“Not My Type: An Out of Character Experiment” is a typographical exploration of 26 letters (and a few sneaky characters) by 35 talented illustrators, designers and artists, all displayed in one giant alphabet.
The work is going to be stylistically diverse, with artists ranging from Jon Burgerman, I Love Dust, Sam Pierpoint, Lewes Harriot, Dan Westwood and members of The Outcrowd. (I’ll be bringing a big wooden ‘O’.) The exhibition will be showing initially in the Created In Birmingham store, opening May 6th; all prints will be available to buy from both the store or through the Facebook group where they’ll be shown for the first time to coincide with the opening night.
—Lee Basford, 20 April 2010
Steven Vogel represents my idea of the modern-day Renaissance man. Even if you don’t know him by name, you’re likely familiar with some of the projects he’s headed up or played a pivotal role in. As a published author and former editor, communication is arguably his strongest suit but he’s much more than just a wordsmith.
Whether you’re an artist, a writer, a musician, a skateboarder, designer or even an entrepreneur, Mr. Vogel’s opinions are worth listening to.
—Don Pendleton, 19 April 2010
I caught Band of Skulls at this year’s bedlam in Austin, SXSW, and they blew my face right off. Just the right mix of sludgy stoner metal and throwback rock and roll (à la T. Rex) makes Band of Skulls sound simultaneously familiar and unique. On Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, they embody those sounds’ many facets. That is, they can riff it up and mow you down, but also lull you into sweet psychedelic daydreams. Live and on record, Band of Skulls are a rare gem indeed.
—Roy Christopher, 27 March 2010
High on Fire took their sweet time getting this record recorded and released, and it is well worth the wait. If Lemmy sang for heyday-era Slayer, they might sound like this, though Matt Pike’s hell-fire fret-shredding, monolithic riffs, and barbed-wire growls are second to none. “Frost Hammer” sounds just enough like “Angel of Death” (that breakdown is sick in the same way) and more than enough like High on Fire to make it a worthy replacement for the former. Adding Snakes for the Divine to their already hefty body of work, High on Fire might just be the best metal band working today. (Sorry, Mastodon.)
—Roy Christopher, 27 March 2010
goodstuff 028
productfilm
MACHO MAN
A wheelchair-bound Rick McCrank barks, “Do you need to be touching my horse?” It’s only halfway through the trailer of Machotaildrop and I’m already wondering, What the hell is this, and how was it born?
Duo Corey Adams and Alex Craig are the creative force behind the curiously strange and fascinating story of young Walter Rhum and the Machotaildrop skateboard company. Adams filled us in on a few of the details that helped this strange beast of a film come to life.
How did the Machotaildrop film come about?
It was the result of winning a contest called “The Fuel Experiment”, presented by Fuel TV. Ten filmmakers were given a hundred thousand dollars to make a short film. One of
—Anthony Smith, 15 March 2010
SHARE: FACEBOOK TWITTER LINKEDIN STUMBLEUPON G+
goodstuff 027
peoplemusic
MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS
I first heard Jahdan Blakkamoore on Earth Force, DJ Child’s mixtape tribute to classic roots reggae music, released on the Project Groundation label. The song, titled “She Told Me”, featuring 77 Klash, at first seemed a little out of place to be honest: a bare, hyper-digital track slotted between crucial hits from Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown. Over the next year or so I started checking for more of Jahdan’s material and I really began to understand the context in which his work fits seamlessly with the classic styles of the artists previously mentioned, while maintaining a modern sound that lends itself to the myriad of current interpretations of Caribbean music. “Diversity” is an understatement. From powerful one-drop tunes crafted
—Omar Almufti, 09 March 2010
SHARE: FACEBOOK TWITTER LINKEDIN STUMBLEUPON G+
Regular Level-online readers will remember the review of the Banksy exhibition that occurred last summer here in the massive that is more officially known as Bristol City. I’m guessing it was a firm success—over 350,000 people swamped the city’s medium-sized museum during the one-off season when Banksy took over the place with his take on art. It was, in a nutshell, bloody brilliant. Now you’ve seen the graf, watch the movie: yes, Banksy’s gone and made a movie. I for one can’t wait.
—Mark Noble, 05 March 2010
Terry Gilliam is a director that you have probably already decided whether or not you like. His past works have all teetered between genius and madness with varying rates of success. In The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which is incidentally Heath Ledger’s last film, Gilliam gets his Wizard of Oz / Alice in Wonderland on. It’s a dark tale of good versus evil and the triumph of imagination—and Tom Waits plays The Devil?! Does casting get any better than that?
—Roy Christopher, 23 February 2010
It seems like cover records come in three flavors: cop-out, contractual obligation-fulfiller, or rookie mistake. Well, that’s just not the case here. While I must admit to hating this record upon first listen, I can now say with honesty that it is good. Damn good. The first thing that struck me was that two of my favorite things about Peter Gabriel records—besides the lengendary genius that is Peter Gabriel, of course—were missing: the drums (Peter Gabriel records always have banging drums) and Tony Levin (King of the Low End). Scratch My Back is just Peter and an orchestra. I realize
—Roy Christopher, 23 February 2010
The word “poetry” is a quick and foolproof social litmus test. Its mention will usher honesty swiftly to the lips of whomever is listening. They either adore it or abhor it. Some may secretly love it, but no one lies about liking poetry. If you find someone who shares your love of verse, you’ve found something real in this world. With that said, Nate Pritts is one of the best currently doing it and his new collection, A Wonderfull Yeare, is out on Cooper Dillon books. The book is a seasonal shepherd’s calendar made up of four poems, each season a different style but none any less sad or beautiful than the one before. “Is there a better life than this?” I think not.
—Roy Christopher, 23 February 2010
older
newer
contents
