, hold doors /pull out chairs, and learn to express themselves without words. It’s black and white; being the distinction between how it should be done and how the majority of us do it. At most, we each have fleeting moments of almost celluloid glory in which we address a moment perfectly in the most manly fashion possible. To do so we must also be at our sartorial best, as it goes hand in hand with feeling like a boss. Any guy with a fresh application of a choice cologne sporting a well cut suit can attest to having at lease one of these moments, I'd hope.

I’m feeling generally inspired by a film I saw recently which displays an all too good example of what I describe above in a way that only film can. To this we can never come close but I’ve put together a list of radical resolutions to head in the right direction. You’ll have to excuse the winter orientation. It’s been cold this week

Dunderdon is a Swedish workwear company that has one of the only stores I think a guy could walk into naked and walk out with everything they need including a hand carved penknife and leather insulated whisky flask. These days the Scandinavians are kicking goals in fashion circles. I imagine Swedish mine workers taking their overalls to be tailored before doing a 2 month stint below, because even in the dark they know they’ll look good.

From my brief experience of a white winter there's two types of guy you can be. Wet assed tearing the hem of your overpriced J.Crew suit whilst destroying a perfectly good pair of leather souled brogues in the snow OR the guy in the double breasted navy check suit powering through the slush in a powerful pair or Sorel snow boots. Don't be the nube.

Last, but definitely not least, here's the exact suit you should be wearing. No points for guessing why. Walk into a crowded bar in the west village on a cold night in this and the fairer sex will eyeball you like you're the first kid in high school to get his drivers license. Thanks to Duncan Quinn, some gents who are completely legit.

Just in case you don't know the man-spiration for all this, get in your car and go for an evening drive listing to this. Then man up.

Return of Rev Rad

I know that there’s at least three loyal followers out there who have foretold of this day, pined after it, and only now find gratification. I’ve been of a mind to start the ole’ blog up again but have been too busy (lazy) to do so. I’m assuming that the casual banter for which this forum was known will come back easily, like riding a bike, or kegstands. Speaking of which, since the dominant taste of the rev-radicalness © that I threw your way in the past was Yankee flavor it seems only apt to give it another nudge now that I’m living in New York (being all scene and that).


On that note, I have a backlog of restaurants, skate shops, bars, and other cool spots in my repertoire that have been resigned to being written about in my SpongeBob Squarepants diary I keep under my pillow.

These days it’s always best to start where it ends so we’ll take a look at the classic weekend A.M. taco and coffee run. It’s become a minor institution on hungover mornings to throw on some semblance of an outfit and haul my ass on the subway to get an injection of hot, spicy, tortilla wrapped life, followed of course by the obligatory coffee and whatever smack-talk one can muster at that hour. I’ve been hearing rumours that the whole taco scene has really kicked off in Sydney since I moved away last year, which is excellent news. If you’re not even the slightest bit partial to high quality Mexican food you’re either in denial of a Frenchman still bitter about Cinco de Mayo.

Imagine, if you will, a small portion of lightly beer battered white fish covered in spices, cabbage slaw, and chipotle mayo served out of a mint condition VW Kombi. Complement that with a Carte Blanca cerveza and you may as well have had an evening of wheatgrass shots and yoga rather than the 6am touchdown you’re trying to chase away. And to even try to describe the Chorizo breakfast taco would exhaust my use of the thesaurus synonyms for ‘awesome’. The place, Tacombi (see what they did there). The location, Elizabeth between E Houston and Prince, do it! Om nom nom…

Following this, the decision making process leaves the satisfied stomach and makes its way upstairs with the thought “I should still be in bed”, and that’s usually a solid point, but luckily you don’t have to walk too far to snag a quality coffee. I won’t harp on about it, but Saturdays (as I’ve mentioned before) has one of the nicest brews in the land, not that they enjoy making coffee but it’s there for those that ask, and there’s many that do.

And that, my interwebs friends, is how one should respectable wake up in SoHo. Stay tuned for more musings as I get my interweb back on.

Here’s some music for the wander.


Nas - Nasty from Street Injection on Vimeo.